| dc.description.abstract | Friction Stir Welding has been implemented as a successful joining process for a wide variety of materials and circumstances, allowing for it to be favorably adopted as a joining process in many manufacturing settings. For improving the process, most research has focused on parameter studies. These have largely examined the effects of variations in tool geometry and process parameters, but there have been fewer studies devoted to observing the impacts of unique joint geometries. Many existing studies on joint geometries have focused on variations of lap or T-joint configurations, but there have been few studies conducted on variations to the butt joint configuration. Scarf joints are one such joint variation which could provide an improvement in joint performance in comparison to the conventional butt configuration. The friction stir welding of scarf joint geometries was examined in this study to determine the effects of scarf angle on joint and process properties. Six scarf angles were selected over a broad range of values to provide insight into related trends. The six scarf angles selected were 80°, 70°, 60°, 50°, 45° and 40°. Two separate configurations were presented for alignment of these welds, the top on advancing side (TAS) and top on retreating side (TRS). Welds were conducted for each combination of weld configuration and scarf angle, and an additional butt joint was conducted for comparative analysis. Temperature, spindle torque, and z-force data were collected to parameterize the process, and destructive tensile testing was conducted to determine the strengths of the conducted welds. A region of best performance for scarf joints was determined for the TAS configuration between 80° and 50°, which showed a maximum improvement in strength of 18% over a conventional butt joint configuration. | |
