Mechanical performance of AA6181 refill friction spot welds under Lap shear tensile loading

• Published in: Fatigue & fracture of engineering materials & structures Vol. 38; no. 12; pp. 1443 - 1455
• Main Authors: Rosendo, T., Tier, M., Mazzaferro, J., Mazzaferro, C., Strohaecker, T. R., Dos Santos, J. F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2015; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: AA6181; Fatigue cracks; Fatigue failure; Fracture mechanics; fracture modes; Friction; friction spot welding; FSSW-Refill; Rotational; Scanning electron microscopy; Shear; Welded joints; Welding
• ISSN: 8756-758X; 1460-2695
• DOI: 10.1111/ffe.12312

This study investigates the fracture behaviour of refill friction spot welding welds under shear tensile loading. Overlap joints of 6181‐T4 aluminium were produced in 1.7‐mm sheets by varying the rotational speed from 1900 to 2900 rpm and the welding time from 2 to 3.4 s while keeping the plunge depth constant at 1.75 mm. After shear tensile tests, the samples were analysed using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The strength of the weld and its ductile/brittle behaviour are associated with the nucleation, growth and propagation of two types of cracks: circumferential cracks and annular cracks. Welds produced with longer welding times (≥3 s) and slower rotational speeds (1900 rpm) had higher strengths, low scattering and high energy absorption prior to failure, while welds produced with short welding times (2 to 2.4 s) resulted in poor joints, especially when they also used high rotational speeds.