The Effect of Tool Rotation Speed and Clamping on Deformation in Friction Stir Welded 6061-T6511 Aluminum Extrusions

• Main Author: Smith, Travis Lee
• Format: Others
• Published: ScholarWorks@UNO 2011
• Subjects: Friction Stir Welding - Distortion – Shrinkage - Welding Parameters – Clamping – DOE – Aluminum – 6061 T-6511 – Extrusions - Hardness – Weld Power; Mechanical Engineering
• Online Access: http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/350; http://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1266&context=td

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) was used to perform Bead on Plate (BOP) welds on 6061-T6511 aluminum extrusions. Using a DOE approach, tool rotation speed, clamp spacing, and clamping force were altered to ascertain their effects on distortion in the welded panels. Mechanical forces were monitored during the weld process. Both linear and out of plane distortion were measured on the welded extrusions. The Vickers hardness of the weld nugget was measured. The effect of each parameter on weld distortion was discovered and the mechanism of this link was suggested.