J Mater Sci Technol ›› 2009, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (05): 655-664.

• Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effect of Process Parameters on Tensile Strength of Friction Stir Welded Cast LM6 Aluminium Alloy Joints

M. Jayaraman, R. Sivasubramanian, V. Balasubramanian   

  1. 1) Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Kongu Engineering College, Erode, Tamil Nadu, India
    2) Department of Mechanical Engineering, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
    3) Centre for Materials Joining & Research (CEMAJOR), Department of Manufacturing Engineering, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Received:2008-01-21 Revised:2009-07-10 Online:2009-09-28 Published:2009-10-10
  • Contact: V.Balasubramanian

Abstract:

This paper reports the effect of friction stir welding (FSW) process parameters on tensile strength of cast LM6 aluminium alloy. Joints were made by using different combinations of tool rotation speed, welding speed and axial force each at four levels. The quality of weld zone was investigated using macrostructure and microstructure analysis. Tensile strength of the joints were evaluated and correlated with the weld zone hardness and microstructure. The joint fabricated using a rotational speed of 900 r/min, a welding speed of 75 mm/min and an axial force of 3 kN showed superior tensile strength compared with other joints. The tensile strength and microhardness of the welded joints for the optimum conditions were 166 MPa and 64.8 Hv respectively.

Key words: LM6 aluminium alloy, Friction stir welding, Tool rotation speed, Welding speed, Axial force, Tensile strength