Experimental investigation of the degree of weakening in structural notch area of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy sheet welded with the RFSSW method

Abstract

The paper presents the methodology of the research determining the degree of weakening of the welded sheet obtained by the refill friction stir spot welding (RFSSW) method. The considered weakness is the effect of a structural notch resulting from penetration by the tool. RFSSW technology is a relatively new method of joining metals, which can successfully provide an alternative to resistance welding or riveting - traditionally used methods of joining thin-walled structures in the aerospace and automotive industries. The study presented in the paper focuses on the overlapping of sheet metal with 7075-T6 aluminum alloy combined in the configuration: 1.6 mm top sheet and 0.8 mm bottom sheet. Joints were assembled following the following process parameters: Welding time 1.5 s, the tool plunge depth in the range of 1.5 ÷ 1.9 mm, and the spindle speed of 2600 rpm. The analysis of the microstructure of joints revealed that along the edge of the tool path a structural notch is formed, the size and shape of which depend on the parameters applied. The paper describes the study consisting in punching the welded area along the formed notch in the upper sheet. The punching process was performed on a universal testing machine and the punching force was measured during the test. Based on the force value, the degree of sheet weakening in the notched area was determined. The smallest weakening was observed in joints made with the smallest tool depth, i.e. 1.5 mm, whereas the biggest weakening was obtained for tool depth of 1.9 mm. The load applied to the joints was equal to 5290N and 7585N respectively.