Kimiaki Nagatsuka

Simulation of cracking phenomena during laser brazing of ceramics and cemented carbide

Abstract To investigate the mechanism of the occurrence of the microcracks produced in laser brazing of silicon carbide and cemented carbide using a silver–copper–titanium alloy as the filler metal, a numerical simulation for thermal cycle and thermal stress was performed using the finite element method. The laser-irradiated area of the cemented carbide was heated selectively, and almost uniform temperature distribution in the filler metal was obtained. The tensile thermal stress in the silicon carbide appeared near the interface between the silicon carbide and the filler metal, and the maximum principle stress at about 400 K during the cooling process reached the fracture strength of the silicon carbide. This resulted in the formation of microcracks in the silicon carbide which was observed in the experiment.

Direct dissimilar joining of aluminium alloys and polyamide 6 by friction lap joining

Abstract Direct dissimilar joining of various Al alloy (A1050, A3004, A5052 and A5083) plates and a polyamide 6 plate was performed using friction lap joining (FLJ) with the Al alloy plate as a top and the polyamide 6 plate as a bottom. The effect of Mg content in Al alloys on the joining strength was investigated. TEM analysis made clear that the polyamide 6 and Al alloys were joined via oxide layer consisting of Al2O3 and MgO. The results of XPS analysis indicated that MgO was formed by the heating during FLJ, and the quantity of MgO was increased with increasing Mg content in Al alloys. The tensile shear strengths of A3004, A5052 and A5083 joints were saturated to about 2 kN because of the tensile fracture at the polyamide 6 plate outside the tool-passed zone, which were higher than that of the A1050 joint fractured at the joint interface. The peel strength of the joint was increased with increasing Mg content in Al alloys, and the fracture occurred both at the joint interface and at the polyamide 6 plate on the joint area. The fraction of polyamide 6 plate fracture was also increased with increasing Mg content in Al alloys.

Effect of Ti content in Ag–Cu–Ti activated filler metal on dissimilar joint formation of sialon and WC–Co alloy by laser brazing

Abstract Laser brazing was carried out for dissimilar joining of sialon and a WC–Co alloy. Eutectic type Ag–Cu alloys as filler metals with different Ti content ranging from 0 to 2·8 mass-% were used to investigate the effects of Ti on the interface structure and strength of the joint. The filler metal sheet was sandwiched between a sialon block and a WC–Co alloy plate, and a laser beam was irradiated selectively on the WC–Co alloy plate. The brazed joint was obtained using the filler metal containing >0·3 mass-%Ti. TiN, Ti5Si3, and Cu4Ti layers were formed at the interface of sialon and brazed metal as compound layers. The shear strength of the brazed joint increased with increasing Ti content in the filler metal in the range 0·3–1·7 mass-%, reaching a maximum value of 106 MPa. However, the strength decreased when the Ti content became higher than 1·7 mass-%.

Resistance spot welding of metal/carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics and applying silane coupling treatment

ABSTRACT Dissimilar materials joining of SUS304 and carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics consisting of short fibres and thermoplastics was performed. The materials were joined by series resistance spot welding. The electrodes were pressed on the metal plate of the lap joint of metal/carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics. The SUS304 plate was heated by resistance heating, causing the thermoplastic near the interface to melt slightly because of heat conduction. SUS304 could be joined directly to carbon-fibre-reinforced polyamide and modified polypropylene, but not to polyphenylene sulphide. The joining area increased with an increase in the welding current and welding time, so did the tensile shear fracture load. Furthermore, the silane coupling agent treatment of SUS304 was highly effective in increasing the joining strength.

Dissimilar joint characteristics of SiC and WC-Co alloy by laser brazing

SiC and WC-Co alloys were joined by laser brazing with an active braze metal. The braze metal based on eutectic Ag-Cu alloy with additional Ti as an active element ranging from 0 to 2.8 mass% was sandwiched by the SiC block and WC-Co alloy plate. The brazing was carried out by selective laser beam irradiation on the WC-Co alloy plate. The content of Ti in the braze metal was required to exceed 0.6 mass% in order to form a brazed joint with a measurable shear strength. The shear strength increased with increasing Ti content up to 2.3 mass%Ti and decreased with a higher content.

Dissimilar laser brazing of h-BN and WC-Co alloy in Ar atmosphere without evacuation process

Laser brazing with Ti as an active element in Ag-Cu alloy braze metal has been successfully applied to dissimilar joining of h-BN and WC-Co alloy in Ar (99.999% purity) gas flow atmosphere without any evacuation process. Good wettability of the braze metal with h-BN and WC-Co alloy were confirmed by the observation and structural analysis of the interface by electron probe micro-analysis and scanning acoustic microscopy. The oxidation of titanium was not observed and this showed that the laser brazing with titanium as an active element in braze metal could be performed even in an Ar gas flow atmosphere without an evacuation process using a high-vacuum furnace.

Dissimilar materials joining of metal / carbon fiber reinforced plastic by resistance spot welding

ABSTRACT Dissimilar materials joining of metal to carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), which consisted of PA6, modified polypropylene (PP) or polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) as matrix polymer with short carbon fibre, was performed using series resistance spot welding (series-RSW). The metal plate was placed on CFRP plate as the lap joint, and electrodes of series-RSW were pressed only on the metal plate side. The metal around the electrode was heated by electrical resistance heating, and the thermoplastic near the interface was slightly melted by the heat conduction from heated metal. The objectives of this research are to confirm the possibility of direct joining of CFRP and metal, and to investigate the effects of the heat input during series-RSW, silane-coupling treatment and chemical structure of matrix plastics on the joint properties. The direct joint formations of SUS304 to CFRP (PA6) and CFRP (PP) were accomplished, and CFRP (PPS) was not. The joining area, which corresponding to the melted area of CFRP, enlarged with increasing the welding current and welding time, therefore, the tensile shear fracture load also increased. The silane-coupling treatment for metal surface was highly effective to increase the joining strength. The maximum tensile shear strength of about 13 MPa was obtained for SUS304/CFRP (PA6) joint.

Effect of composition of titanium in silver-copper-titanium braze alloy on dissimilar laser brazing of binder-less cubic boron nitride and tungsten carbide

Laser brazing with Ti as an active element in silver-copper alloy braze metal has been carried out for binder-less cubic boron nitride and tungsten carbide, using silver-copper- titanium braze alloys with titanium content that varied between 0.28 mass% and 1.68 mass%. Observations of the interface using electron probe microanalysis and scanning acoustic microscopy show that efficient interface adhesion between binder-less cubic boron nitride and the silver-copper-titanium braze alloy was achieved for the braze with a titanium content of 0. 28 mass%.