Influence of Process Parameters on Tensile Strength of the Friction Welded AA6063-T6 Joints by Box–Behnken Design Approach

Abstract

The present investigation demonstrates the friction welding of the AA6063-T6 joint to attain the maximum tensile strength by optimizing the parameters (friction load, friction time, and upset load) through response surface methodology. Box–Behnken design is a subset of the response surface methodology (RSM) which was employed to design the experiment numbers, and it was restricted to 15 sets. Furthermore, the inbuilt ANOVA technique was used to obtain the statistical data for the developed numerical model, and the relationship among the parameters against the output response (tensile strength) was interpreted by using the statistical data. Following this, the mechanical and metallurgical studies were done on the optimized conditions using appropriate testing and characterization equipment. The optimized conditions such as friction load (f) of 3 kN along with friction time (t) of 6 s and an upset load of 2.5 kN are given as input to attain the highest TS of 248 MPa. Moreover, the interface between the weld zone and the base metal of the joint was found to be broken during the tensile test when the friction load was given as 3 kN and 4 kN, while the fracture location of the joint was found in the weld zone at the lower friction load of 2 kN. Finally, the acquired results of the optimized friction welded conditions on the AA6063-T6 joint were discussed to justify the statistical data of the numerical model, and the same results were compared to the previous research studies.