THE INFLUENCE OF PROCESS PARAMETERS ON MICROHARDNESS AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF FSW ALUMINIUM 5083 ALLOY BUTT JOINT

Recently the air craft and military industries widely have been using aluminium alloys particularly because of their fine strength to weight ratio. However in compare with steels they represent welding difficulties and also lower ductility. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of friction stir welding (FSW) parameters, which are the tool rotation speed, Welding speed, Too tilt angle. The Micro hardness an d mechanical properties of butt joint Aluminum Alloy (Al 5083) sheets of thickness 4mm. The microstructure examinations and mechanical test results indicated that the joint properties were significantly affected by FSW parameters. Due to high strength, goo d welding properties, increased wear and corrosion resistance and high strength - to weight ratio, Aluminium 5083 is widely used in Ship building, Rail cars, Vehicle bodies, Tip truck bodies, Pressure vessels. Friction Stir Welding is an emerging solid state joining process in which the material that is being welded does not melt and recast. This process uses a non - consumable tool to generate frictional heat in the abutting surfaces. The welding parameters and tool profile play major roles in deciding the we ld quality. In this investigation, an attempt has been made to understand the effect to tool rotational speed (rpm), welding speed (mm/min) and Tool tilt angle (degrees) on 5083 Aluminium Alloy Plates of thickness 4mm. A sound and defect - free weld was ach ieved with a tool rotation speed of 1100 rpm, welding speed of 100mm/min and tool tilt angle of 910. From this investigation it has been found that the tool rotational speed had little effect a heat input and tensile properties, weld properties were domina ted by thermal input rather than the mechanical deformation by tool tilt angle for the plate thickness 4mm. In our Investigation we are using straight cylindrical pin profiled tool produces mechanically sound. The effect of welding process on mechanical pr operties of welded joints was analyzed on, Impact, Micro hardness properties and Scanning Image Microscope. The mechanical properties of weld joint are affected greatly with the variation of welding parameters i.e. Tool rotational speed, Welding speed and Tool tilt angl