Date of Award

Spring 2006

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Program/Concentration

Mechanical Engineering

Committee Director

Gene Hou

Committee Member

Sebastian Bawab

Committee Member

Ayodeji Demuren

Call Number for Print

Special Collections; LD4331.E56 K83 2006

Abstract

In the Friction Stir Welding Process a vertical force is required for plunging the pin or probe of the tool into the workpiece specimen material, and maintaining contact between the shoulder and the substrate. In addition to the vertical force, Friction Stir Welding Process also involves a horizontal force, which is instrumental for the advancement of the tool as the weld progresses. The essential objective of the thesis was to design, manufacture and test a fixture that can be utilized to measure the vertical force as well as the horizontal force. The designing of the fixture was concerned with various aspects, ranging from scientific principles, technical information to economic feasibility. Equations for the relation of the support reactions to the force applied were developed and the related theory was validated. It can be stated that the location of the point at which the force is applied by the friction stir welding tool, in relation to the peripheral edges of the specimen or the platform, is extremely uncertain. Due to this reason, eighty-one different locations distributed geometrically on the platform were considered first and 100 random locations were again considered. Consequently one hundred eighty one Finite Element analysis studies were carried out by applying the force to these locations and statistical data for stress and deflection was developed. Rigidity of the structure that supports the specimen is very vital for the friction stir welding process. The data developed from the FEA studies illustrates that the developed design possess the required rigidity. All the required raw material, as well as the OEM parts, were procured and the fixture was fabricated in the university machine shop. Experimental work consisted of statical testing of the fixture, which was carried out on Universal testing machine in the solid mechanics lab of the department. The experimental values were compared to the values obtained from the theoretical equations that had been developed during the design phase. From the comparison of numerically calculated values to the values measured by the fixture, the conclusion can.be drawn that the design successfully serves the purpose of its design.

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DOI

10.25777/4cxz-sa34

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