Thermomechanical modelling of FSW process using a cylindrical tool in an aluminum alloy alclad AA 2024-T3

Abstract

The Friction Stir Welding Process (FSW/P) is an innovative technique to join metals using the plasticity, not occurring the melting. It was initially applied in aluminum alloys, but recently it has been extended to other materials, for example, copper, steel alloys, polimers and others. In this work it is analyzed the thermo mechanical modelling of the energies involved in the FSW process, performed using AA2024-T3 Alclad aluminum alloy. The temperature of the process surface was also calculated in the interval where it was not measured by type k thermocouples, visual inspection, forging force and energy per weld length analysis were also performed. The equations developed in this work were able to describe the behavior found in the experimental data of temperature and energy per weld length, which allows concludes that can be used to define any temperature point in a region of interest.