Finite element modeling of friction stir welding in aluminum alloys joint

This study aims to model friction stir welding of the aluminum alloys using the finite element method. For this purpose, transient thermal finite element analyses are performed in order to obtain the temperature distribution in the welded aluminum plate during the welding operation. Heat input from the tool shoulder and the tool pin are considered in the finite element model. A moving heat source with a heat distribution simulating the heat generated from the friction between the tool shoulder and the work piece is used in the heat transfer analysis. Three-dimensional models are carried out by using ANSYS and HyperXtrude commercial softwares. APDL (ANSYS Parametric Design Language) code is developed to model moving heat source and change boundary conditions