EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF FS WELDED AA2024 USING SINGLE OBJECTIVE TAGUCHI APPROACH

The concept of FSW given by TWI of UK, has now become a substitute of earlier welding methods for many alloys which are considered difficult to weld. Commercially accessible plates of AA2024-T3 having 150×75×6mm dimensions are taken for carrying out Friction Stir Welding (FSW) to fashion joints on which DOE was smeared to mainly conclude the vital dynamics having detrimental effect on features like hardness, Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) of such joints etc. Here, firstly Taguchi method using L9 orthogonal array is utilized for investigating impact of three chosen factors i.e. TA (tool tilt angle), TRS (Tool rotational speed) and TS (traverse speed) on hardness, UTS as well as for sensing optimally process parameters of such welding joints. Secondly, ANOVA analysis is done for determining the “percentage contribution” of each factor on UTS as well as Hardness. Welded joints UTS gets augmented with increment in traverse speed from 79mm/minute to 95mm/minute and rotational speed from 1350rpm to 1650rpm. There is a proportional increase in the value of hardness with the increase in traverse speed, rotational speed along with a change in 0 to 1 degree tool tilt angle. The optimal parameter setting is described.