New method for investigating material flow during friction stir spot welding

Abstract

In this paper, an examination of dissimilar wrought and heat treated AZ31 spot welds (AZ31/AZ31HT) was conducted to allow visualisation of material flow based on their differing etching characteristics. The results indicated that dissimilar AZ31/AZ31HT welds could successfully mirror the material flow in friction stir spot welding. The upper sheet material moved downwards towards the rotational pin, whereas the lower sheet material displaced upwards and outwards during the penetrate stage, and then moved inwards towards the keyhole after reached the base of the shoulder. © 2010 Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.