Apparatus Design of One-Step Double-Side Friction Stir Welding for Aluminum Plates

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Nurul Muhayat, Ericha Dwi Wahyu Syah Putri, Hendrato, Yohanes Pringeten Dilianto Sembiring Depari, Poppy Puspitasari, Jamasri, Aditya Rio Prabowo, Triyono

2023 Designs Vol. 7 Issue 3 Article Cited by 4 Quartile

Abstract

Aluminum alloys emerged as one of the materials used in manufacturing automotive car bodies due to their advantageous properties such as high strength-to-weight ratio, relatively low cost, high ductility, and high corrosion resistance. However, joining aluminum alloys using fusion welding poses serious problems due to the high solubility of hydrogen gas, which causes porosity in welding metal. Subsequently, solid-state welding, such as friction stir welding (FSW), has been considered a porosity-free aluminum joining method. However, the method has limitations, such as low flexibility and the need for a complex clamping system. It is particularly problematic when welding plates. It causes the welding process to be carried out twice on opposite sides, resulting in longer production times. This study designed and assembled a one-step double-side FSW apparatus to address this challenge and conducted welding trials with various welding parameters. During the welding trial, the upper and lower tool rotation varied at 900/900 rpm and 1500/1500 rpm. As a result, one-step double-side FSW was successfully used for welding 6 mm aluminum without any porosity defects. Faster tool rotation results in a wider heat-affected area and higher tensile strength. In addition, the hard test showed that the one-step double-side FSW process had a lower hardness compared to the hardness of the base metal. © 2023 by the authors.

Affiliations

Mechanical Engineering Department, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, 57126, Indonesia; National Research and Innovation Agency of Republic Indonesia (BRIN), Jakarta Pusat, 10340, Indonesia; Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia