D.M. Rodrigues

Material flow in heterogeneous friction stir welding of aluminium and copper thin sheets

Abstract The aim of this investigation was to study material flow during dissimilar friction stir welding of AA 5083-H111 to deoxidised high phosphorus copper plates of 1 mm thickness. The welds were performed using different tool geometries and welding parameters. The positions of the copper and aluminium plates, relative to the advancing and retreating sides of the tool, were also changed. It was found that the tool geometry and relative position of the plates deeply influence the morphology of the aluminium and copper flow interaction zones, influencing the distribution of both materials in the weld and the formation of intermetallic compounds. The material accumulated under the tool during welding was found as another important aspect determining weld morphology.

Formation and distribution of brittle structures in friction stir welding of aluminium and copper: influence of process parameters

Abstract Morphological, metallographic and structural analyses of aluminium–copper dissimilar welds produced under different friction stir welding conditions were conducted in order to analyse the mechanisms of intermetallic phases formation, its relation with welding conditions and its consequences in the weld structure and morphology. Under lower heat input conditions, only a thin intermetallic layer distributed along the aluminium/copper interface was depicted inside the nugget. Increasing the heat input promoted material mixing and formation of increasing amounts of intermetallic rich structures. The intermetallic phase content and the homogeneity of the mixed area increased with increasing heat input, evolving from structures containing Al, Cu, CuAl2 and Cu9Al4 to structures predominantly composed of Cu9Al4 and Cu(Al). In order to explain these results, the mechanisms of intermetallic phases formation are discussed, taking into account the process parameters and material flow mechanisms in friction stir welding. Important relations between intermetallic formation and weld surface morphology were also found.

Numerical study of the plastic behaviour in tension of welds in high strength steels

The influence of the mismatch between material properties and constraint on the plastic deformation behaviour of the heat affected zone of welds in high strength steels is investigated in this study, using finite element simulations. An elastoplastic implicit three-dimensional finite element code (EPIM3D) was used in the analysis. The paper presents the mechanical model of the code and the methodology used for the numerical simulation of the tensile test of welded joints. Numerical results of the tensile test of welded samples with different hypothetical widths for the Heat Affected Zone and various material mismatch levels are shown. The analysis concerns the overall strength and ductility of the joint and in relation to the plastic behaviour of the heat affected zone. The influence of the yield stress, tensile strength and constraint on the stress and plastic strain distribution in the soft heat affected zone is also discussed.

A modified swift law for prestrained materials

Abstract A modified Swift law to describe the evolution of the mechanical behaviour in reloading of prestrained materials is proposed in this work. This equation is deduced from the original Swift law by including a parameter that accounts for the effect of strain path change. This parameter depends on the value of the yield stress and the subsequent work-hardening behaviour in reloading. The new equation predicts well the general mechanical behaviour in the second path for copper and steel. In particular, it predicts accurately the strain value for which necking occurs during reloading and fits experimental stress-strain curves well. The flow equation formulated remains sufficiently simple to be applied in finite element modelling of prestrained materials. However, since the parameter, which is needed for the modified Swift law, must be previously known, the strain path change itself cannot be part of the simulation.

Influence of Tool Offsetting on the Structure and Morphology of Dissimilar Aluminum to Copper Friction-Stir Welds

In this work, a systematic analysis of the effect of tool offsetting on the morphological, structural, and mechanical properties of 6082-T6 aluminum to copper-DHP friction-stir welds was performed, enabling full understanding of Al-Cu bonding structure and failure mechanisms. Important relations between tool positioning and the thermomechanical phenomena taking place during welding were established. Tool offsetting was revealed to be an effective way of solving one of the most important concerns in Al/Cu friction-stir welding, i.e., the formation of large amounts of intermetallic-rich structures, which deeply influence the final strength and surface morphology of the welds. Actually, for welds produced without tool offsetting, it was found that the formation of fluidized intermetallic-rich structures promote the formation of internal decohesion areas inside the nugget, which have a detrimental effect on weld strength. For welds carried out with tool offsetting, intermetallic formation is almost suppressed, but important metallurgical discontinuities in the vicinity of large copper fragments, dispersed over the nugget, and at the nugget/copper interface were also found to have a detrimental effect on weld strength.

High speed friction stir welding of aluminium alloys

Abstract In this paper, the weldability 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 weldability, assessed by weld defect analysis and weld strength characterisation, will be related to the markedly different plastic behaviours of both base materials. Based on the experimental results, a methodology for determining suitable friction stir welding parameters is proposed.

Effect of shoulder cavity and welding parameters on friction stir welding of thin copper sheets

Abstract The aim of this investigation was to study the influence of shoulder cavity and welding parameters on torque, defect formation, microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welds in very thin sheets of deoxidised copper. Three types of tools were used: a flat shoulder tool and two tools with conical shoulder cavities of 3 and 6° respectively. The welding parameters analysed were tool rotation and traverse speeds. It was observed that the torque, the microstructure and hardness and the formation of defects in the welds are influenced mainly by tool rotation speed and, to a lesser extent, by the traverse speed and shoulder cavity. The tensile properties of welds carried out at high rotation speeds are little affected by the shoulder cavity.

Numerical simulation of tensile tests of prestrained sheets

Abstract The effect of cross section variation on formability of prestrained samples has been investigated using finite element simulations of a standard sheet tensile test. The mechanical model takes into account large elastoplastic strains and rotations that occur during deformation. Hill’s orthotropic yield criterion with isotropic hardening describes the anisotropic plastic properties of the sheet. The isotropic hardening is modelled by a modified Swift law that describes the response of prestrained materials in reloading. Two different situations were simulated: reloading in tension of samples with constant cross sectional area and reloading in tension of samples with two zones of slightly different cross sectional areas. The results show that the strain distribution along the tensile axis of a prestrained sample depends on the level of the prestrain and also on the presence and size of geometrical fluctuations in the cross section, which always occur in experimental samples. This dependence is higher for materials with lower work-hardening rates.

Microstructural and mechanical characterisation of 5XXX-H111 friction stir welded tailored blanks

Abstract Friction stir welds in 1 mm thick plates of AA 5182-H111 and AA 5083-H111 aluminium alloys are analysed in this paper. The welds were produced using a large range of welding conditions, namely, different process control modes (position and load control), tool parameters (different geometries and dimensions) and process parameters (rotation speed, advancing speed and axial load). Visual inspection and metallographic and mechanical analysis demonstrate that it is possible to obtain consistently good quality welds in very thin plates under a large range of welding conditions. Important relations between base material properties, tool geometry and the final properties of the welds were established.

Non-uniform deformation after prestrain

The deformation behaviour of prestrained metal sheets is analysed in this work. The non-uniform deformation observed during reloading in tension was studied, by following deformation in different regions of the samples. It takes into account the presence of geometrical defects in the samples and explains the importance of mechanical behaviour. A simplified analysis was used, to model the behaviour in tension of a metallic specimen with geometrical imperfection. The flow behaviour is described using a Swift law equation, which includes strain-rate sensitivity. A modified law was used for prestrained materials and this incorporates the plastic prestrain value, adjusted to the path change. The model predicts imperfection growth kinetics with strain, and strain saturation in the homogeneous region, due to the onset of necking.