Friction Welding Machine Research Articles

Microstructure and mechanical properties of continuous drive friction welded Ti2AlNb alloy under different rotational rates

Ti2AlNb-based alloy was joined in a continuous drive friction welding machine under different rotational rates (500, 1000 and 1500 r/min). The microstructure and mechanical properties of the joints were investigated. It is shown that the weld zone (WZ) is fully composed of recrystallized B2 phase, and the grain size decreases with increasing rotational rate. The thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) suffers severe deformation during welding, due to which most of original precipitation phase is dissolved and streamlines are present. In the heat affected zone (HAZ), only the fine O phase is dissolved. The as-welded joint produced using 1000 r/min has the best mechanical properties, whose strength and elongation are both close to those of the base metal, while the as-welded joint obtained using 500 r/min exhibits the worst mechanical properties. Post-weld annealing treatment annihilates the deformation microstructure and fine O phase precipitates in the joints, consequently improving the mechanical properties significantly. Decomposed α2 phase is a weakness for the mechanical performance of the joint since microcracks are apt to form in it in the tensile test.

Effect of friction pressure on microstructure and mechanical properties of friction welded joint between alumina and 1100 aluminum alloy

Friction welding (FW) is a solid-state joining process that has received considerable attention in recent years due to its efficacy in joining similar and dissimilar materials. In this experimental study, dissimilar joints of alumina (Al2O3) ceramic and 1100 aluminum alloy were produced by friction welding. The objective was to investigate the impact of welding parameters on the mechanical and structural properties of the welded joints. Welding processes were conducted using a continuous drive friction welding (CDFW) machine, under different friction pressures (20, 34 and 45 MPa), whereas other welding parameters are kept constant. The strength and mechanical properties of the welded Joints were assessed by means of a three-point bending test and Vickers micro-hardness measurements. Furthermore, the microstructure of the Joints was examined using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that friction pressure has a significant effect on the structural and mechanical properties of the joints.

THE EFFECT OF FRICTION TIME VARIATIONS ON DISSIMILAR MATERIAL WELDING JOINTS AND HARDNESS VALUE USING A BAR-PLATE ROTARY FRICTION WELDING MACHINE

This research aims to determine the effect of variations in friction time on welded joints of dissimilar materials and hardness values. The method used is the friction welding method. One of the materials widely used in industrial products is mild steel AISI 1037 and stainless steel 304. One of the tools used is a bar-plate upright rotary friction welding machine. The parameters used are friction time variations of 25-35 seconds, 55-65 seconds and 115-125 seconds with a rotational speed of 2,484 rpm, friction pressure of 0.5 MPa, forging pressure of 0.7 MPa, forging time of 10 seconds. From the results of the connection several tests were carried out, namely liquid penetrant , macro observation and hardness test. The results of liquid penetrant testing and macro observations showed no influence on the welding area. The results of hardness testing have an influence on the hardness value. In the interface area, the friction time variation of 120 seconds has the highest hardness value of 161.67 VHN. The lowest hardness value in the interface area with a friction time variation of 30 seconds is 152.90 VHN. Where the longer the friction time, the hardness value also increases.

Underwater Friction Welding of Low Carbon Steel

In this study, an attempt was made to obtain a welded joint from the underwater friction welding (UFW) process. The workpiece material used in this experiment was AISI 1018 low carbon steel. The experiment was carried out on a friction welding machine which was designed and manufactured for this purpose. The UFW process was carried out by varying the spindle rotation used to rotate one of the workpieces. The friction force was kept constant. The quality of the welded joints resulting from UFW was determined by measuring the misalignment that occurs in the weld joint, the macro and micro structures formed, as well as the mechanical properties of the welded joint. For comparison, friction welding in air (FW) was also carried out. The results obtained indicate that low spindle rotation results in high misalignment of the welded joint between the two workpieces. During the UFW process, rapid cooling occurs so that the microstructure of the weld metal, TMAZ and HAZ is dominated by a fine pearlite phase so that the hardness and strength of the weld joint are higher than those produced by FW process in air.

Advantages of Friction Welding of Fittings with Small Diameter Conical Contact Form

Introduction. As numerous production tests show, the use of manual arc welding (MAW) of thick-walled fittings of small diameter (up to 80 mm) does not provide a high-quality weld joint that meets the requirements of regulatory and technical documents of nuclear power plants (NPP). The solution to this problem is possible on the basis of research and development of welding technology with optimal heat input instead of MAW. Existing fusion welding technologies do not allow for optimal regulated heat input. However, this can be realized during the development and further use of the friction welding (FW) method. Therefore, this work aimed at developing a technology based on an automated technique of friction welding, which could provide the enhancing of the quality of weld joints of small diameter fittings of power equipment to the level of regulatory requirements.Materials and Methods. Small diameter fittings with a conical contact surface made of low-alloy steel 10GN2MFA were used. The experimental study was performed on a friction welding machine MST–41. Methods of non-destructive and destructive quality control were used in accordance with the regulatory and technical documentation of nuclear power engineering.Results. A methodology was developed, and the optimal dimensions of the conical contacting surface under welding were determined. It was shown that optimal heat input during friction welding was achieved by preparing a conical contacting surface in the angle range α = 30º–40º. The methodology and parameters of the friction welding mode for models of small diameter fittings were experimentally tested. In the course of the research, a cyclogram of the friction welding process was obtained and described, which confirmed the stage-by-stage formation of the weld joint due to the sequential inclusion of annular sections of the conical surface of the connected parts in the heating stage. The results of non-destructive and destructive testing were obtained, confirming the presence of a high-quality weld joint at the level of the requirements of the regulatory and technical documents of the NPP.Discussion and Conclusion. The obtained research results can be used to develop the technology of friction welding of pipes, as well as products made of carbon and low-alloy steels.

Hardness and Microstructure Analysis of Rotary Friction Welded Dissimilar Joint of Cu and Ti-6Al-4V

In this paper, the effect of rotary friction welding on hardness and microstructures of weld zones and base metal zones of Ti-6Al-4V and Cu have been investigated. A rotary friction welding technique was used to perform dissimilar joining of Cu and Ti-6Al-4V bars. Friction welding process parameters were optimized process parameters of a 5-ton rotary friction welding machine. The upset pressures were applied from 30 kg/mm2, 40 kg/mm2 and 50 kg/mm2. The dissimilar joint was successfully formed at upset pressure of 50 kg/mm2. The friction welded joints were failed in drop test after welding at the lower upset pressures (30 kg/mm2 and 40 kg/mm2).The hardness and microstructures were characterized for weld joint formed at 50 kg/mm2. The weld zone, base metal and weld interface and base metals were analysed to understand microstructures and elemental diffusion of Ti and Cu. The welded specimens were examined by using an optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. Grain refinement was seen in Cu near the interface of the joint whereas in the case of titanium circular patterns of grains were seen near the interface of the joint. The micro hardness of Ti-6Al-4V was increased from 307 HV to 365 HV and for Cu increased from 240 HV to 290 HV. Intermetallic compounds such TiCu4 and Ti2Cu were found at weld zone by X-ray diffraction analysis.

Experimental investigations and effect of parameters on friction welded AISI 304 and Invar alloys

ABSTRACT It is challenging to achieve sound weld quality between dissimilar materials such as AISI 304 and Invar alloys with the help of the fusion welding process due to various weld defects like slag inclusion and misalignment. In current work, Invar alloys and AISI 304 material is welded with 12 mm diameter and 70 mm length on a commercial friction welding machine. Taguchi L9 orthogonal design is utilised for experiments, and an optimised parameter combination is identified. Machining parameters such as friction rotation RPM − 1100,1300,1500 rpm, frictional pressure 33,43,53 MPa, and burn-off length 4,5,6 mm are selected for the experiments. Forge pressure is not applied in experimental tests, and the tensile strength of the weld joint is evaluated for comparison. The findings revealed that the lower friction pressure up to 43 MPa resulted in higher tensile strength up to 517 MPa and refined grains in the microstructure. The higher friction pressure resulted in lower tensile strength due to non-homogeneous temperature distribution at the weld interface. The burn-off length shows significant effects on tensile strength results beyond 5 mm. The findings demonstratedthat the process could join dissimilar materials with enhanced mechanical properties.

Effect of Spindle Speed of Bar-Plate Rotary Friction Welding Machine on Joint Interface Area and Hardness Value

This study aims to determine the effect of the rotational speed parameter on the joint interface weld area and the value of hardness on similar materials. Welding parameters used the rotational speed of 2,484 rpm, 2,613 rpm and 4,335 rpm. Test method used in this research was liquid penetrant, macro and micro-observation and hardness test. The results of the liquid penetrant test showed no defects on the surface of the connection. In macro-observation, where there is a fairly large void at rotational speed of 2,484 rpm, which has length is 2,69 mm, then shrinks at 2,613 rpm to 1,52 mm, then at 4,335 rpm there is no visible void. In micro-observations showed that the weld metal area had a finer grain structure than the HAZ (Heat Affected Zone) and base metal areas this affect hardness value. The results of the hardness test are that the higher the rotational speed the higher the hardness value produced.

Research on Dynamic Characteristics Analysis Method of Spindle-Flywheel Rotor System of Inertia Friction Welding Machine

A rotor is a special vibration system whose mechanical characteristics change with rotating speed. Taking the spindle-flywheel rotor system of inertia friction welding machine as the research object, in order to explore the variation law of critical speed and the unbalanced response of rotor system at different node positions, according to the special form of the spindle-flywheel rotor system, the combined flywheel set is simplified as a node of a lumped mass model, and the Riccati transfer matrix method and finite element method are used to calculate respectively. The error of the Riccati transfer matrix method is less than 4% compared with the finite element method, which proves the rationality of an equivalent flywheel node. Compared with the finite element method, the Riccati transfer matrix method, which simplifies the flywheel model, not only ensures accuracy but also shortens the calculation time. This method is obviously more suitable for calculating the spindle-flywheel rotor system model of an inertial friction welding machine. In addition, this method can also calculate the unbalanced response. When the unbalanced mass distribution is closer to the head end of the spindle, the unbalanced response vibrates more strongly at the second-order natural frequency, and the rotor response during vibration can be predicted.

Optimization of friction welding process parameters for Joining Al6082 and mild steel using RSM

The goal of this research is to evaluate the improvement of solid state joints made of different materials, Al6082 Aluminum and Mild Steel. Rotary friction welding was used to create the joints (RFW). The process parameters of friction welding machine was optimised using response surface methodology (RSM) to achieve the maximum tensile strength of the joint. Dissimilar welding of metals is being a difficult process due to its variance in mechanical properties, co-efficient of thermal expansion, thermal conductivity and other properties. There is a big mismatch between the metals when welded. In this case the friction welding is found out be a better process than other conventional welding. The friction welding of Aluminium and Mild steel was a challenging one due to its difference in mechanical and physical characteristics. One more problem is the formation of intermetallic compounds at the interface. This intermetallics may lead to brittleness at the weld center and giving way for failure. So this should be reduced. In this study the optimization of welding parameter is done by using RSM. Various combinations of parameter has been set and welded. Their tensile properties and characterisation has been analysed.

Production of the Design Developed to Assembly Filter Parts, Optimization of Welding and Field Test

At the joining of non-removable plastic parts, the methods such as friction welding, friction-stir welding, ultra-sonic welding, chemical joining, hot-plate welding use. Rotary friction welding, which is one of the friction welding methods, is generally used for joining the filter parts of water treatment devices. After rotating friction welding of the filter parts, semi-melted agglomerations are formed in the inner parts. To prevent semi-melted accumulation, weld joint profile design was developed in the ABAQUS program in the previous study. In this study injection molds had been produced and production according to weld joint profile design. The taken plastic presses were welded with the friction welding machine and the joint was controled and compared. It is seen that the semi-melted agglomeration was successfully confined. By performing Taguchi experimental method and ANOVA analysis on friction welding machine parameters the optimum pressure conditions were determined, aimed to carry out static and dynamic tests according to NSF standards and field tests by producing 1500 pilots product and it has been put into use. The lifetime of the developed filter depends on the material which was used in manufacture. In the next study, it is aimed to improve the lifetime of the developed filters.

Research and Test of the Self-Designed and Manufactured Rotary Friction Welding Machine with CT3 Steel Samples

This paper presents the results of research and test of the self-designed and manufactured rotary friction welding machine. Tensile test results show that the tensile strength of the material after welding is satisfactory according to the standards of the material; the elongation is within the elongation limit of the welding specimen; the yield limit is greater than the minimum yield limit of the material. The parameters of the welding equipment are guaranteed according to the design requirements.

Effect of Welding Parameters on Axial Shortening in Continuous Friction Welded Inconel 718 Superalloy and AISI 316L Stainless Steel

In this study, nickel-based Inconel 718 superalloy and iron-based AISI 316L stainless steel were joined by friction welding using 27 different welding parameters. It is aimed to contribute to the literature on determining the initial length of the welded samples for similar applications to be made later by determining the axial shortening of the welded samples. Welding samples which have 12mm diameter and 70 mm length were prepared for Inconel 718 and AISI 316L. In the friction welding machine, AISI 316L stainless steel is attached to the rotating chuck and Inconel 718 superalloy is attached to the linear moving chuck. For continuous friction welding parameters, 3 different rotational speeds (1800-1600-1400 rpm), 3 different friction times for each rotational speed (16-12-6 s) and 3 different friction pressures (60- 40-20 MPa), forge pressure (120-80-40 MPa) and forge time (32-24-12 s) were determined. The axial shortenings of the samples which welded with these parameters were measured with the digital caliper. As a result, the maximum axial shortening was measured as 8.57 mm in the S1 sample, and the minimum shortening was measured as 1.39 mm in the S18 sample. When the welded samples are examined in macro terms, it has been seen that the HAZ is narrower on the Inconel 718 side. When the welding specimens were examined, cracks were observed on the flash on the Inconel 718 side. It was observed that axial shortening increased as friction and forge pressure increased at 1800 rpm and 1600 rpm. In all samples, the increase in friction and forge time increased axial shortening in length.

Study of grain refinement on piston combustion bowl using friction welding

IC engines are subjected to constant heat and friction when the engine is running at full capacity and maximum load. In the piston head, the part known as the combustion bowl often is exposed to massive pressure and high heat temperatures, which can lead to crack openings in it eventually leading to engine breakdown.Hence, this experiment was conducted to study the grain structures of the materials used in the combustion bowl, to study its refinement and also find the hardness of the material. H13 3000 series Aluminum and SS304 steel were the materials chosen to do the experiments. Six welding samples was processed in which two are of Aluminum-Aluminum, two are Steel-Steel and two are Steel-Aluminum. A rotary friction welding machine was used for the experiment. The objectives of the experiment were to study the porous structure of the welded region, to find the grain refinement in all of the six experiments performed in all of the cases, and to study the microstructure by performing the Vickers hardness test to inspect the hardness of the welded region in all six cases.Upon inspection it was found that there is a significant increase in percentage of hardness in the welded zones of steel samples when compared to aluminium samples.

Parameter monitoring and control of the friction stir welding process

A control algorithm and the implementation example of a corresponding control system for a friction welding machine designed for experimental work on the friction stir welding technology of large-sized products from aluminum alloys are described. Brief characteristics of the experimental-industrial installation «Malachite» are given. A method to control the welding mode for the process automation according to the main drive power is found. The emergency events separation for automatic friction stir welding is introduced. The application of optical communication between equipment for mode control and unification of panel solutions for friction stir welding is tested. Keywords friction stir welding, aluminum alloys, welded assemblies from aluminum alloys, welding process automation, pure welding technologies, optical communication

Modifikasi Mesin Las Gesek Cakram

The purpose of this research is to improve the performance of the disc friction welding machine that has been built and is operated, but there is a drawback, namely that there is no measuring device for process parameters such as rotational speed and forging load. In addition, during operation there is a vibration of 1.5 mm / s to 4.9 mm / s which is unacceptable according to ISO-2372 standards, so that these deficiencies can affect the quality of weld production. Repair or modification of this the friction welding machine is carried out by selecting and installing a rotating speed sensor (RPM) and load cell forging loads and installing rubber to dampen vibrations. Furthermore, the function test was carried out with the load, it was obtained that the rotational speed read on the LCD was 3.7% greater than the tachometer and the vibration decreased up to a value of 0.9 mm/s where this value was acceptable according to ISO-2372, while the performance test resulted in welding production for 3 workpieces with plate sheet material AA-110, ASTM A36 and CU-DHP copper with the same thickness, namely 1mm. From the results of the specimen tensile test of the three materials, it was found that the breakdown location was in the welding area where the tensile test value was around 1.2 to 5.1% of the tensile value of the workpiece material. 

Conversion of a Conventional Lathe Machine into a Friction Welding Machine and Performing Some Experimental Tests for its Operational Feasibility

In today’s manufacturing environment, there is always a need to use cost effective methods and materials for production purposes. Friction welding is one of such method that offers cost effectiveness and high productivity rate as compared to other similar welding processes. Friction welding process has been used widely in the manufacturing world. It is an adjustable and tolerant process that can join most engineering materials. It is a well-established welding process that can produce good quality weldment between similar and dissimilar materials. Due to this flexibility of use of different materials, it has been used in many applications such as aerospace, automotive and other related manufacturing industries etc. The main objective of this research is to study possibility of doing friction-welding on a typical lathe machine instead of doing it on a friction welding machine and also to check the reliability of the welded joint. Conventional Lathe machine was converted into a friction-welding machine by adopting a systematic procedure. The fixture of the attachment was designed, manufactured and installed and different parameters such as applied pressure and spindle rpm were tested in order to achieve the welding joint by friction. The materials used for welding were Stainless Steel 070M20 and Aluminum 2011-T3.

Direct Drive Friction Welding Joint Strength of AISI 304

The present study describes the effect of friction welding process on mechanical and metallurgical properties of AISI 304 steel. The joints were made by direct drive friction welding (DDFW) machine, while the characteristics of friction welded joints were evaluated by macro-microstructure, microhardness, tensile test with 4 mm and 6 mm effective diameter, and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed severe flash formation at stationary side related to rotating side, highly plastically deformed zone (HPDZ) was revealed at the interface with large dimension of 110 µm. Maximum microhardness values were recorded at welded center and increased from peripheral to central zones. Reducing ratio of ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and ductility for welded joint related to AISI 304 were 86 and 67%, respectively. Tensile fractures occurred adjacent to the interface at thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ). Fracture morphologies by SEM were discovered cleavage features and mostly ductile mode with micro-porosities of different forms and dimensions

The Control System of Friction Welding Machine for 5000kN Large Electrolytic Aluminum Prebaked Anode Conductor

A friction welding machine, which improves the connection performance of two different metals by generating heat of relative movement of friction, could increase the maximum contact area and lower energy and human labor consumption. The machine’s control system reaches the manufacturing process’s demands with its design and exerts its promising prospects.

Performance of Dynamometer with Sensor Type Single Bar for Measuring Drive Power of Rotary Friction Welding Machine

This study aims to determine the performance of the dynamometer design as a measure of mechanical power on a rotary friction welding machine. The design of the dynamometer includes the design, manufacture, calibration, and testing of the dynamometer. The design and manufacture of strain dynamometers is adjusted to the motor of the rotary friction welding machine at the University of Riau's Mechanical Engineering Production Technology Laboratory. The design of the strain dynamometer has a dimension of 175 mm × 3 mm × 50 mm and serves to determine the motor torque value with the help of a 120 ohm strain gauge sensor. The device designed is equipped with an electrical microcontroller device and an optocoupler sensor to measure the angular speed of the motor. Next, the dynamometer performance testing is performed on the rotary friction welding machine. The results of testing in the rotary welding process, the greater the pneumatic pressure exerted during welding, the greater the measured power. The largest measured power value is 2452.92 Watt in the forging process, and the smallest measured power value is 2050.24 Watt in the first time of the initial motor rotation. After doing the research, it can be concluded that the tools designed and built can work and have a fairly good performance.