Abstract
Although Al-Alloys have been widely applied in transportation industries in recent years owing to their low density and excellent formability properties, further advancement in welding of these alloys is a very critical issue for further increasing their use in practice. These alloys, which exhibit difficulties in fusion welding processes, particularly age-hardened grades, can be successfully joined by friction stir welding.
In this study, AA6061 Al-alloy plates both in O and T6 temper conditions were joined by friction stir welding using four different sets of weld parameters. Microstructural and mechanical characterization of the joints produced was made by detailed optical microscopy investigations, extensive hardness measurements and tensile tests. The effect of temper condition on the joint performance was also determined in addition to the effect of weld parameters on the joint quality.

Key words
Al-alloys, friction stir welding, mechanical properties, joint performance, temper condition.

Full text (573 KB)