Detection of friction stir welding defects of AA1060 aluminum alloy using specific damping capacity

Abstract

The demand for nondestructive testing has increased, especially in welding testing. In the current study, AA1060 aluminum plates were jointed using the friction stir welding (FSW) process. The fabricated joints were subjected to free vibration impact testing in order to investigate the dynamic properties of the welded joint. Damping capacity and dynamic modulus were used in the new prediction method to detect FSW defects. The data acquired were processed and analyzed using a dynamic pulse analyzer lab shop and ME'Scope's post-processing software, respectively. A finite element analysis using ANSYS software was conducted on different types of designed defects to predict the natural frequency. The results revealed that defective welded joints significantly affect the specific damping capacity. As the damping ratio increased, so did the indication of opportunities to increase the presence of defects. The finite element simulation model was consistent with experimental work. It was therefore revealed that natural frequency was insufficient to predict smaller defects.