Process parameters optimization for friction stir welding of Polypropylene material using Taguchi's approach

This paper deals with the successful application of friction stir welding (FSW) in joining a polypropylene material.. Welding parameters such as tool pin profile, feed rate and tool rotational speed were selected with the objective of producing a good weld joint with maximum strength and minimum defects. The maximum strength was considered for the selection of process parameters'. Taguchi method was used to analyze the effect of each welding process parameters and then to determine the optimal process parameters. From this experiment, it was found that the effects of welding parameters on the maximum strength were in the order of tool pin profile, feed rate, and tool rotational speed. The optimal combination of FSW parameters was the threaded pin profile, feed rate of 60 mm/min and tool rotational speed of 1500 rpm. A confirmation test was carried out and results were closer to the optimized results.