Effect of Rotation Speed on Forming and Mechanical Properties of &#x003bc;FSLW Al/Steel Dissimilar Alloy Joints

YE Hongxin; XUE Bing; YU Xin; DU Wei; WANG Jinkai; LI Peng

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2025.12.011

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Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering ›› 2025, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (12) : 104-112. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2025.12.011

Advanced Aerospace Manufacturing Technology

Effect of Rotation Speed on Forming and Mechanical Properties of μFSLW Al/Steel Dissimilar Alloy Joints

YE Hongxin^a, XUE Bing^a, YU Xin^a, DU Wei^a,*, WANG Jinkai^b, LI Peng^b

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Abstract

To address the difficulty in effectively controlling deformation warping and interface bonding in the micro friction stir lap welding (μFSLW) of ultra-thin aluminum/steel plates, the work aims to systematically investigate the effect of adjusting the rotation speed on the formation, interfacial microstructure, and mechanical properties of joints. With 5052 aluminum alloy and 304 stainless steel as research objects, experiments on micro friction stir lap welding were conducted at different rotation speeds. By analyzing weld surface formation, characterizing interfacial microstructure, and conducting lap-shear performance tests, the variations in joint formation and mechanical properties due to changes in material plastic flow behavior with process parameters were examined. When a pinless stirring tool was used at a rotation speed of 375 r/min, the heat input was insufficient, limiting plastic flow in the stirring zone and resulting in slight insufficient backfilling in the weld nugget zone. At a rotation speed of 475 r/min, the material flow and heat input reached a balance, achieving optimal forming quality. When the rotation speed ranged from 600 to 750 r/min, excessive heat input caused severe plate warping deformation, intensified material extrusion and accumulation, leading to insufficient backfilling in the weld nugget zone and increased thinning in the joint region. When the rotation speed exceeded the optimal parameter range, the thinning amount increased significantly and the effective load-bearing area decreased, which became the dominant factor in the decline of mechanical properties. At a rotation speed of 475 r/min, the weld surface exhibited relatively smooth formation, and the lap shear strength reached 860 N. Further increasing the rotation speed would cause the fracture location to shift from the interface to the thermo-mechanically affected zone on the aluminum side. Effectively controlling the rotation speed is the key to achieving coordinated regulation of joint formation and interfacial metallurgical bonding in ultra-thin Al/steel by micro friction stir welding. Excessively high rotation speed can induce deformation and warping defects, which in turn leads to instability in material plastic flow and increased joint thinning, thereby degrading the mechanical properties of the joint.

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YE Hongxin, XUE Bing, YU Xin, DU Wei, WANG Jinkai, LI Peng. Effect of Rotation Speed on Forming and Mechanical Properties of μFSLW Al/Steel Dissimilar Alloy Joints[J]. Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering. 2025, 17(12): 104-112 https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2025.12.011

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Funding

The National Key R&D Program of China (2023YFB3407500); National Natural Science Foundation of China (52375313); Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (DUT24ZD202); Liaoning Revitalization Talents Program (XLYC2203097)