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Experimental and Numerical Study of Steel-Aluminium Rotary Friction Welding with Heat Flux via Subroutine

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Abstract:

Rotary friction welding (RFW) is a solid-state process used to join similar and dissimilar materials, such as steel and aluminium. In RFW, interface temperature development and its distribution are essential factors influencing material bonding. It governs bond strength, the formation of intermetallic phases (IMPs) and the evolution of the heat-affected zone (HAZ). Thus, precise prediction of temperature distribution is vital for the reliable design and optimization of the RFW process, as well as for the prediction and control of IMP formation. This work presents an experimental investigation of the thermo-mechanical behaviour of EN AW-6082 and 20MnCr5 during RFW in addition to a corresponding novel numerical modelling framework. A systematic parameter study was conducted to evaluate the influence of the friction pressure, friction time, forging pressure, forging time and rotational speed on the peak temperature, sledge path and flash formation. In-situ temperature measurements were performed using thermocouples (TC) embedded in the steel component, while axial force, displacement and rotational speed were recorded. The results demonstrate that, within the investigated parameter ranges, the rotational speed is the dominant factor governing frictional heat generation and the peak temperature, while the friction pressure primarily influences the sledge path. In parallel, a 2D axisymmetric finite-element model with a user-defined subroutine was developed to compute the heat flux based on process parameters and contact conditions, providing a transparent and extensible numerical framework for RFW. The experimental findings establish a robust basis for the calibration and future validation of the numerical model.

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Periodical:

Materials Science Forum (Volume 1185)

Pages:

111-125

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4028/p-1wZ1l6

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Cite this paper

Online since:

April 2026

Authors:

Amith Tom Mathew*, Armin Piwek, Jakub Mayer, Norman Mohnfeld, Bernd-Arno Behrens, Johanna Uhe

Keywords:

FEM, Rotary Friction Welding, Tailored Forming

Funder:

The publication of this article was funded by the Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH) / Technische Informationsbibliothek (TIB)

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Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

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* - Corresponding Author

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