Influence of the depth of scroll grooves of the shoulder and welding pressure on temperature distribution and material mixing during FSW of AA6063 aluminum alloy sheets
摘要
The objective of this study was to examine the influence of scroll groove depth and welding pressure on temperature distribution and material mixing during pinless friction stir butt welding of AA6063 aluminum alloy sheets, using a mathematical modeling approach. The tool employed was a shoulder equipped with two scroll grooves, with depths ranging from 0 to 0.5 mm in increments of 0.1 mm. The simulations revealed that groove depth significantly affects both temperature distribution and the formation of surface defects. The highest temperature and the largest area of intense heating were observed at a groove depth of 0.2 mm, which facilitated complete joining of the sheets at a welding pressure of 12.5 MPa. The impact of groove depth on temperature magnitude and distribution was explained based on two primary heating mechanisms: (1) frictional heating and (2) heat generated from plastic deformation of the material volume. Optimal and uniform heating at a groove depth of 0.2 mm was achieved through the combined effects of frictional heat and heat from plastic deformation. A full-scale experiment using a shoulder with a 0.2 mm deep scroll groove demonstrated good agreement with the simulation results.