Microfriction stir welding of AA 6061-T6 thin sheets using in-house developed fixture

Abstract

Abstract The present work examines microhardness, tensile strength, and microstructure in microfriction stir welding (µ-FSW) of 0.5 mm thick AA 6061-T6 sheets. The capability of in-house developed work fixture and welding tools to attain nondamaged and continuous welds has been verified through multiple runs at different tool traverse speeds. On examination, it was found that by using the proposed work fixture, weld strength reached up to 57% as that of the base metal when performed at tool traversing speed of 150 mm min–1. The dynamic recrystallization during µ-FSW may lead to the formation of equiaxed grains in stir region and transition zone. The microstructure showed that the thermomechanically affected zone reduced with tool traversing speed.