Friction Stir Welding - Materials and thicknesses

Friction stir welding can be used for joining many types of materials and material combinations, if tool materials and designs can be found which operate at the forging temperature of the workpieces.

For aluminium alloys, the following alloys are easily welded. Maximum thickness in a single pass is dependent on machine power, but values 50mm are achievable. TWI has welded 75mm 6xxx material in a single pass, and larger thicknesses are possible.

• 2000 series aluminium (Al-Cu)
• 5000 series aluminium (Al-Mg)
• 6000 series aluminium (Al-Mg-Si)
• 7000 series aluminium (Al-Zn)
• 8000 series aluminium (Al-Li)

MMCs based on aluminium (metal matrix composites)
Other aluminium alloys of the 1000 (commercially pure), 3000 (Al-Mn) and 4000 (Al-Si) series, aluminium castings.

Other materials successfully welded include:

• Copper and its alloys (up to 50mm in one pass)
• Lead
• Titanium and its alloys
• Magnesium alloys
• Zinc
• Plastics
• Mild and C-Mn steels
• Stainless steel (austenitic, martensitic and duplex)
• Nickel alloys

More on friction stir welding:

• FSW - Symposia: First 1999 , Second 2000, Third 2001, Fourth 2003, Fifth 2004, Sixth 2006
• FSW - Process Advantages
• FSW - Superior Weld Quality
• FSW - Joint Geometries
• FSW - Applications
• FSW - Equipment
• FSW - Intellectual Property Rights
• FSW - Enquiry form