THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF FRICTION STION STIR WELDING FOR COPPER ALLOY

Abstract

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a relatively new solid-state joining process. Thisjoining technique is energy efficient. In particular, it can be used to join highstrengthaerospace aluminum alloys and other metallic alloys that are hard to weldby conventional fusion welding. In this paper the investigation is made on frictionstir welding process for joining of copper alloy. Friction stir welding experimentswas performed using different pins (pin with straight boundary and pin with curvedboundary). Welding joints efficiencies were found for each set. Mechanical andmicrostructural analysis has been performed experimentally on the welding zone.Non- linear numerical models was built in ANSYS software to simulate thethermal history of a workpiece undergoing friction stir welding by a movingheating source. An accurate prediction of temperature fields is evident. Exclusiveresult for effect of rotating a friction stir tools with respect to boundary conditionson stress-strain curves is presented. The results shown that the friction stir weldingwith pin of curved boundary is more efficient than that of straight boundary