Friction Drilling Research Articles

Thermal Management of Friction-Drilled A356 Aluminum Alloy: A Study of Preheating and Drilling Parameters

Friction drilling is a non-conventional process that generates heat through the interaction between a rotating tool and a workpiece, forming a hole with a bushing. In this study, the effect of the preheating temperature, rotational speed, and feed rate on the induced temperature during the friction drilling of A356 aluminum alloy was investigated. This study aimed to analyze the influence of friction-drilling parameters on the thermal conditions in the induced bushing, where it focused on the relationship between preheating and the resulting heat generation. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) approach was carried out to optimize the friction-drilling parameters that contributed most to the induced temperature during the friction-drilling processing. Experiments were conducted at various preheating temperatures (100 °C, 150 °C, 200 °C), rotational speeds (2000 rpm, 3000 rpm, 4000 rpm), and feed rates (40 mm/min, 60 mm/min, 80 mm/min). The induced temperature during the process was recorded using an infrared camera, where the observed temperatures ranged from a minimum of 154.4 °C (at 2000 rpm, 60 mm/min, and 100 °C preheating) to a maximum of 366.8 °C (at 4000 rpm, 40 mm/min, and 200 °C preheating). The results show that preheating increased the peak temperature generated in the bushing during friction drilling, especially at lower rotational speeds. The rotational speed rise led to an increase in the induced temperature. However, the increase in the feed rate resulted in a decrease in the observed temperature. The findings provide insights into optimizing friction-drilling parameters for enhanced thermal management in A356 aluminum alloy.

ANALYSIS OF THE THERMAL FRICTION DRILLING PROCESS FOR EFFECTIVE PARAMETRIC CHOICE ON THE DRILLING OF AISI 304 STAINLESS STEEL USING THE FUZZY AHP-MOORA METHOD

Attaining effective quality control of drilled samples in thermal friction drilling is a challenge considering the disproportionate allocation of drilling resources to parameters. Therefore, it is essential to select the appropriate parameters and allocate their scarce resources based on requirements. This paper chooses the effective and the best parameters of the drilling process during the processing of AISI 304 stainless steel using the fuzzy-AHP-MOORA method. The analytic hierarchy process is deployed by stating the criteria and alternatives. A pairwise comparison is made with the outcome introduced into a fuzzy framework which interpretes the obtained values from an input to an output vector via a rule (linguistic the terms) set. The result is expressed as responses to options compared to the objectives as ratios. The input parameters are the feed rate, friction angle, rotational speed, friction contact area proportion, tool cylindrical region diameter and workpiece thickness. In turn, the responses are the roundness error, radial force, dimensional error, axial force, bushing length and hole diameter. It was found that experimental trials 12, 14 and 8 with the respective differences between beneficial and non-beneficial values of 0.2133, 0.2076 and 0.1083 obtained the respective positions of 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The discretized fuzzy weights place the bushing length as the best while the second position is shared equally by all the other responses. The model was successful in reducing the imprecision in the parameters and the greatly improved response was the bushing length.

Investigation of the Influence of Preheating Temperature on Dissimilar Joint of Al6061/AISI304 in Simultaneous Friction Drilling

Investigation of the Influence of Preheating Temperature on Dissimilar Joint of Al6061/AISI304 in Simultaneous Friction Drilling

Tribological and investigation study of a dlc-coated H13 friction drilling tool on AZ31B magnesium alloy

IntroductionFriction drilling is an innovative method in hole-making for sheet metal applications, thin sheets of conventional structural alloy materials like copper, titanium, steel etc., even though there are other methods, such as thermal distortion for the welding of nuts, riveting of nuts, and threading. For the last hundred years, researchers have focused on studying the development of this technique to maintain strength, hole roughness, hole geometry, hardness etc. It is interested in finding solutions for wear, tool life, and plastic deformation.MethodFriction drilling is also called a green hole-making process because this process uses the friction between the rotating tool and the workpiece. In this research, instead of regular HSS and Tungsten Carbide tools, the H13 tool steel is used, because the H13 steel tool has unique chemical compositions like chromium and molybdenum, which give high toughness, hot hardness, and wear resistance. Diamond-like-carbon (DLC) coating has been used in this research to enhance tool life and AZ31B magnesium alloy is used as the work material. Initially, in this research, the wear stability of the DLC-coated H13 tool was investigated, and later, the tool surface roughness and hole quality were verified.Results and DiscussionThe material loss observed for the DLC-coated H13 steel tool in the pin-on-disk test was 0.05 g. This investigation used two different diameter tools, namely 3 and 7 mm. Research has concluded that the 7 mm tool is better for friction drilling by seeing the roughness and hole quality. However, the conditions were that the spindle should rotate at 4,000 rpm and the feed rate of the tool to be at 200 mm/rev.

Material Selection and Optimization of Green Drilling of Aluminium Alloys: MCDM-Pareto ANOVA and T-SRC

Abstract The widespread use of aluminium alloys in the automotive, aerospace, and structural sectors necessitates the establishment of exploratory selection criteria to harness optimality at the various stages of product development. This study utilizes multi-criteria decision-making approaches to determine the most suitable aluminium alloy for thermal friction drilling. Additionally, the process optimization was done using the Taguchi super ranking concept (T-SRC), and the confirmation test using explicit dynamics simulation using ANSYS software. The ideal material selection was evaluated based on several factors, including yield strength, tensile strength, thermal conductivity, impact resistance, density, specific heat capacity, coefficient of thermal expansion, and percentage elongation. The best-ranked AA2024-T4 aluminium alloy underwent an integrated Taguchi Design of Experiments and optimization using Pareto ANOVA and subsequently ANSYS Explicit Dynamics process simulation. The MCDM Expert System derived from AHP, and ranking of materials using TOPSIS, EDAS, and VIKOR proved to be an effective material selection strategy from a set of alternatives for the thermal friction drilling process. By combining Multi-Criteria decision making (MCDM) with process simulation, material selection concerns in different industrial processes can be resolved, therefore eliminating the need for laborious tests.

Improved mechanical behavior of friction stir drilled 6082 aluminum alloy via T6 treatment

6082 Al-alloy underwent a friction stir drilling (FSD) processing. Subsequently, a two-stage post-heat treatment (PHT) procedure, i.e., solution treatment at 550 °C for 2 h, followed by artificial aging at 175 °C for 18 h, was implemented to significantly enhance microstructure and mechanical performance of the alloy. The microstructure was characterized by optical, laser, scanning electron and electron backscattered diffraction microscopes, while the mechanical behavior was assessed by a micro-indentation hardness tester, employing the indentation hardness (HIT) technique. Corrosion behavior of FSD as well as PHT specimens was investigated through electrochemical techniques.The microstructure of the base metal (BM) manifested an α-Al matrix with an average grain size of approximately 50 μm. FSD resulted in the creation of stirring zone (SZ) and thermo-mechanical affected zone (TMAZ), with respective widths of 400 ± 50 and 950 ± 100 μm. The SZ exhibited a very fine structure with an average grain size of 0.5 μm, thereby displaying increased hardness. The PHT microstructure displayed the formation of fine βʹ and βʺ second phase precipitate types, whereas the HIT hardness of the PHT α-aluminum matrix in the SZ, was lower than TMAZ and BM, due to reductions of βʹ in the SZ compared to TMAZ and BM. Moreover, the corrosion rate of the SZ decreased after the heat-treatment cycle, attributed to the recovery of strain energy induced during friction drilling and the increased solubility of solute atoms within the α-Al matrix.

Investigation of the effect of ultrasonic vibration on the performance of the friction drilling by FEM simulation

The friction drilling process is very important in various industries such as automotive, aerospace, and oil and gas industries. Therefore, they have always sought to find methods to improve this process. One of these methods is to optimize the application of ultrasonic vibrations in the process, and limited research has been done in this regard. The current research aims to investigate the effect of ultrasonic vibrations simultaneously with the parameters of drilling on the friction drilling process to optimize this process with the help of finite element simulation. Due to the nature of the complex transformations of the process, a Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian model of the process was first created in the Abaqus software. Then, the process simulation was carried out in the presence and absence of ultrasonic vibrations. Rotational speed, feed rate, and amplitude of vibrations are the influencing parameters, and sheet temperature and axial force, and torque applied to the tool are the parameters investigated in this research. The results show that higher rotation speed and lower feed rate lead to a reduction of axial force and torque. Also, the application of ultrasonic vibration reduces up to 50.48% the axial force and up to 46.67% torque, and this reduction is improved by increasing the range of vibrations. The optimal mode was selected After analyzing 12 different modes based on the lowest amount of axial force and torque on the pin. It was found that the ideal mode occurs at a feed rate of 4.23 m/s and a rotation speed of 3000 rpm, with a 20-µm range. These findings and optimizing drilling parameters bring new horizons in material bonding techniques in various industries.

Study on the friction drilling behaviors and tribological properties of aluminum matrix composites

This study investigates Al 6063 matrix composites reinforced with different weight percentages of B4C (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) produced through powder metallurgy and hot extrusion. The resulting specimens were subjected to a comprehensive investigation to elucidate the effect of B4C reinforcement on the density, tensile strength, transverse rupture strength (TRS), hardness, tribological characteristics, and friction drilling behavior. The pin-on-disk wear tests were conducted in a dry environment, while the friction drilling experiments were performed under constant spindle speed and feed rate conditions, both in dry and minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) environments. The findings revealed a uniform B4C particle dispersion and strong interface bonding in the matrix and that the hardness, tensile strength, TRS, and wear resistance of the specimens increased as the weight fraction of the reinforcement increased. The 15 wt% and 20 wt% B4C composites showed the highest wear resistance, improving by 62.78% compared to Al6063. Higher B4C content reduced specific wear rates and reduced friction coefficients. Among the specimens under investigation, the Al6063 composite reinforced with 15 wt% B4C indicated the highest tensile, transverse rupture, whereas the Al6063 composite with 10 wt% B4C exhibited the best thread-pull-out strength (TPS). The friction-drilled 10 wt% B4C composites showed the highest thread-pull-out strength reaching 373.44 N/mm² in MQL and 329.74 N/mm² in dry conditions.

An Experimental Study on Bushing Formation during Friction Drilling of Titanium Grade 2 for Medical Applications

Recent advances towards patient specific titanium sheet based medical implants introduce a new challenge for the fixation of these implants to bones. Mainly, the use of locking screws requires an implant thickness of approximately 2 mm for screw thread formation. Friction drilling is a hole-making process that displaces material to create a bushing below the sheet rather than extracting material. This experimental study explores the influence of axial force, rotational speed, and workpiece pre-heating temperature on the bushing height and thickness during friction drilling of titanium grade 2 sheets. The drilling parameters are optimized for both drilling at room temperature and at elevated temperatures for maximum bushing thickness with at least a bushing height of 1 mm. Subsequently, the samples are characterized for their microstructure and hardness, revealing preserved strength with a larger thermomechanical affected zone (TMAZ), a more gradual hardness gradient around the drill zone, and a significant reduction in microdefects in the bushing structure of the pre-heated sheets.

Metallurgical Microstructure Evolution of Friction Drilling With AL6061-T6 at Various Regions of Bushing Formation

Friction drilling is one of the non-conventional holes making process, it is a clean and chip-less operation which uses the frictional heat to create the hole on base materials. In any kind operations like machining of metal and mining of fuels the microstructure is composed with its various phases of size, variable form, and distribution (dendrites, grains, lamellae, precipitates, spherulites, pores, etc). Friction stir drilling technology is specifically designed for mining operations. The improved microstructure of the drilled holes ensures better load distribution and resistance to wear and tear. This translates into longer tool life, increased operational efficiency, and ultimately higher profitability for mining companies. The microstructure of metals plays a crucial role in the mining industry, primarily in two main aspects- extraction and processing of ores. In this microstructure of friction drilling hole of brittle cast materials like Al6061-T6, has been investigate with the help of optical microscope at various regions like Stirring Zone (SZ), Thermo Mechanical Affected Zone (TMAZ)and Heat Affected Zone (HAZ). Those zones are divided based on tool contact with work piece. It is observed that Al and Si particles are recrystallized structure. Due to thermal energy and forces acting on the material drilled hole contains few adhered at walls. At when compared with the HZA and TMAZ, SZ zone contains smaller mean particles are observed.

Failure analysis of formed internal threads in flow drilled bores of AlSi10Mg cast profiles

Manufacturing the internal thread in lightweight components using chipless flow drilling and internal thread forming processes can reduce material and time consumption. Furthermore, using these methods imposes a further work-hardening into the subsurface of the formed thread profiles and consequently improves the thread strength. While the required core hole diameter for conventional (cut) tapping depends on the thread dimension, this diameter depends either on the material properties such as ductility for the thread forming process (form tapping). This work investigates the effect of the used process parameters in flow drilling (friction drill speeds and diameter) on the quality of the drilled bores and the formed threads. A total metallographic analysis was performed according to the formed regions by the flow drilling process and was correlated to the measured hardness profile conducted along the bore thickness. The CT scan was chosen to measure the dimension deviation of the manufactured bores and their effects on the formed threads. Correlating the deviation to the quasi-static and dynamic strengths declared that decreasing the tool diameter by 0.1 mm decreased the inner volume of the friction drilled bore, which enhanced the geometry of the formed thread and increased the percentage of the thread engagement and the strengths accordingly. Although the friction drilling with an adaptive speed reduced the oversizing of the created bore in comparison to the flow-drilled bores with a constant speed, measuring the volume of the formed threads into mentioned bores indicated an opposite trend. While the formed M6 threads into the flow drilled bores with constant speed showed a better strength by subjecting to a quasi-static load, manufactured threads with an adaptive speed indicated a higher dynamic strength from the load increase fatigue test. S-N curves declared that the adapted flow drilling speed led to higher dynamic strength of the formed thread subjecting to the fatigue tests in the HCF (High Cycle Fatigue) range. The measured results from NDT monitoring by the ACPD method were correlated to plastic strain up to failure. The in-situ quasi-fatigue test in the CT scan clarified the fatigue fracture according to cyclic softening and hardening, or possible crack initiation and propagation in thread profiles during the fatigue test.

Method of Selecting a Rational Strategy in Sustainable Friction Drilling

Method of Selecting a Rational Strategy in Sustainable Friction Drilling

On the Modelling of the Dimensional Characteristics for Holes After Thermal Friction Drilling

On the Modelling of the Dimensional Characteristics for Holes After Thermal Friction Drilling

Parameters affecting the quality of friction drilled holes and formed thread in austenitic stainless steel AISI 304

The main purpose of this research paper is to improve the quality of the friction-drilled holes and formed thread by investigating the influence of the input working parameters that have not been investigated yet on the quality of the produced bores. Due to lack of research related to the hardness macro- and microstructure of formed threads, experiments were conducted to investigate these important issues. Finally, a tension test was performed to compare the performance of the form tapped thread with the conventionally cut thread. The experiments were conducted on difficult-to-cut material AISI 304 stainless steel workpieces with (2 and 3 mm) wall thicknesses. Tungsten carbide friction drills with diameters (Ø9.2, Ø7.3, and Ø4.5 mm) were used to perform the experiments. The effects of the ratio of workpiece thickness (t) to tool diameter (dT), rotational speed (N), and feed speed (f) on the hole diametral oversize (U), cylindricity error, and collar height were studied. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the t/d ratio was the most significant factor affecting the mean cylindricity error and the collar height. By comparing the performance of the three tools, it was noticeable that the friction drill Ø7.3 realized better results in terms of mean hole diametral oversize and mean cylindricity error. The elevated temperature associated with high plastic deformation during the processes resulting in fine grains with high hardness values were observed at the heat-affected zone. The longer effective thread length of the formed thread realized higher strength values than the cut thread.Graphical abstract

A review of process parameters in friction drilling on joining of steels

Friction drilling is a unique way of creating holes in steel. In a solitary advance, a rotating conical tool is utilized to enter by penetrating as an opening on the surface of the sheet and making a bushing without making a chip. During this process, the heat produced by the frictional power linking the device and the sheet metal workpiece is used to pierce and make a bushing out of work. The goal of this novel hole-making process is to improve the bushing length in the thin-walled sheet metals by forming a bush and then combining thin sheet metals. The inconceivable utilizations of warm grating penetrating in a few modern areas will introduce another period of interfacing processes for different work materials in automobiles.Researchers have undergone numerous experiments based on the machining parameters, including spindle speed, feed rates, Friction Contact Ratio (FACR), tool angle, tool diameter, sheet thickness, and the output of the friction drilling, includes the bushing length, surface roughness, tool wear, hardness, thrust force, torque and microstructural evaluation.The crucial concerns that should be addressed and researched by researchers in the near future, such as determining the optimal machining parameters of such process and analysing, bushing length, microstructural impacts on the many aspects and their performance, are highlighted.This research paper tends to examine the advancements in research on the friction drilling method and its applications, taking into account the benefits and limits of friction drilling.The present paper identifies the machining parameters and their contribution towards the output level of various materials like Stainless steel, Brass, aluminium, titanium, tempered steel and nickel-based compounds of different thickness.The machining parameters like spindle speeds, feed rate, tool angles, thrust force, Torque, surface roundness, bushing height, frictional heat and tool diameter are optimized in the friction drilling. The incorrect bushing is formed due to the high thrust force, and Low temperatures cause ductility and softening issues.

Process analyses of friction drilling using the Smoothed Particle Galerkin method

As a cost-effective hole production technique, friction drilling is widely used in industrial and automotive manufacturing. Compared with the traditional bolted connection, it enables the fastening of thin metal sheets and thin-walled tubular profiles. Friction drilling results in higher thread length and joint strength, thus better fulfilling the demand for lightweight structures. However, in the numerical simulation of friction drilling, the traditional finite element method encounters difficulties caused by the extreme deformation and complex failure of the material. A large number of elements are usually deleted due to the failure criterion, which significantly reduces the solution accuracy. The development of meshless methods over the past 20 years has alleviated this problem. Especially the Smoothed Particle Galerkin (SPG) method proposed in recent years and incorporating a bond-based failure mechanism has been shown to be advantageous in material separation simulations. It does not require element removal and can continuously evolve each particle's information such as strain and stress after the material failure. Therefore, the SPG method was used in this research for the simulation of frictional drilling of HX220 sheet metal. First the particle distance and the friction coefficient were varied to investigate the applicability of the SPG method to the friction drilling process. Predicted and experimental results were compared and found to be in high agreement. Furthermore, the influence of input parameters, such as sheet thickness, feed rate and rotational speed, on axial force as well as torque of the tool and the surface temperature of the workpiece during friction drilling was investigated numerically.

Performance analysis of GA, PSO and JA for determining the optimal parameters in friction drilling process

The friction drilling process, a technique for making sheet metal holes, differs from the conventional drilling process. Instead of cutting the workpiece, this process forms bush by using high heat generated at the contact region of the rotating conical tool and work material. The surface quality of the bush is not like a shiny and smooth surface due to the generation of high heat energy. Experimental investigation of friction drilling process has been done for optimization of surface roughness and bushing length by various researchers. This research work attempts application of meta-heuristics such as Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Jaya Algorithm (JA) and compares the results in order to evaluate their performances. GA, PSO and JA are applied to minimize the surface roughness of the friction drilled holes which depends on parameters viz rotational speed, friction angle and workpiece thickness. Also, these algorithms are applied to maximize bushing length by considering the significant parameters viz friction angle, friction contact area ratio, feed rate and spindle speed. The results are compared for surface roughness value and bushing length signal to noise ratio. The comparative analysis shows that the Jaya algorithm performs more efficiently with quick convergence to the solution compared to other two algorithms. The comparison of PSO with GA shows that, the PSO performs better in terms of convergence to the solution for both the objectives. Further, it has been found that JA shows the robustness in terms of consistency of results for different population sizes and number of iterations.

The effect of pre-drilling on the characteristics of friction drilled A356 cast aluminum alloy

The friction drilling process utilizes frictional heat to increase the thickness of sheet metal parts by making holes with bushes using a non-traditional drilling tool. Unfortunately, cracks are found in the formed bushings during friction drilling of brittle materials. The purpose of the present study is to improve the quality of friction-induced bushes in brittle A356 aluminum sheets via a performance of a pre-drilling with different diameters (2, 2.5, and 3 mm). The pre-drilling is aimed to reduce cracks and petal formation as compared with the solid sheets. The friction drilling processes were carried out by a K100 conical tool, with 10 mm diameter and 58° cone angle. The friction drilling parameters involve different rotational speeds (2000, 3000, and 4000 rpm) as well as different feed rates (40, 60, and 80 mm/min). The characteristics of the thermally induced bushes (shape, dimensions, and surface roughness) were investigated in solid and pre-drilled sheets. Furthermore, we studied the microstructure evolution and hardness distribution in the thermo-mechanical affected zone and the heat-affected zone surrounding the bush. It was found that, the formed bushings in the pre-drilled sheets did not have cracks or petal formation in comparison with the other formed bushes in the solid sheets. The pre-drilled specimens showed an average bushing height increase from 5 to 6 ± 0.8 mm with the increase of the tool rotational speed from 2000 to 4000 rpm. At rotational speeds of 2000 and 4000 rpm, the pre-drilled specimens with a diameter of 2.5 mm had a bushing height which is 0.5 ± 0.2 mm greater than the other pre-drilled specimens. In addition, the surface roughness of the pre-drilled sheets decreased with the increase of the rotational speed and/or reduction of the feed rate. Moreover, the microstructure near the drilling zone exhibited a fine Si particles distribution. However, the hardness values near the drilled surfaces were 15 ± 8 HV lower than those of the base metal in both solid and pre-drilled sheets.

A Novel Approach to Friction Drilling Process: Experimental and Numerical Study on Friction Drill Joining of Dissimilar Materials AISI304/AL6061

Joining dissimilar materials is always a challenging and interesting topic for researchers and industries. Friction drill joining, as a solid-state process, is a novel approach to connecting similar and dissimilar materials. Dissimilar metals, especially ultra-high-strength steels and aluminum alloys, are used significantly for the mass reduction of automotive bodies, and to reduce CO2 emissions in the automotive industry. In the current work, a friction drill joining technique for joining AISI304 and Al6061 was experimentally and numerically studied. A technique for improving joint strength, load-clamping modification, and tool movement was also introduced. The required thrust force is measured, and it is proven that adding sheet layers does not significantly affect the required thrust force. To understand and identify the mechanism of the process, and its material behaviour, material stirring and formation in the joint region were analyzed. A thermo-mechanical finite element model was also developed, and the thermal stress, plastic strain, and temperature were studied. A numerical comparison between joints formed under normal and improvement conditions was conducted, and the significant effect of the improvement conditions on joint strength and formed-bush quality was found. Based on the findings, the great potential of using friction drill joining for joining dissimilar materials is confirmed.

Identification of Requirements for FE Modeling of an Adaptive Joining Technology Employing Friction-Spun Joint Connectors (FSJC)

The adaptive joining process employing friction-spun joint connectors (FSJC) is a promising method for the realization of adaptable joints and thus for lightweight construction. In addition to experimental investigations, numerical studies are indispensable tools for its development. Therefore, this paper includes an analysis of boundary conditions for the spatial discretization and mesh modeling techniques, the material modeling, the contact and friction modeling, and the thermal boundary conditions for the finite element (FE) modeling of this joining process. For these investigations, two FE models corresponding to the two process steps were set up and compared with the two related processes of friction stir welding and friction drilling. Regarding the spatial discretization, the Lagrangian approach is not sufficient to represent the deformation that occurs. The Johnson-Cook model is well suited as a material model. The modeling of the contact detection and friction are important research subjects. Coulomb’s law of friction is not adequate to account for the complex friction phenomena of the adaptive joining process. The thermal boundary conditions play a decisive role in heat generation and thus in the material flow of the process. It is advisable to use temperature-dependent parameters and to investigate in detail the influence of radiation in the entire process.