In this research, the weldability of AA 2024-T3 plates using
vibration-assisted friction stir welding (VaFSW) is primarily
inspected. The vibration imparted to the fixture holding the
specimens in VaFSW differentiates this state-of-art process from
the conventional friction stir welding (FSW) technique. For
large-scale welding applications, it is ideal to vibrate the tool
with the required amplitude and frequency for optimum
performance. Due to limitation in applying vibration to the tool
in a milling machine, the vibration is imparted to a customdesigned fixture and rig setup. The fixture, which holds the
plates rigidly, is mechanically shaken during the friction stir
welding process to boost the material strain in the weld region.
The VaFSW is performed with 1800 rpm tool rotational speed,
16 mm/min travel speed and at four intermittent levels of
vibrational frequencies (10.11 Hz, 13.56 Hz, 16.67 Hz, 25.17
Hz). The welding morphology and mechanical characteristics of
joints produced using VaFSW and FSW are presented in the
current work. Finally, the results of VaFSW are compared with
conventional FSW. Results show that the tensile strength and,
hardness in each of the zones – Nugget zone, heat affected zone,
and base metal increased with the increase in the vibrational
frequency in the vibration-assisted friction stir welding process.
In addition, the ductility of the joints increased by the vibration
in the vibration-assisted friction stir welding process due to
excessive plasticized material resulting in a greater grain
dislocation. Moreover, the mechanical characteristics of weld
joints enhanced with the increase in the vibrational frequency.
However, the tensile strength and hardness of conventional
FSWed joint are slightly higher than the joint produced using
VaFSW at 10.11 Hz. This study is promising for finding the
capability of VaFSW over FSW to produce quality weld joints |
