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A REVIEW PAPER ON: FRICTION STIR WELDING (FSW)

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 A REVIEW PAPER ON: FRICTION STIR WELDING (FSW)
Mistry Hiten J1, Marathe Shalin P 2.
Research scholar, Mech. Eng. Dept., SNPIT & RC, / GTU, Umrakh / Bardoli, India1
Assistant Professor, Mech. Eng. Dept., SNPIT & RC, / GTU, Umrakh / Bardoli, India2

ABSTRACT
This review paper explain the basic principle and methodology of FSW. It covers the all the
technical aspects which affect the process and quality of FSW joint. Effect on all the types
of joint configuration is studied. All the technical aspects of FSW tool geometry and
material of tool is covered. Effect on welding quality of basic parameters like tool rpm, tool
feed, tool tilt angle, downward force and tool indentation time has been studied. Finally the
area on which further more research can be carried out are identified.
Keywords: Friction stir welding, joint configuration tool rpm, tool feed, tool tilt angle.

INTRODUCTION
Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state welding process that gained much attention in
research areas as well as manufacturing industry since its introduction in 1991.For almost 20
years; FSW has been used in high technology applications such as aerospace to automotive
till high precision application such as micro welding. Friction Stir Welding is a solid-state
thermo-mechanical joining process (a combination of extruding and forging) .FSW is a novel
green manufacturing technique due to its energy efficiency and environmental friendliness, in
this process a cylindrical tool is rotated and transverse along a square butt to milling
technique. The frictionally heated material around the tool pin is plastically deformed and
extruded to the back of the pin where it formed and forms the weld. The majority of the heat
generated from the friction, i.e., about95%, is transferred into the work piece and only 5%
flows into the tool (Ref. 1). The maximum temperature created by the FSW process ranges
from 80 to 90% of the melting temperature of the material being welded FSW offers several
advantages over conventional fusion welding process due to its low heat input and absence of
melting and solidification process.

Figure 1: Working Principle of FSW

As shown in Figure 1, forces act in three dimensional spaces. The force along the X-axis, Y-
axis, and Z-axis will be referred to as the Translational (Fx), Transverse (Fy), and Axial force
(Fz) respectively, and will be given in Newton‟s (N). The Moment (Mz) about the axis of
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rotation will be referred to as the Torque and given in Newton-meters (N-m).there are
basically two types of friction stir welding process
1. Conventional friction stirs welding
2. Self-reacting friction stirs welding

FSW PARAMETERS
Independent process variables play significant effect on the welding process and the process
control. The process variables entail the axial force for plunging, rotating tool rotational
speed, rake angle, welding speed and tool geometry. The aforementioned variables strongly
affect the heat generation rate, temperature profile within the work material, mechanical
power required by the process, material evolution of the weldment and also loads distributed
within the work material.

A. TOOL DESIGN (BOBBIN TYPE SHOULDER)

There are three types of FSW tools, i.e. fixed, adjustable and self-reacting, as illustrated in
Fig. The fixed probe tool corresponds to a single piece comprising both the shoulder and
probe (Fig. 2a). This tool can only weld a work piece with a constant thickness due to the
fixed probe length. If the probe wears significantly or breaks, the whole tool must be
replaced. Tool shoulders are designed to frictionally heat the surface regions of the work
piece, produce the downward forging action necessary for welding consolidation and
constrain the heated metal beneath the bottom shoulder surface. Torque produced during the
welding process depends heavily on the contact conditions which are determined by the
rotating tool rotational speed, degree of softness of work material or plasticity at the rotating
tool to work material interface, axial load exerted and the tool design.

(a) (b) (c)

Figure 2: Different Tool configuration
[1]
W.Y. Li et al. , (2014) studied about The effects of rotational and welding speeds on the
microstructure and mechanical properties of bobbin tool Friction stir welded (BT-FSW) Mg
AZ31 were investigated. The results indicated that the thermo mechanically affected zone
(TMAZ) consisted of equated grains, which were inconsistent with the deformed, rotated and
elongated grains found in the TMAZs of bobbin-tool friction stir welded Al alloys and
friction stir welded Al and Mg alloys. S.Yu.Tarasov et al.[2], (2014) Study of diffusion wear
mechanism in 1.2344 X40CrMoV5-1 steel FSW tool has been carried out from the standpoint
of tribological layer generation and interaction with the tool's metal. It is suggested that the
fragments of the FSW tool material are deformed and detached from the FSW tool by
fracturing along the embrittled grain boundaries under the shear stress developed on the
surface of the tool during FSW. Juan Chen et al. [3], (2015) Double-sided friction stirs
welding (DFSW) with the combined use of convex and concave tools (concave-DFSW) were
studied for the joining of a magnesium alloy. The sound joints made by the concave-DFSW
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were possible under the appropriate conditions, and the joints had a characteristic structure of
the stir zone different from the conventional friction stir welding with a one-sided tool
rotation. The mean grain size of the stir zone decreased with the increasing rotation rate of
the concave tool. This result indicated that the heat generation during the FSW is not only
due to friction but also the plastic deformation. The complicated mixed metal flow that
evolved by the convex tool randomized the texture in the stir zone, which provided the
preferable tensile behavior. F.F. Wang et al.[4] (2015) the typical microstructure and
mechanical properties of joints and the effects of rotational speed on the microstructure and
tensile properties are investigated where also investigated. As a result they found that the
rotational speed increases, the grain size of the stirred zone increases, whereas the density of
strengthening particles decreases; the joint line remnants become compressed remarkably in
the shoulder-dominated zone while less changes occur in the probe-dominated zone; the
softest region shrinks and shifts outward, the average hardness of the stirred zone increases
and the hardness profile along the cross section of the joint changes from the U-shaped to W-
shaped. The tensile strength of the joint initially increases with rotational speed and then
decreases with the maximal strength efficiency reaching 80%; three fracture modes have been
observed and cracking initiates at the joint line remnant propagating towards the heat-affected
zone, and finally to the border between the thermal-mechanically affected zone and stirred
zone. Binxi Chen et al.[5] (2012) Small-dimension Al3003 pipe and pure copper pipe of thin
wall (Al: 1.5 mm; Cu: 1 mm) and small diameter (19 mm) were successfully joined by a
developed welding method with a specially-designed friction stir welding (FSW) system.
They come to know that Welding temperature kept on increasing during the first
∼220◦rotation of the circumferential welding and was relatively stabilized for the following
∼140◦rotation. Circumferential variations of weld surface condition, macro-/micro-structure
and mechanical properties were also observed and found to be related to the welding
temperature variation. None of the tested tensile specimens fractured along the AL bulk/Cu
bulk interface. Two different fracture modes were observed: (1) Brittle fracture in the nugget
close to Al bulk/Cu bulk interface with the fracture paths mainly propagating along or
perpendicular to the band structures in nugget; and (2) Ductile fracture in the nugget to the Al
side with a ductility of ∼3%.

B. TRAVERSE FEED
In order to produce a successful weld it is necessary that the material surrounding the tool is
hot enough to enable the extensive plastic flow required and minimize the forces acting on
the tool. So the traverse speed will be having range of 5 mm/min to 10mm/min .If the
material is too cold then voids or other flaws may be present in the stir zone so the time gap is
set between the ranges of 30 min to 1 hour. K. Kumaria et al.[6] (2015) A twin-tool setup has
been designed and fabricated to make a comparative study between twin tool and single tool
using double pass in a friction stir welding process. Twin tool helps in generating high heat
causing intense plastic deformation in the processed zone. Defect free weld depends not only
on the rotational speed, but also on the combined effect of welding speed and rotational
speed. Higher hardness profile is observed with higher welding and rotational speeds; defect-
free joints are also observed in this combination. Further, SEM results confirm the existence
of ductile failure with microscopic voids of different shapes and sizes. J. Mohammadi et
al.[7] (2011) Lap joint friction stir welding (FSW) between dissimilar AZ31B and Al 6061
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alloys sheets was conducted using various welding parameters including tool geometry,
rotation and travel speeds. Tapered threaded pin and tapered pin tools were applied to
fabricate FSW joints, using different rotation and travel speeds. Various microstructures were
observed in the stir zone which can be attributed to using different travel and rotation speeds.
Mechanical evaluation including lap shear fracture load test and micro hardness
measurements indicated that by simultaneously increasing the tool rotation and travel speeds,
the joint tensile strength and ductility reached a maximum value Z. Shen et al.[8] (2014) In
this study Lap welds between Al5754 to DP600 steel (aluminium plate top, and steel plate
bottom) were manufactured by friction stir welding (FSW).The effects of welding parameters
(i.e. travel speeds and penetration depth into lower steel sheet) on the interfacial bonding,
tensile strength, and failure mechanism were investigated. The results show that intermetallic
compound of Fe4Al13 was detected at the Al/Fe interface. The weld strength increases
significantly by increasing the penetration depth into the lower steel substrate at all travel
speeds. The failure mode under overlap shear loadings is premature failure through the
aluminium substrate when the penetration depth is more than 0.17 mm, and shear fracture
when the penetration depth is less than 0.17 mm. D. M. Rodrigues et al.[9] (2010) Studies the
differences in friction stir weld ability, assessed by weld defect analysis and weld strength
characterisation, will be related to the markedly different plastic behaviours of both base
materials. Found that high traverse speeds can be achieved in FSW of both base materials
with carefully chosen process and tool parameters. These in turn are strongly dependent on
the base material characteristics and plate thickness. For cold weld conditions low axial loads
led to significant internal and surface defects, whereas for hot weld conditions high axial load
values led to tool destruction due to excessive plunge depth in the softened material.

C. DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS
Hasan et al.[10] (2007) developed an artificial neural network (ANN) model for the analysis
and simulation of the correlation between the friction stir welding (FSW) parameters of
aluminium (Al) plates and mechanical properties. The input parameters of the model consist
of weld speed and tool rotation speed (TRS). The outputs of the ANN model include property
parameters namely: tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, hardness of weld metal and
hardness of heat effected zone (HAZ). Good performance of the ANN model was achieved.
The model can be used to calculate mechanical properties of welded Al plates as functions of
weld speed and TRS. The combined influence of weld speed and TRS on the mechanical
properties of welded Al plates was simulated. A comparison was made between measured
and calculated data. The calculated results were in good agreement with measured data.
Lakshminarayanan and Balasubramanian [11] (2008) applied Taguchi approach to
determine the most influential control factors which will yield better tensile strength of the
joints of friction stir welded RDE-40 aluminium alloy. Through the Taguchi parametric
design approach, the optimum levels of process parameters (tool rotational speed, traverse
speed and axial force) were determined. The results indicate that the rotational speed,
welding speed and axial force are the significant parameters in deciding the tensile strength of
the joint. Sarsilmaz and Çaydaş[12] (2008) applied the full factorial experimental design to
study the effect of friction-stir welding (FSW) parameters such as spindle rotational speed,
traverse speed, and stirrer geometry on mechanical properties of AA 1050/AA 5083 alloy.
Ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and hardness of welded joints were determined for this
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purpose. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and main effect plot were used to determine the
significant parameters and set the optimal level for each parameter. A linear regression
equation was derived to predict each output characteristic. Sharma et al.[13] (2009) offers
statistical modelling of deposition rate in twin-wire submerged arc welding. „Best subset
selection method‟ and „Mallows criterion‟ have been used for model development. The
developed models of deposition rate in twin-wire submerged arc welding can be used for
practical purposes with admissible error in prediction and better predictability compared with
conventional models. Jamshidi et al.[14](2010) investigates the relationship between the
microstructures of thermo mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) and heat input in friction stir
welding (FSW) of 5086 aluminium alloy. First, welding heat input has been predicted using a
three-dimensional finite element analysis; then, welding experiments have been carried out
on annealed and work-hardened conditions to study the developed microstructures and the
mechanical properties of the welded metal. The results show that the temperature field in the
FSW process is asymmetrically distributed with respect to the welding line. Also, both
experimental and predicted data illustrates that peak temperatures are higher on the advancing
side than the retreating side. In addition, the microstructures were strongly affected by the
heat input, while the grain size within the TMAZ decreases with decreasing heat input per
unit length during FSW. Arora et al.[15](2010) reported, successful friction stir welding of
aluminium alloy 2219 using an adapted milling machine. The downward or forging force was
found to be dependent upon shoulder diameter and rotational speed whereas longitudinal or
welding force depends upon welding speed and pin diameter. Tensile strength of welds was
significantly affected by welding speed and shoulder diameter but the percentage elongation
is affected by welding speed. A maximum joining efficiency of 75% was obtained for welds
with reasonably good percentage elongation. Mustafa[16] (2012) investigated the
experimental and numerical results of friction stir spot welding of high density
polypropylene. The determination of the welding parameters plays an important role for the
weld strength. The experimental tests conducted according to combinations of process factors
(tool rotation speed, plunge depth and dwell time) at beginning welding were carried out
according the Taguchi orthogonal table L9 in randomized way. The results show coherence
between the numerical predictions and experimental observations in different cases of weld
strength. The signal-to-noise ratio and the analysis of variance were utilized to obtain the
influence of the friction stir spot welding parameters on the weld strength. Finally, the
improvement in the weld strength from the initial welding parameters to the optimal welding
parameters was about 47.7%.

D. TOOL WEAR/TOOL LIFE

[17]
Michael Bessel et al. (2015) the effect of Friction Stir Welding on the fatigue behaviour of
Al–Mg–Sic alloy has been studied. To reveal the influence of the welding parameters,
different travel speeds of the welding tool have been used to provide weld seams with
varying microstructural features. Crack initiation as well as crack propagation behaviour
under fatigue loading has been investigated with respect to the local microstructure at the
crack initiation sites and along the crack path. Fatigue cracks were mostly initiated around the
stir zone and the adjacent thermo-mechanical affected zone independent from hardness
distributions in the weld seams. In some specimens, defect-like feature was observed at the
crack origins, which shortened the fatigue lives. It has been found that while the effect of the
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tool travel speed on the fatigue lifetime seems to be little, the varying and complex local
microstructure in the weld seam basically affects both the crack initiation sites and the crack
propagation paths. T. Le Jolu et al.[18] (2014) The fatigue strength and failure mechanisms of
defect-free („„sound‟‟) and flaw bearing friction stir butt-welds of 3.1 mm-thick AA2198-T8
Al–Li–Cu alloy have been investigated via S–N curves at R = 0.1 using cross weld
specimens. The fatigue strength of sound welds is only reduced by 10–15% at the aimed
lifetime of 105 cycles compared to the base material. Joint Line Remnant (JLR) bearing
welds have similar fatigue strength as sound welds and the JLR is not the crack initiation site.
Kissing Bond (KB) bearing welds that have undergone a weld root polishing show a
reduction in fatigue strength by 17% compared to sound welds. For specimens loaded at or
above yield strength of the weld nugget the crack systematically initiates from the KB during
the first cycle, which is interpreted further using fracture mechanics. The strongest reduction,
about 28% in fatigue strength, is found for welds with an initial gap between the parent sheets
(GAP welds) along with initiation at intergranular surface micro cracks. Kahn tear tests show
a reduction in tearing resistance for the flaw bearing welds with a similar ranking as for the
fatigue strength. Jian Luo et al.[19] (2014) Electrical current aided friction stir welding
(EFSW) is based on increasing heat generation during welding by adding a resistant heat
source. The influence of current intensity to surface shaped features on welding seam was
discussed. The comparison between AZ31B joints and Al 7075 joints was conducted. For
theAZ31B joints, the resistant heat source promoted significant grain refinement and
hardness improvement in the weld nugget zone (WNZ). It also increased plastic deformation
during welding. For the Al7075 joints, the grain size in the WNZ and heat affected zone
(HAZ) increased slightly with the increasing electric current intensity. EFSW was proven to
be suitable for joining high-strength alloys, such as2Cr13Mn9Ni4 and Q235B. High micro
hardness values were obtained at both sides of the mechanical interlock zone. A.K.
Lakshminarayanan et al.[20] (2015) the process parameters must be optimized to obtain
improved mechanical properties compared to resistance spot-welding. To achieve this, in this
investigation, design of experiments was used to conduct the experiments for exploring the
interdependence of the process parameters. A second order quadratic model for predicting the
lap shear tensile strength of friction stir spot welded low carbon automotive steel joints was
developed from the experimental obtained data. It is found that dwell time plays a major role
in deciding the joint properties, which is followed by rotational speed and plunge depth.
Further optimum process parameters were identified for maximum lap shear tensile strength
using numerical and graphical optimization techniques. Y. Rostamiyan et al.[21](2014) The
present study introduces a new combination of two separate welding processes, i.e. friction
stir spot welding (FSSW) and ultrasonic welding (USW). Here, in order to improve the weld
quality, the friction stir spot welding is assisted by ultrasonic vibration of tool. To
systematically analyse effect of process factors such as US vibration, tool rotary speed, tool
plunge depth and dwell time on lap shear force and hardness, a L18 orthogonal array from
Taguchi design of experiments is developed. Effects of process factors on responses were
studied along with their percentage of contribution which was determined through analysis of
variances. Results indicated that US vibration is a significant factor having positive influence
on lap shear force and hardness. Next to the vibration, tool rotary speed, dwell time and
plunge depth are also the important factors which affects mechanical properties significantly.
Optimization of process factors by grey relational analysis showed that applying US vibration
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and selections of 1200 RPM tool rotary speed, 6 mm plunge depth and 6 s dwell time causes
the highest value of grey relational grade and guarantee maximum lap shear force as well as
maximum hardness.

E. HEAT AFFECTED ZONE

[22]
J.F.Caseiro et al. (2012) in his work, three algorithms are studied and compared in the
cross-section optimization of Integrally Stiffened Panels for aeronautical applications: (i) the
classical Leven berg–Marquardt, (ii) The Simulated Annealing methodology, and are cently
proposed approach involving (iii) a differential/nature- based algorithm called Hybrid
Differential Evolution Particle Swarm Optimization (HDEPSO). Numerical simulation
models are introduced for several shapes of ISP. Additionally, the presence of a Friction Stir
Weld (FSW) zone is also taken into account, from the joining between distinct ISP's. This can
allow us to infer bout the influence of the heat affected zoned (HAZ) in the overall stability
of the structure, under compressive buckling loads within the Elastoplast regimen. Results
show that the use of the proposed optimization algorithm represents a viable option, giving an
added insight in terms of the buckling resistance and mechanical design in nonlinear material
and geometric scenarios. G. Bussu, & P.E. Irving [23](2002) The effects of weld residual
stress and heat affected zone on the fatigue propagation of cracks parallel and orthogonal to
the weld direction in friction stir welded (FSW) 2024-T351 joints were investigated. Crack
propagation behaviour was sensitive to both weld orientation and the distance of the crack
from the weld line. Growth rates both faster and slower than in the parent material were
observed, depending on the crack orientation and distance from the weld. Weld residual
stress was mechanically relieved and the effects on crack propagation observed. A
comparative analysis of the results indicated that crack growth behaviour in the FSW joints
was generally dominated by the weld residual stress and that microstructure and hardness
changes in FSWs had a minor influence. G. Padmanaban & V. Balasubramanian[24](2008)
in their investigation, an attempt was made to select proper tool pin profile, tool shoulder
diameter and tool material to friction stir weld AZ31B magnesium alloy. Five tool pin
profiles, five tool materials and three tool shoulder diameters were used to fabricate the
joints. Tensile properties of the joints were evaluated and correlated with the weld zone
microstructure and hardness. From this investigation, it is found that the joint fabricated using
threaded pin profiled tool made of high carbon steel with 18 mm shoulder diameter produced
mechanically sound and metallurgical defect free welds compared to their counterparts. The
absence of defects in weld region, presence of very fine equated grains in the weld region and
higher hardness in the weld region are the main reasons for superior tensile properties of
these joints. Livan Fratini et al. [25] (2007) A continuous3DFE model, which was previously
developed by some of the authors, was used to simulate the FSW process of butt joints with a
single block approach, and predict the residual stress field by considering both thermal and
mechanical actions. Then, the residual stress effect on the fatigue life was estimated through
fatigue crack propagation (FCP) tests in compact tension specimens. The numerical
simulation of the FSW process is still an open issue due to some basic assumptions. At
present the continuous model proposed by the authors assumes the sheets to be welded as a
“single block”, and the overlapping of the numerical prediction of the process mechanics with
respect to the actual bonding occurring in the experiments needs further investigations.
Nevertheless, with respect to FE models starting from analytical representation of the thermal
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flow occurring in FSW process, coupled thermo-mechanical numerical analyses considering
the actual interaction between the tool and work piece allow to get a description of the
process closer to reality. In particular, asymmetric distributions of temperature, strain and
strain rate are calculated by such models. Such kind of prediction definitively allows
calculating, at least, thermal residual stresses occurring in FSW on the basis of the actual
temperature distribution and evolution during the process. It should be noted that residual
stresses in FSW processes are due both to thermal and mechanical causes. The former are due
to the friction-forces work and deformation work both decaying into heat. The latter are
strictly connected to the strong gradients of strain and strain rates occurring due to the tool
pin action on the material to be welded and which determine relevant microstructure changes
in the parent material. On the basis of the obtained good overlapping between numerical
prediction and experimental verification of residual stresses it can be concluded that thermal
aspects are the most relevant in FSW as far as residual stresses are regarded. G.D’Urso et
al.[26] (2014) Friction stir welded butt joints were performed on 8 mm thick sheets made of
AA6060 T6 aluminium alloy by means of a CNC machine tool, at feed rates between 117 and
683 mm/min and tool rotational speed between 838 and 1262 rpm. Tensile tests,
metallographic analyses and micro-Vickers tests were carried out to evaluate the mechanical
properties of the joints as a function of the process parameters. The fatigue behaviour was
studied by means of crack growth tests performed according to ASTM E647 standard on CT
specimens, with propagation in the middle of joint along the weld nugget .The results show
the influence of welding process parameters on mechanical properties and fatigue behaviour.
Reduction of UTS of about 20–30% with respect to base material occurred with rupture in the
softened zone of welding, usually HAZ. In this range, slight variations of joint efficiency
were observed with f/S ratio, while the width of the softening area increases for decreasing
values of this parameter. Fatigue crack growth was always slower than that in the base
material at low below 12 MPa m1/2. The effect of non-optimal welding parameters was
evident at intermediate and high, due to defects, such as tunnels, that cause dramatic increase
of propagation rate up to five times higher than the base material.

F. DISSIMILAR METALS
[27]
S. Ravi Kumar et al. (2014) Dissimilar AA6061-T651 and AA7075-T651 alloy have been
friction stir welded with various process parameters like tool rotational, tool welding speed
and tool pin profiles. The effects of rotational and welding speeds with the pin profiles on
micro hardness distribution and tensile property of the joints were investigated keeping
AA6061-T651 plate on the advancing side. It was found that the tensile strength of the
dissimilar joints increases with decreasing heat input. All the obtained joints fractured in the
heat-affected zone on the AA6061-T651 side during tensile testing, where micro hardness
value is less. The good mixing of both the materials joined was obtained at lower welding
and higher rotational speed. D. M. Rodrigues et al. [28](2010) The weld ability of AA 5083-
H111 (non-heat treatable) and AA 6082-T6 (heat treatable) aluminium alloys, which are
widely used in welding fabrication, is compared by analysing the welds obtained from both
materials under a large range of welding conditions (varying tool dimensions, rotation and
traverse speeds, axial loads and tilt angles) chosen to ensure high welding speeds. The
differences in friction stir weld ability, assessed by weld defect analysis and weld strength
characterisation, will be related to the markedly different plastic behaviours of both base
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materials. High traverse speeds can be achieved in FSW of both base materials with carefully
chosen process and tool parameters. These in turn are strongly dependent on the base material
characteristics and plate thickness. In fact the study proves that below certain shoulder
dimensions dependent on plate thickness, and for very low tool tilt angles, it is not possible to
achieve non-defective welds whatever the process parameters in use. In order to guarantee
hot weld conditions an accurate selection of tool rotation speed is also very important. For
cold weld conditions low axial loads led to significant internal and surface defects, whereas
for hot weld conditions high axial load values led to tool destruction due to excessive plunge
depth in the softened material. It was also shown that establishing suitable axial load values
depends strongly on base material characteristics being advisable to perform tests in position
control to determine appropriate axial load values. Finally, it was determined that the
mechanical properties of the non-defective welds are relatively independent of the welding
conditions. In the special case of the 6082 alloy, the use of very high welding speeds proved
to be very effective in avoiding extra softening in the HAZ, with positive consequences in
weld yield strength efficiency

G. DEFECTS
FSW defects may be of any orientation, size, or shape. However, like arc welding, the
process moves in a linear fashion, usually at a constant rate along the joint line, and therefore
has a similar tendency to produce defects which propagate for some length and have their
major dimension parallel to the travel direction. However, defect formation in FSW is
otherwise very different from arc welding and requires new defect definitions. FSW defects
include excessive flash, excessive concavity, tool particulate inclusions, foreign substances,
voids, wormholes, lack of penetration (LOP) root defects and kissing bond defects which
may occur in the root or in the weld interior Flash is produced by displacement of material
from the face (tool-side surface) of friction stir welded components. Flash is not in all cases
undesirable and is often used as a visual indicator that the proper tool depth has been
achieved for a given application The FSW tool is nominally non-consumable. However, as
discussed in the previous section, wear does occur to the tool and this can result in
dimensional changes to the tool which cause weld defects. Additionally, particles of tool
material can be left in the welded material. Many friction stir welded materials develop a
surface oxide layer. This layer can sometimes be seen as a partially dispersed, visible trace of
the original joint line in a FSW lateral macro section. The traces are referred to as remnant
oxide layers (ROL), joint line remnants (JLR), entrapped oxides, residual oxides, lazy-S
curves, or kissing bonds. Root flaws are surface-breaking discontinuities that are present on
the material surface which is opposite the tool. Root defects are important because they can
have significant mechanical effects and can be difficult to detect by non-destructive testing
(NDT), often being narrow and lacking in volume. Lack of penetration (LOP), lack of
consolidation (LOC), and kissing bond type root defects are caused by excessive penetration
ligament (distance between bottom of probe and root-side surface of material), inadequate
tool-joint alignment (missing the joint), or inadequate disruption (poor stirring) of the abutted
parent material surfaces near the root respectively. Both LOP and kissing bonds imply that
there is some portion of the abutted joint surfaces which remains unbounded or inadequately
disrupted. The definitions of these terms are somewhat muddled, and the decision on
nomenclature in a particular case in the literature is one of preference or of degree. Of the two
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terms, LOP is generally used when the root defect is more severe and is sometimes referred
to as an unwelded or unbonded portion of the joint Voids and wormholes (single voids
extending longitudinally along the weld) can be found in FSW under non-ideal process
conditions.

H. APPLICATIONS
Shipbuilding: Now days the FSW is the most commonly used in Shipbuilding Companies.
In recent years, progress has been achieved by aluminium producers in the development of
improved aluminium alloys specifically targeted at the shipbuilding industry. By using the
FSW increase in the post-weld yield strength, improvements in corrosion properties and
increase in fatigue strength. This development coupled with formability, bending, cutting,
and welds ability characteristics at least equal to that of alloy very attractive to designed
manufacturers who were pushing the limits to produce bigger and faster aluminium ships.

Figure 3 : FSW used in Shipbuilding

Aerospace: Boeing applies FSW to the Delta II and Delta IV expendable launch vehicles and
the first of these with a friction stir welded interstate module was launched in 1999. The
process is also used for the Space Shuttle external tank, for Ares I and for the Orion Crew
Vehicle test article at NASA as well as Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets at SpaceX. The toe
nails for ramp of Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft by Advanced Joining
Technologies and the cargo barrier beams for the Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter were the
first commercially produced aircraft parts. Floor panels for Airbus A400M military aircraft
are now made by PfalzFlugzeugwerke and Embraer used FSW for the Legacy 450 and 500
Jets. Friction stir welding also is employed for fuselage panels on the airbus
A380.Automation GmbH uses friction stir welding through the Delta NFS system for gantry
production machines developed for the aerospace sector as well as other industrial
applications.

Figure 4 : FSW used in Aerospace Industry

Automotive: As the automotive industry trends towards increased use of aluminium, the
friction stir welding (FSW) process offers many potential benefits for joining of aluminium.
In contrast to most other joining processes, FSW is a more robust process, being more
capable of handling the variation inherent in high volume production. FSW also provides for
improved mechanical properties as compared to other joining processes.

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 IJARESM

Figure 5 :FSW used in Automobile Industry

Robotics: KUKA Robot Group has adapted its KR500-3MT heavy duty robot for friction stir
welding via the Delta NFS tool. The system made its first public appearance at the Euro
BLECH shown in November 2012.

Figure 6 : ROBOTIC FSW used in Automobile Industry

Personal Computers: Apple applied friction stir welding on the 2012 iMac to effectively
join the bottom to the back of the device.

Figure 7 : FSW used in Apple computers

SUMMARY
FSW is a very effective and efficient solid state joining process. It is having numerous
advantage over the conventional metal joining process. It is having a very wide application in
industries like aerospace, ship building. Automobile. The area on which further study can be
carried out is Double pass welding of FSW tool and also the metallurgical study of the FSW
joint. Also the time gap between the two successive pass of FSW tool and its effect on the
weld quality can be studied.

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