An integrated approach for predictive control of extrusion weld seams: experimental support

In hollow aluminium extrusions, longitudinal weld-seams are formed through a solid-state bonding process at elevated temperatures and under conditions of interfacial pressure and plastic deformation. For structurally loaded components, sound weld seams are imperative. In our research, a weld seam integrity indicator as a means of quantifying bonding efficiency is introduced and the feasibility of this concept is investigated by means of lab-scale experiments. Characterisation of these weld seams through mechanical testing, provides a basis for an estimation of the weld seam indicator introduced in this paper, thus demonstrating the feasibility of this concept