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The current state and development of the friction stir welding process (review), part 1
M.M. Shtrikman
a a

Research Institute of Aviation Technology (NIAT) Published online: 22 Sep 2008.

To cite this article: M.M. Shtrikman (2008) The current state and development of the friction stir welding process (review), part 1, Welding International, 22:8, 564-569, DOI: 10.1080/09507110802383428 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09507110802383428

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Welding 564 International Vol. 22, No. 8, August 2008, 564569 Selected from Svarochnoe Proizvodstvo 2007 60 (9) 3541

M.M. Shtrikman

The current state and development of the friction stir welding process (review), part 1
M.M. Shtrikman Research Institute of Aviation Technology (NIAT)

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More than five years have passed since the first publication in Russia 1 and, subsequently, in Ukraine 2, revealing foreign reports on the development of the friction stir welding process. (FSW). Analysis of the reports on the FSW process in various conferences and also of a large number of scientific and technical publications in this period indicates the intensive investigations into the process and continuously increasing range of practical application of the process in different branches of the industry, mainly for the manufacture of welded structures of aluminium alloys. Thermomechanical processes in welding In the basic FSW process, which has been known in Russia since 1967 1 and realised abroad 2 in the 90s, the rotating tool (Figure 1), containing the body 1, the working pin 2 with different surface relief, and the supporting shoulder 3, are slowly immersed into the joint between the component to the depth approximately equal to the thickness of the weld edges. The support shoulder rests on the surface of the edges. As a result of the heat generated during friction, the material of the edges is heated to the plastic condition and, consequently, the force acting on the tool decreases. During translational displacement of the rotating tool along the joint, the plastic flow displaces the material into the zone released behind the moving tool. This is accompanied by the formation of a joint. One of the most important factors, having the strongest the effect on the structure of the welded joint and the formation of the joint in the FSW process, is the design of the tool, especially the elements of the tool, as the working pin and the support shoulder. They are in contact with the material heated as a result of the work of the friction forces to the plastic condition and this leads to the formation of the plastic flow. The tool and, in particular, the working pin, are subjected to high thermomechanical loading. The heated working pin is subjected simultaneously to the effect of the torque and alternating bending forces. The reports on the heating of the tool in the FSW process differ. In reference 3, the results of thermomechanical analysis obtained in the simulation of the FSW process are used for the construction of temperature fields. It is shown that the maximum temperature (600C and higher) is reached in the vicinity of the surface of the support shoulder at the base of the working pin. In reference 4, the results of the
ISSN 0950-7116 print/ ISSN 1754-2138 online 2008 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.1080/09507110802383428 http://www.informaworld.com (live link)

mathematical analysis of the ratio of the external forces under deformation of these are used for claiming that the heat input into the tool in FSW represents approximately 50% of the supplied power. In reference 5, the authors note that the energy used for heat input into the tool during heating in the period from the start of the FSW process to the exit to the stationary thermal conditions, may decrease from 20 and subsequently to 10% of the total energy supplied (Figure 2). The authors of reference 6 show, by modelling the process, that in the case of the steady thermal conditions, the heat input into the tool represents approximately up to 2% of the supplied thermal energy. Possibly, this difference is associated with the accuracy of the individual methods used by the authors and also with the fact that various different stages of the FSW process have been investigated. More reliable appear to be the results obtained in the experiments 7 with direct measurement of the heating temperature of the tool in the process of FSW of sheets of 6061-T6 aluminium alloy with the thickness of 3 mm, in different loading conditions. A telemetric system was used (the operating principle of the system is not described) for the transfer of the results of temperature measurements from thermocouples fixed in different areas of the tool at different distances from the surface (Figure 3 a ) into a receiving computer system. The measurement results show that with the increase of the frequency of rotation, the temperature of the tool increases (Figure 3 b ), the temperature on the surface of the support shoulder of the tool is approximately 530C (determined by extrapolation) and with increase of the distance from the surface the temperature decreases in accordance with a linear dependence; with the increase of the welding speed, the temperature of the support shoulder of the tool remains almost constant. However, the authors did not publish the results of measurements of the temperature of the working pin, although the pin

1 2 3 Figure 1. The diagram of the friction stir welding process.

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Table 1. System AlCuSiMn

1

Energy input in tool, W

1200 1000 800 600 400 200

Alloy designation USA 2014 2024 2095 2195 2219 2524 5083 6005 6061 6082* 7010 7050 7075
**

Russia AK8 D16 1201 AMg4,5 AD31 AD33 AD35 B95

AlCuMgMn AlCuMg

AlCuMn
10 15 20 25 30 35 Time, s Figure 2. The predicted loss of the thermal energy in the rotating tool from the start of displacement to reaching the stationary conditions in FSW of 6082-T6+2024-T4 (1) and AM60+ AM60 alloys (2). 0 5 -10 -5

AlCuMgMn AlMgMn AlMgSi AlSiMgMn

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contained a thermocouple, as shown in the diagram in Figure 3 a . A considerably larger number of publications is concerned with the determination of the temperature in heating of the individual zones of the welded joint in FSW. The temperature fields in the weld zone determine the physical possibilities of the plastic flow of the heated metal and the formation of a high quality structure of the welded joint. It should be mentioned that the majority of experts investigatws this problem36, 8, 9 using the method of modelling of the process for constructing temperature field. However, the results of the calculations, reported

AlZnCuMg

*European Aluminium Association (EAA) **Great Britain

a)

800

700

600 500

1000 Speed of rotation, rpm b)

1500

Figure 3. The diagram of distribution of thermocouples in the tool (a) and the dependence of the temperature of the support shoulder and technological backing sheet (broken line) on the frequency of rotation of the tool (solid line) (b) at the welding speed of 30 (), 50 () and 70 ( ) mm/min.

by the individual authors, are characterised by a large scatter of the values of the maximum temperatures in heating in the weld zone in the FSW of aluminium alloys, from 450 to 660C. In references 7, 1012 the researchers published the results of measurement of the temperature of the heating of the material in different points of the weld zone using thermocouples and actual patterns of the temperature fields in the FSW of aluminium alloys. In the present the results, the range of the values of the maximum temperature is approximately 480550C. The graphs of the thermal cycles show a rapid decrease of temperature in the first 23 s after reaching the maximum level. The high temperature gradient and the short holding time of the weld metal at high temperatures have a beneficial effect on the structure of the metal. It has been reported in many publications that with the increase of the frequency of rotation of the tool the temperature in the welding zone increases, and with increasing welding speed of the temperature decreases. In reference 13, the heat input into the welded components in the FSW of 6N01 alloy of the AlSiMg system was determined by the calorimetric method. For this purpose, the components were placed on a copper plate, located in water, and the increase of the temperature of water in MIG and FSW welding was used to determine the heat input. It has been established that at a welding speed of 500 mm/min, the heat input into the component in MIG and FSW welding is 390 and 190 J/min, respectively. Table 1 gives the grades of Russian alloys, whose chemical composition is identical with the foreign materials, investigated in this review. Attention should be given to reference 14 concerned with the positive effect of the reduced initial temperature of the components. In welding of 2024 aluminium alloy, cooled in advance to 30C, the maximum temperature of the metal in the welding zone at a distance of 10 mm from the centre of the weld did not exceed 140C, and

Temperature, K

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Immersion 3000 Force,4.10-3, kN Movement along joint

the structure of the welded joint in the entire volume consisted of the equiaxed grains with the size of up to 0.8 m, and at the initial temperature of the component of 30C, the temperature maximum in the same point was 330C, and the grain size in the central part of the weld was 10 m. This result is interesting, but the accuracy of the result should be confirmed by the increase of the mechanical properties of the welded joints. In addition to this, the decrease of the temperature of the welded components should result in the need for increasing the pressure (the force parameter) for the realisation of the physicalchemical processes leading to the formation of metallic bonds and of a welded joint 15. Similarly, the effect of undercooling of the material on the efficiency of the tool is not described in the study. One of the most important parameters of the FSW process is the pressure of the rotating tool on the heated material, required for the formation of the welded joint. During rotation, the working pin of the tool, immersed in the bulk of the heated material, moves with a considerable force along the joint overcoming the resistance of the material. During this moment, the tool is heated to high temperatures and is in a complicated stressed state: torsion and alternating bending. The maximum stresses from the torque and the bending forces of the tool are measured in the base of the working pin of the tool. Therefore, it was necessary to investigate the force parameters of the FSW process and increase the strength of the tool. The authors of references 12, 1618 have published the results of measurement of the forces applied to the tool and received by the welded components and equipment during the welding process, using dynamometers, installed in the equipment or the head of the machine. Forces were recorded in three directions along and across the joint and also in the vertical direction in both stages of the FSW process: from the start to completion of immersion of the rotating tool into the joint and from the start to completion of its displacement along the joint line 17, 18. On the basis of the data obtained for the values of the forces (up to 20 kN and higher), it was possible to define the requirements on the assembling and welding equipment. The relationship between the force acting on the tool and the angle of deviation of the tool from the vertical line, and also the arrest time of the tool (with continuing rotation) after immersion into the joint was also determined. In many investigations, concerned with the examination of the thermomechanical cycle in FSW by the simulation method 3, 6, 1921, the results showed the main requirement on the equipment and facilities for the FSW it is necessary to ensure strict fixation of the welded edges and the position of the tool in relation to the surface of the welded component (the depth of immersion in the joint) during the welding cycle. The drives of the working displacement of the tool and its rotation react sensitively to any actual changes in the reactive forces, acting on the rotating tool during its immersion into the material and displacement with the rotation through the mass of the heated material along the joint line. In particular, there are marked changes in the resistance of material to movement of the rotating tool with the variation of

2000

1000

20

40

60

80 Time, s

100

120

140

Figure 4. The variation of the force on the tool in immersion into the joint and displacement along the joint.

the depth of immersion into the material. In reference 20, a system for adaptive regulation of the depth of immersion of the tool into the material was developed. With the smallest variation of the depth of immersion or any other parameter, the appropriate signal is transferred into the processing module which filters the signal, transfers to the unified scale and into the computer. From the computer the functional organ receives the command for correction of the given parameter of the welding conditions. Experimental development of the system was carried out in a Willis CNC vertical milling machine, modified for FSW. The force and torque, acting on the tool, are measured using a rotating dynamometer 9124B, installed in the spindle section of the machine. In the stage of immersion of the tool (6061-T6 alloy), the axial force increased to more than 13 kN and subsequently decreased to 4.4 kN in the stage of displacement along the joint (Figure 4). It was also shown that with the variation of the welding speed in the range 1.727 mm/s, the axial force in the second stage of the FSW process increases. It was also shown in reference 22 that this regulation system is capable of maintaining a constant force acting on the tool along the entire length of the welded joint. In reference 23, the results of analysis of plastic flows of the material were used to propose (for the regulation system) the dependence of the force, acting on the tool, on the speed of rotation of the tool (on the basis of the variation of the torque). Thus, in many investigations, the force parameters are used in the system of controlling the FSW process as the integral criterion for the formation of the signal for controlling the depth of immersion of the tool into the joint, the welding speed and the frequency of rotation of the tool. The values and vectors of the force of the effect of the tool on the material, which is in the plastic condition, determine the direction and speed of movement of the flows of the material affecting also the formation of the structure of the joint. Understanding the relationship of the plastic flow in relation to the design of the tool and the parameters of the FSW conditions is very important because the possibility of production of the high-quality joint is determined by these parameters. The authors of references 5, 8, 19, 2328, etc. proposed various methods of examining the plastic flow of the material in the FSW process. In early investigat-

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Figure 5. The diagram of FSW with gradual displacement of the rotating tool 1, emerged into the packet of sheets 2 of 7075 alloy with interlayers 3 of Al-Si C composite material (the axis of the tool is parallel to the plane of the sheets).

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ions 23, 24, the method of arresting the flow on the spot was used which provided only approximate information on the displacement of the tool. Also, the method used in these investigations was based on the distribution, in the process of assembling for FSW, of steel spheres with the diameter of 0.38 mm in the grooves of the edges of the welded components. The spheres play the role of markers detected on the x-ray diffraction diagrams after welding aluminium alloys. The method also provides quantitative information on mass transfer but does not provide accurate information on the process of plastic flow. This can also be said of the procedure used in reference 25, determining the displacement of the material in the weld zone on the basis of the displacement of

a)

5 mm

b) Figure 6. The macrostructure of the welded joints produced by FSW of aluminium alloys 6082+5083 (a) and 6082+6082 (b) with an insert of 5083 alloy.

markers in the form of copper shavings, placed in the edges of the welded aluminium sheets and investigated by means of transmission x-ray diffraction, and also the procedure used in reference 26 in which marking was carried out using copper foil, placed in the joint between the weld edges. The authors of reference 27 used a number of similar methods of investigation for detecting the flow of the material in the zone, adjacent to the rotating tool. The marker was in the form of AlSiC composite material, which was placed as interlayers with the thickness of 0.6 mm between the vertical sheets of 7050T7 aluminium alloy with the thickness of 6.35 mm (Figure 5). The particles of SiC composite of the micron size are clearly visible on the non-etched surface of the sections, produced in such a manner that the working pin of the tool is maintained on the spot. It is shown that the material in front of the tool rotates in the direction of rotation, and also from the root zones in the top part. In reference 28 the marker was made of annealed copper foil with the thickness of 0.1 mm, placed in the joint. Tomographic models were used for analysis of the flow of the material in the FSW process. For this purpose, two-dimensional images, obtained by x-ray examination under different angles (360 in 1 steps in relation to the axis of rotation), were used to construct the threedimensional model which can be used and manipulated on the real timescale on the computer screen. However, in many cases it is not possible to determine the details of the plastic flow of the material because of insufficient resolution capacity of equipment, and also because of the failure of the copper marker in the vicinity of the tool resulting in the formation of fine particles which are not detected in the x-ray analysis method. Therefore, the authors use, as an additional tool, metallographic examination: the marker particles are clearly visible on the non-etched sections. Original investigations of the plastic flow in the FSW of the dissimilar aluminium alloys were published in references 2932. The method makes it possible to investigate mass transfer with a less detailed examination of the kinetics of the plastic flow process. The authors of references 29 and 30 noted the strong effect of the welding parameters on the flow and mixing of the metal. In references 31 and 32 investigations were carried out into the formation of a joint between dissimilar aluminium alloys as a result of the plastic flow of material with sharp

a)

b)

Figure 7. The distribution in the aged section ( 250) in the horizontal cross-section of the welded joint of the particles of the oxide (FSW of aluminium Al 99.95) 33 (a) and copper (FSW of 2024-T3 alloy).

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M.M. Shtrikman

70 80 60 40 50 20 30 Distance of tool from start of weld, mm

90

100

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Figure 8. The dependence of heat input into the welded joint on the distance of the tool from the start of the welded joint in FSW (two specimens with the thickness of 3 mm for every combination of the alloys, the marker is positioned in the joint starting at 65 mm from the start of the welded joint and up to 105 mm (the end of the welded joint)).

images of the individual sections of each alloy resulting from different etching capacity of the individual zones (Figure 6). The form of the sections is elongated in the direction of rotation of the tool and, correspondingly, in the direction of plastic flow of the material. The authors of referencee 33 investigated the behaviour of oxide particles in the plastic flow of material in FSW. According to the results, the fine oxides, produced by refining and mixing of the surface oxide film, settle on the aluminium particles of the micron size, coat them, increasing their volume and etching capacity. The distribution of the particles is clearly visible on the sections, as in the case of copper markers (Figure 7). According to the results obtained in reference 28, it is essential to select the marker material in the investigation of every combination of the welded materials. According to the data published in reference 28, the selection criterion may be represented by the minimum effect of the marker on the level of the torque or the force, which determines the heat input into the joint in FSW 5. The relationships presented in the investigations (Figure 8) indicate that when using copper foil with the thickness of 0.1 mm as a marker in the FSW of 2024-T3+2024-T3 alloys (curve 1) the marker has almost no effect on the thermomechanical parameters of the process, whereas in the FSW of 60 82-T6+2024-T3 alloys (curve 2 ) with the same marker, the effect is considerable, reducing the reliability of the results. The presented methods of investigation of the plastic flow of the material in the FSW make it possible to examine the displacement of the material only after completion of the welding process or investigate the distribution of the flows in a discrete manner, recording the actual position of the process by arrests on the spot. Evidently, it is more accurate to discuss the results of experimental examination of the mass transfer and not of the plastic flow. According to the results of analysis of the publications, the following phenomenological relationship in the process of FSW can be proposed: welding conditions (speed of rotation of the tool, welding speed)thermomechanical

processes (temperature in heating, the force applied to the tool) plastic flow (heat and mass transfer) formation of the structure of the welded joint (the centre, the heat affected zone) the strength of the welded joint (strength, density, etc.). However, it is not always stated which tool and which design is used for welding of experimental specimens. The details of the structure of the tool are not taken into account in the modelling of the process, whereas the design of the tool is a parameter which has a similar significant effect on the thermomechanical process as the welding conditions. Therefore, the results of these investigations are valued only for the design of a specific tool.
References
1 2 3 Shtrikman, M.M., A new method of friction welding and prospects for application, Svar Proiz, 2001 (11), 3641. Tretyak N.G., Friction stir welding of aluminium alloys (the review), Avt Svarka, 2002 (7), 1221. Heurtier P., Desrayaud C., Montheillet F. A thermomechanical Analusis of the friction stir welding process. Materials Science Forum (Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland). 2002. Vol. 396402. P. 15371542. Dickerson Terry. Heat flow into friction stir welding tools 4th International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. Utah, USA, 2003. Colegrove P., Shercliff H., Threadgill P. Modelling and Development of the TrivexTMFriction Stir Welding Tool 4th International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. Utah, USA, 2003. Nishihara T., Nagasaka Y. Measurement of tool temperature during friction stir welding 4th International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. Utah, USA, 2003. Smith C. B., Bendzsak G. B., North T. H. Heat and material flow modeling of the friction stir welding process NJST Special Publication SP. 2002. Vol. 949. P. 475486. Song M., Kovacevic R. A coupled heat transfer model for workpiece and tool in friction stir welding 4th International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. Utah, USA, 2003. Kumagai M., Tanaka S. Application of friction stir welding welded construction of aluminium alloys Journal of light metal welding construction. 2001. Vol. 39 (1). P. 2228. Enomoto M. Friction Stir Welding: research and industrial applications Journal of light metal welding construction. 2002. Vol. 40 (10). P. 5963. Aota K. et al. Heat inputs and mechanical properties in friction stir welding 3rd International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. Kobe, Japan, 2001. Low-temperature friction stir welding of 2024 aluminium / S. Benavides, Y. Li, L. Murr et al. Scripta Materialia. 1999. Vol. 41.

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N 8. P. 809815. 16 Schuler V. FSW Possibilities and application Proc. of the int. conf. on the joining of materials. JOM-10. Helsingor Denmark, 2001. P. 238257. 18 Johnson R. Forces in friction stir welding of aluminium alloys 3rd International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. Kobe, Japan, 2001. 19 Shinoda T. Effect of tool angle on metal flow phenomenon in friction stir welding 3rd International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. Kobe, Japan, 2001. 20 Controlling robotic friction stir welding / G. E. Cook, H. B. Smartt, J. E. Mitchell et al. Welding Journal. 2003. N 6. P. 2834. 21 Chen C., Kovacevic R. Finite element modeling of thermomechanical performance of friction stir welding 4th International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. Utah, USA, 2003. 22 Smith C. B., Hinrichs J. F., Crusan W. A. Robotic friction stir welding the state of art 4th International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. Utah, USA, 2003. 23 Colligan K. Material flow in friction stir welding process Welding Journal. 1999. Vol. 78 (7). P. 229237. 24 Colligan K. Material flow behaviour during friction stir welding of aluminium 1st International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. California, USA, 1999.

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25 Rassell M. J. Development and modeling of friction stir welding PhD Thesis. University of Cambridge, 2000. 26 Metal flow during friction welding / M. Guerra, J. C. McClure, L. E. Murr, A. C. Nunes TMS. 2001. 27 Experimental methods for determining material flow in friction stir welds / B. London, M. Mahoney, W. Bingel et al. 3rd International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. Kobe, Japan, 2001. 28 Dickerson T., Shercliff H., Schmidt H. A weld marker technique for flow visualization in friction stir welding 4th International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. Utah, USA, 2003. 29 Reynolds A. P., Seidel T., Simonsen M. Visualization of material flow in an autogenous friction stir weld 1st International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. California, USA, 1999. 30 Visualization of material flow during friction stir welding of the same and dissimilar aluminium alloys / J. H. Ouyang, R. Kovacevic, Jandric et al. Proc. 6th International Conference on trends in welding research. Pine Mountain, GA, USA, 2002. 31 Joining of dissimilar Al-alloys by friction stir welding / H. Larsson, L. Karlsson, S. Slotz, E.-L. Bergqvist 2nd International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. Gothenburg, Sweden, 2000. 33 Palm F., Steiger H., Henneboehle U. The origin of particle (oxide) traces in friction stir welds 4th International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding. Utah, USA, 2003.