Experimental defect analysis and force prediction simulation of high weld pitch friction stir welding

Abstract Experimental data for AA 6061-T6 friction stir welded at rotational and travel speeds ranging from 1000 to 5000 rev min−1 and from 290 to 1600 mm min−1 (11–63 ipm) are presented. The present paper examines the forces and torques during friction stir welding (FSW) with respect to mechanistic defect development owing to process parameter variation. Two types of defects are observed: wormholes and weld deformation in the form of significant excess flash material. A 3D numerical model, implemented using the computational fluids dynamics package Fluent, is used to simulate and investigate the parametric relationship of the forces and torques during FSW. In order to establish a mechanistic quantification of the FSW process, two mechanical models, the Couette and the viscoplastic fluid flow models, were simulated and compared with experimental data for AA 6061-T6.