Influence of double-pass friction stir welding and blank position on formability of aluminum tailor welded alloy blanks

This study delved into the significance of double-pass friction stir welding (DP-FSW) and blank arrangement on aluminum tailor-welded blanks (TWBs) formability. The five different positions of TWBs fabricated from solution-annealed and precipitation-hardened AA2017-T6 and AA6061-T6 were utilized in experimentation and finite element analyses that evaluated formability. This effect of welding parameters and blank positions on TWB formability characteristics was investigated thoroughly through an extensive analysis that included experimental tests and finite elemental analysis. The results showed that adopting double-pass FSW approaches, against single-pass methods, significantly improved formability. Furthermore, the investigation of different blank positions during the welding process exhibited distinctive effects on formability, and the best configurations were found. These insights provide valuable guidance for optimizing FSW processes in producing aluminum TWBs, thus contributing to advancements in lightweight material fabrication across diverse industrial applications. The experimental and simulated results have a standard deviation of ± 5%. The deviation was decreased by treating the blank as five different zones rather than there.