An Investigation of Analytical Modelling of Friction Stir Welding

Weld properties in Friction Stir Welding (FSW)depend on the peak temperature attained during the process and cooling rate. Temperature cycles in this joining process decides the microstructure not only in the weldment but also in the heat affected zones of the parental metal. The complex flow of plasticized metal makes it difficult to measure generated heat directly which results the metal mixing and flow in the stir zone in FSW process. This creates an importance on the analytical, numerical and computational modelling of friction stir welding. In this review on friction stir welding, special focus is given on various analytical models developed to estimate peak temperature during the process. The different approaches that have been used to investigate heat generation are presented and their drawbacks are discussed. Assumptions made in the modelling and their corresponding effects in the results are also addressed.