Effects of tool–workpiece interface temperature on weld quality and quality improvements through temperature control in friction stir welding

A real-time wireless temperature measurement system has been developed and successfully implemented for closed-loop control of tool shoulder–workpiece interface temperature. The system employs two thermocouples in through holes and measures the shoulder and pin interface temperatures with an angular resolution as small as 10°. Both temperatures correlate with weld quality (mechanical testing and weld cross sections), e.g., all welds in 4.76-mm-thick 6061-T6 with an average shoulder interface temperature below 520 °C and an average pin interface temperature below 460 °C fail in the weld zone instead of the heat-affected zone, have unacceptable tensile strengths and in some cases voids. Similarly, welds with shoulder temperatures above the solidus temperature result in a degradation of the weld quality. It was found that a shoulder interface temperature of 533 °C results in the highest weld quality; hence, this temperature should be used as the setpoint temperature in the control system with a constant travel speed of 400 mm/min. The temperature measurement strategy was shown to be able to indicate welds with insufficient shoulder–workpiece contact, thus potentially identifying and preventing welds with detrimental weld quality due to lack of penetration. It was shown that backing plates of different thermal diffusivity change the heat flow out of the weld zone, hence weld temperature, and caused a measurable impact on the weld strength. By changing other process parameters, e.g., through a temperature control system, weld quality can be maintained in the presence of such changing thermal boundary conditions.