Experimentation on Friction Welding of Aluminum Alloy with Dissimilar Metals to Determine Weld Strength of the Joint

The Aluminum alloy as a base metal can be friction welded with different dissimilar metals for the lightweight joints. The experimental study is conducted for friction welding of AA6063 to AISI4130 and Copper as a dissimilar metal. The Taguchi-based design of experiment technique is used for the experimentation. The tensile test and the bending test are conducted on the developed joint specimen to find its tensile strength. The ANOVA and microstructure analysis is further performed to investigate the weld joint. The microstructure details and statistical approach validates the experimental results. The findings are further investigated to develop the empirical relation and regression equations. The visual basic programming language is used to develop the low cost customized weld strength predictor for the prediction of variations in tensile strength based on differing friction time, friction pressure, and upset pressure. The ultimate tensile strength of the AA6063-Copper joint is improved maximum of up to 222 MPa.