EFFECT OF FRICTION STIR WELDING PARAMETERS ON PROPERTIES OF AA 2024-T3 WITH A NEW MODIFICATION TO DECREASE THE EXIT HOLE DIMENSIONS

Abstract

Friction Spot Stir welding, FSSW, is a relatively new welding technique that is most suited for high strength aluminum alloys widely used in modern aerospace and automotive industries. The quality of weld depends on various parameters involving tool geometry, operation conditions, and workpiece features. The merits of weld quality include tensile shear strength, micro- and macroscopic features of specimen, power consumption and economic factors, and final appearance of weld spots. The present research is conducted to define the optimum FSSW parameters that yield the best merits of weld quality for Aluminum alloy 2024-T3. The present research proposes a novel FSSW technique; the ReFSSW is a two-stage weld-refill process. The proposed technique is sought to reduce the hole size, improve the value of tensile shear fracture load, and reduce welding defects. A comparison is held between the conventional RSW, FSSW, and the proposed ReFSSW techniques. Micro- and macroscopic features of the weld joint are thoroughly explored to the details.