Advanced Materials Research Vols. 83-86

Abstract: In the present study, the relationships between friction stir welding parameters and the tensile behavior of Al 2024-T4 joints was investigated. The aluminum alloy plates were butt-welded using a hardened steel tool with a threaded and fluted cylindrical pin at various tool rotation speed to advancing speed ratios. Metallographic observations, EDS analysis and microhardness measurements show that the band spacing in the periodic microstructure of the stir zone and the average microhardness of this region decrease with increasing speed ratio. Tensile ductility is strongly affected by welding parameters and final elongation increases significantly with speed ratio at the constant rotating speed of 900 rpm. This behavior is found to be associated with a change in tensile fracture location. Formation of microscopic voids at low speed ratios leads to premature fracture in the nugget zone, while in the defect-free joints produced at higher speed ratios the fracture location shifts into the HAZ on the retreating side, which exhibits the lowest microhardness value within the weld joint. At the optimum rotation speed of 900 rpm and speed ratio of 11.2 rev/mm the tensile strength and final elongation of the joints are equivalent to 97% and 77% that of base metal, respectively.

Abstract: Resistance spot welding is the dominant process for joining sheet metals in automotive industry. Even-thickness combinations are rarely used in practice; therefore, there is clearly a practical need for failure behaviour investigation of uneven-thickness resistance spot welds. The aim of this paper is to investigate and analyze the failure mode and failure mechanism of dissimilar thickness low carbon steel resistance spot welds during tensile-shear overload test. Microstructural investigations, microhardness tests and tensile-shear tests were conducted. Mechanical properties of the joint were described in terms of peak load, energy absorption and failure mode. It was concluded that weld nugget size and the strength of the thinner base metal are the controlling factors of the peak load and energy absorption of dissimilar thickness spot welds.

Abstract: The flexural motion of a bar changes during the welding process because of the temperature field, which modifies the modulus of elasticity. Depending on the duration of heating during the welding process, the wave characteristics of the flexural motion changes; therefore, the wave characteristics can be related with the heating durations. In the present study, welding of one end of a bar to a rigid body is simulated and flexural motion generated at the free end of the bar through impulse force is analyzed. Temperature field and flexural wave characteristics are computed for different heating durations. It is found that temperature decays sharply in the region next to the heat source, and this decay becomes gradual as the heating progresses. The effect of temperature decay on the characteristics of the flexural wave is significant in the early heating period and gradual decay of temperature in the bar modifies the wave characteristics considerably.

Abstract: Spot welding can be considered a very common joining technique in automotive and transportation industries as it permits to obtain effective lap-joints with short process times and what is more it is easily developed through robots and automated systems. Recently the Friction Stir Spot Welding (FSSW) process has been proposed as a natural evolution of the already known Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process, allowing to obtain sound spot joints that do not suffer from the insurgence of typical welding defects due to the fusion of the base material. In the paper, a modified Friction Stir Spot Welding (FSSW) process, with a spiral circular movement given to the tool after the sinking stage, is proposed. A continuum based numerical model for Friction Stir Spot Welding process is developed, that is 2D Lagrangian implicit, coupled, rigid-viscoplastic. This model is used to investigate the distribution of the main field variables, namely temperature, strain and strain rate, as well as the Zener-Hollomon parameter which, in turn, strongly affects the Continuous Dynamic Recrystallization (CDRX) process that takes place in the weld nugget. Numerical and experimental results are presented showing the effects of the process parameters on the joint performances and the mechanical effectiveness of the modified process.

Abstract: The success of a numerical simulation for solder solidification during soldering processes depends on an accurate knowledge of heat transfer phenomenon at the solder/substrate interface. Two experimental setups were designed to study the interfacial heat transfer at solder/substrate interface. In the first method, a cylindrical probe of substrate material was dipped in liquid solder and solder was allowed to solidify around the metal probe. In the second method the test probe was dipped in the bulk solder liquid of sufficiently large quantity and allowed to attain the surrounding solder liquid temperature. Temperature at the center of the probe was measured using thermocouple. Heat flux transients at the surface of the probe were estimated by lumped heat capacitance method. SEM study at the solder/substrate interfacial region for experiments of solidifying solder around the test probe revealed the existence of a clear gap with aluminum substrate. A conforming contact was obtained with copper substrate. The nature of heat flux transients was found to be different in two experiments.

Abstract: One of the difficulties in manufacturing of sandwich honeycomb structures is the proper joining of honeycomb cores to face sheets. In this investigation, vacuum brazing process using BNi-2 brazing alloy was applied for these types of joints. Brazing cycles were performed at temperatures ranging from 1020 to 1050oC under different holding times ranging from 5 to 20 min. Three different zones were observed in the solidified braze layer. The width of each zone was altered by brazing cycle. The results showed the crucial role of boron element in the brazing alloy in wetting behavior and final products after brazing. The optimum brazing cycle was found to be 1020oC and 5 min holding time followed by heat treating the brazed samples at 600oC for 6 hrs.

Abstract: The aim is to analyze a junction produced by a Friction Stir Welding (FSW) joining process under multiaxial loading, employing a modified Arcan test that allows an angle variation of the loading in order to evaluate the failure of the FSW weldment as compared to the base material. A short review of the earlier studies and relevant theories about the FSW processes and fracture modes I and II under multiaxial loading are presented and were experimentally evaluated for an AA2024-T3 aluminum alloy sheets (t = 1.6 mm) processed by FSW. The results obtained can serve as a basis to compare the junctions made using FSW and conventional joint methods such as rivets (very common practice in the aeronautical industry).

Abstract: The purpose of the work was to determine the capabilities of the pulse effect of electric current and pressure to produce welded joints of various component parts of different thickness from 18-10 stainless steel and titanium. Application of electric current pulses on the surfaces of contacting metallic conductors leads to considerable changes in the surface structure. Depending on the initial state of the surfaces and parameters of the pulse effect this can result in melting without formation of joints, formation of a strong welded joint with characteristics no worse than those of welded metals, and in destruction of the contact zone. A combination of a short electric pulse with simultaneous application of mechanical pressure in the weld zone causes high-speed deformation of the contact zone. The process of joint formation itself does not cause any appreciable diffusion during welding. The greatest energy emission and the maximal heating occur on the contacting surfaces being welded with the passage of an electric current pulse through the welding zone. Simultaneously with intensive heating, and due to applied pressure, high-speed deformation of materials takes place and a strong welded joint is formed. Optimal parameters for the welding of titanium and 18-10 stainless steel have been determined on the basis of the tests conducted. Investigations into the welding of titanium and 18-10 stainless steel have shown that application of a short electric current pulse and pressure produces stronger welded joints composed of both similar and different metals of considerably different thickness.

Abstract: Many techniques were developed to control residual stress and distortion during welding process to minimizes their magnitude in the affected area. Due to complicity to find qualitative analysis for welding residual stress and distortion in real experiment work, the numerical simulation of welding process give a good solution to helpful the process and evaluated extensive analysis. In the present paper two different residual stress mitigation techniques moving cooling spot and moving heating spot were investigated in thin welded sheet structure using FEA. Thermo mechanical analysis and simulation of the processes were performed by ANSYS. The obtained results show different residual stresses behaviour developed during welding, the residual stress magnitude were minimized in both used techniques especially in trailing heat sink welding process. The out of plane distortion results show successfully eliminating of cambering distortion, it is also found that the effective elimination are based on the proper position parameters with respect to the welding heat source.

Abstract: Generally about 80 percent of railway tracks are welded by flash-butt welding that consists of electrical heating and hydraulic forging. Fracture of rails specially weld zone fractures are of main concern because of potential risk of a catastrophic derailment. In this paper, surface defects associated with flash butt welding process are examined. Metallographic and fractographic studies show various defects can be formed at the surface of weld zone. Formation mechanism of these defects and their contribution to the observed fatigue and overload weld failures are discussed. Fracture mechanics is also utilized to clarify the role of these defects in fatigue and overload failures.