Investigations on force generation and joint properties of dissimilar thickness friction stir corner welded AA 5086 alloy

The force generation, joint mechanical and metallurgical properties of friction stir corner welded non-heat treatable AA 5086 aluminum alloy are investigated in this paper. The friction stir welding process is carried out with the plate thicknesses of 6 mm and 4 mm. The welding speed, tool rotational speed and tool plunge depth were considered as the process parameters to conduct the welding experiments. The machine spindle motor current consumption and tool down force generation during friction stir welding were analyzed. The microstructures of various joint regions were observed. The tensile samples revealed the tensile strength of 197 MPa with tool rotational and welding speeds of 1,000 rev/min and 150 mm/min respectively, which is 78 % of parent material tensile strength. A maximum micro hardness of 98 HV was observed at thermomechanically joint affected zone, which was welded with tool rotation of 1,000 rev/min and welding speed of 190 mm/min.