Date of Award

Summer 2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Program/Concentration

Mechanical Engineering

Committee Director

Abdelmageed A. Elmustafa

Committee Member

Keith Williamson

Committee Member

Gene Hou

Call Number for Print

Special Collections; LD4331.E56 R53 2009

Abstract

Excessive tool wear generated during the plunge phase of Friction Stir Welding has slowed the pace of expanding the Friction Stir Welding process to hard materials such as steel. This research uses a finite element model of the Johnson-Cook material constitutive law to investigate the shear stresses, axial forces, and temperatures experienced by the tool and the workpiece during the plunge stage of Friction Stir Welding. The model in this research was developed using the commercially available finite element analysis software ABAQUS/Explicit and consists of both a deformable workpiece and a deformable tool. By implementing the concept of using a donor material during the initial plunge phase, we are able to minimize the forces on the tool and generate localized pre-heating, therefore reducing tool fracturing and subsequent production replacement costs. Initial donor material experiments were conducted in order to confirm the feasibility of applying this method to the FSW process. Both numerical simulation and experimental data supports the concept of using a donor material to reduce tool wear and the need to implement this concept to further experimental work for further verification and setting of industry standards.

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In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/866b-ge09

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