FRICTION STIR WELDING: PROCESS AND APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Lightweight and durable materials such as aluminum alloys are widely used in sectors such as defense industry, aerospace industry, automotive industry, and high-speed train manufacturing. Some of these materials cannot be welded by conventional methods due to their high thermal conductivity and low melting point. In welding processes, the material properties are expected to be as close as possible to base material. Friction stir welding (FSW) is a joining method that provides welding below the melting point of materials that cannot be welded by conventional methods or where the welding process causes the mechanical structure of the material to deteriorate. In this study, FSW application, advantages and disadvantages and usage areas of friction stir welding were examined.