DefinePK

Abstract

Friction stir welding is a relatively new joining process, which involves the joining of metals without fusion or filler materials. The amount of the heat conducted into the work piece dictates a successful process which is defined by the quality, shape and microstructure of the processed zone, as well as the residual stress and the distortion of the work piece. The amount of the heat gone to the tool dictates the life of the tool and the capability of the tool to produce a good processed zone. Hence, understanding the heat transfer aspect of the friction stir welding is extremely important for improving the process. Many research works were carried out to simulate the friction stir welding using various soft wares to determine the temperature distribution for a given set of welding conditions. Very few attempted to determine the maximum temperature by varying the input parameters using ANSYS. The objective of this research is to develop a finite element simulation of friction stir welding of AA6061-T6 Aluminium alloy. Trend line equations are developed for Thermal conductivity, specific heat and density to know the relationship of these factors with peak temperature. Tensile and hardness values for the welded specimens are found for different rotational speed and feed. Variation of temperature with input parameters is also observed. The simulation model is tested with experimental results. The results of the simulation are in good agreement with that of experimental results.