PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING PROCESS CHARACTERISTICS OF FRICTION STIR WELDING

Purpose. The study is aimed at improving the procedure for determining the optimum radius of the shoulder of a special tool for friction stir welding (FSW) of aluminum alloys and its change depending on the variations of base metal thickness. Methodology. The friction stir welding process was carried out on specially designed equipment. The material for the studies were 1.85 mm thick plates made of aluminum alloy AMg3 with a chemical content of alloying elements within the range of the brand composition. The temperature in the welding zone and the pressure from the tool on the edges of the welded joint were determined using a specially designed research stand. The pressing force of the tool to the base metal during welding was measured with a dynamometer type DC-0.1 with the indicator head. Findings. During the research, the degree of metal heating and the quality of the welded joint formation were determined at various ratios of the rotation frequency of the working tool and the normal pressure to the joining edges. The research allowed determining the influence of FSW process parameters on the temperature of metal heating in the action zone of the working tool shoulder. Originality. The experimental studies allowed to determine the effect of the working tool rotation speed and the magnitude of its pressure on the welded metal during welding on the temperature in the weld zone. Increasing the tool rotation frequency allows to reduce pressure of the working tool during welding, which results in more efficient and high-quality welding process. It has been established that it is possible to obtain better welded joints at a temperature of about 0.7 Tm and to determine the optimal temperature range in the welding zone. Practical value. The study resulted in determination of the conditions for achieving the permanent softening effect during friction stir welding and the optimum temperatures in the welding zone for the tested alloy. The main technological parameters of the working tool are calculated and their influence on the generation of thermal energy in the welding zone is determined. The thermal analysis of the welding process resulted in development of the procedure for determining the technological parameters of the working tool and its rotation frequency depending on the weld metal thickness