A method for double-sided friction stir spot welding

A rotating anvil similar to a pinless friction stir welding (FSW) tool can be applied to friction stir spot welding (FSSW) of thin metal plates. FSSW is a solid-state joining process that is currently being used by automotive manufacturers as an alternative to rivets and traditional resistance spot welding. The principal detractor of this process is the keyhole left by pin extraction, which can be detrimental to the weld strength. A pinless tool can be used to eliminate the keyhole. However, this approach is limited to joining thin sheet (≤1 mm). Using a rotating anvil with the FSSW process permits the joining of thicker cross sections, improves the mechanical strength of the spot weld and reduces the reaction forces on the spot welding frame. A numerical model of the process, tensile shear tests and macrosection analysis are used to evaluate the spot welds.Macrosection and numerical analysis reveals that the material flow between the pinless tool and rotating anvil is complex and unique to this process. It has been found that the use of a rotating anvil for FSSW is a viable means to create quality spot welds in thicker weldments.     

Shared control of robotic friction stir welding in the presence of imperfect joint fit-up

In this paper a shared control strategy is presented that allows a skilled operator to identify irregularities that occur during robotic friction stir welding (FSW) and assist the robotic system in producing an appropriate response. Human operators are adept at identifying disturbances; however, the complexity of the friction stir welding process makes it difficult for the operator to respond. While examining the capabilities of shared control in friction stir welding, this paper focuses on responding to defects that are caused by a lack of workpiece material during butt welding, such as gaps. A compensation strategy is presented that combines the human operator's perceptual strengths with an automated procedure for adjustment of the process parameters (i.e. travel angle and plunge depth). Experiments comparing four control strategies are performed while welding 5083-H116 aluminum. Through our experiments we demonstrate that if the FSW control task is appropriately shared between the human operator and the computer control system, the weld quality (strength) can be improved (from 9 ksi to 31 ksi for a gap size of 2.5 mm) as compared with the nominal case in which no corrections are made.     

Metal-cored arc welding process for joining of modified 9Cr-1Mo (P91) steel

In the present work, metal-cored arc welding process was used for joining of modified 9Cr-1Mo (P91) steel. Metal-cored arc welding process is characterized by high productivity, slag-free process, defect-free weldments that can be produced with ease, and good weldability. Toughness is essential in welds of P91 steel during hydro-testing of vessels. There is a minimum required toughness of 47 J for welds that has to be met as per the EN1557:1997 specification. In the present study, welds were completed using two kinds of shielding gases, each composition being 80% Argon + 20% CO₂, and pure argon respectively. Microstructural characterization and toughness evaluation of welds were done in the as – weld, PWHT at 760 °C – 2 h and PWHT at 760 °C – 5 h conditions. The pure argon shielded welds (‘A2’ and ‘B2’) have higher toughness than 80% argon + 20% CO₂ shielded welds (‘A1’ and ‘B1’). Pure argon shielded welds show less microinclusion content with low volume fraction of δ-ferrite (<2%) phase. Themo-calc windows (TCW) was used for the prediction of equilibrium critical transformation points for the composition of the welds studied. With increase in post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) duration from 2 h to 5 h, there was increase in toughness of welds above 47 J. Using metal-cored arc welding process, it was possible to achieve the required toughness of more than 47 J after PWHT at 760 °C – 2 h in P91 steel welds.     

A comparative study on the effect of GTAW processes on the microstructure and mechanical properties of P91 steel weld joints

Modified 9Cr-1Mo (P91) steel is widely used in the construction of power plant components. In the present study, a comparative study on influence of activated flux tungsten inert gas (A-TIG), and gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding processes on the microstructure and the impact toughness of P91 steel welds was carried out. P91 steel welds require a minimum of 47 J during the hydrotesting of vessels as per the EN1557: 1997 specification. Toughness of P91 steel welds was found to be low in the as-weld condition. Hence post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) was carried out on weld with the objective of improving the toughness of weldments. Initially as per industrial practice, PWHT at 760 °C – 2 h was carried out in order to improve the toughness of welds. It has been found that after PWHT at 760 °C – 2 h, GTA weld (132 J) has higher toughness than the required toughness (47 J) as compared with A-TIG weld (20 J). The GTA weld has higher toughness due to enhanced tempering effects due to multipass welding, few microinclusion content and absence of δ-ferrite. The A-TIG weld requires prolonged PWHT (i.e. more than 2 h at 760 °C) than GTA weld to meet the required toughness of 47 J. This is due to harder martensite, few welding passes that introduces less tempering effects, presence of δ-ferrite (0.5%), and more alloy content. After PWHT at 760 °C – 3 h, the toughness of A-TIG weld was improved and higher than the required toughness of 47 J.     

Strength assessment using destructive testing on MIAB welded alloy steel tubes and subsequent techno-economical evaluation

In this study, an attempt is being made to determine the feasibility of Magnetically Impelled Arc Butt (MIAB) welding process for joining alloy steel tubes in pressure parts. In view of this, a specially made state of art MIAB welding unit (MD1) available at WRI, BHEL, Tiruchirappalli has been employed and adequate number of welding trials is conducted to weld alloy steel tubes of 6–7 mm thickness for boiler applications. The combination of a set of values provided as input is varied for each trial. The welding current and the welding time are divided into three and four stages respectively. For each trial, either the current in stage II is varied or the time for stage III is varied while maintaining the other input parameters constant. These trials are carried out mainly to develop an optimum window (working range) for the process parameters. Further, the strength of MIAB welded specimens are examined by subjecting the welded specimens to various destructive tests. It is observed that the weld region is stronger than the base metal in most of the cases.In the next part of the study, the characteristics of MIAB welded joints for T11 steel tubes are compared with those using flash butt welding and induction pressure welding that is presently employed for alloy steel tube joining in pressure parts. It is found that the manufacturing time and incurred cost per weld drastically reduces while simultaneously increasing the productivity. Hence, the feasibility of MIAB welding process for pressure part is established.     

Influence of welding speed and power on residual stress during gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) of thin sections with constant heat input: A study using numerical simulation and experimental validation

The temperature distribution and residual stresses for a GTAW circumferential butt joint of AISI 304 stainless steel using numerical simulation have been evaluated. For evaluation of weld induced residual stresses, the analysis of heat source fitting was carried out with heat inputs ranging from 200 to 500 J/mm to arrive at optimal heat input for obtaining proper weld penetration and heat affected zone (HAZ). For this chosen heat input, the influence of different weld speeds and powers on the temperature distribution and the residual stresses is studied. The heat source analysis revealed the best choice of heat input as 300 J/mm. The residual stresses on the inner and outer surfaces, and along the radial direction were computed. Increase in temperature distribution as well as longitudinal and circumferential residual stresses was observed with the increase in weld speed and power. The validity of the results obtained from numerical simulation is demonstrated with full scale shop floor welding experiments.     

Double-electrode arc welding process: Principle,variants, control and developments

Double-electrode gas metal arc welding (DE-GMAW) is a novel welding process in which a second electrode, non-consumable or consumable, is added to bypass part of the wire current. The bypass current reduces the heat input in non-consumable DE-GMAW or increases the deposition rate in consumable DE-GMAW. The fixed correlation of the heat input with the deposition in conventional GMAW and its variants is thus changed and becomes controllable. At the University of Kentucky, DE-GMAW has been tested/developed by adding a plasma arc welding torch, a GTAW (gas tungsten arc welding) torch, a pair of GTAW torches, and a GMAW torch. Steels and aluminum alloys are welded and the system is powered by one or multiple power supplies with appropriate control methods. The metal transfer has been studied at the University of Kentucky and Shandong University resulting in the desirable spray transfer be obtained with less than 100 A base current for 1.2 mm diameter steel wire. At Lanzhou University of Technology, pulsed DE-GMAW has been successfully developed to join aluminum/magnesium to steel. At the Adaptive Intelligent Systems LLC, DE-GMAW principle has been applied to the submerged arc welding (SAW) and the embedded control systems needed for industrial applications have been developed. The DE-SAW resulted in 1/3 reduction in heat input for a shipbuilding application and the weld penetration depth was successfully feedback controlled. In addition, the bypass concept is extended to the GTAW resulting in the arcing-wire GTAW which adds a second arc established between the tungsten and filler to the existing gas tungsten arc. The DE-GMAW is extended to double-electrode arc welding (DE-AW) where the main electrode may not necessarily to be consumable. Recently, the Beijing University of Technology systematically studied the metal transfer in the arcing-wire GTAW and found that the desired metal transfer modes may always be obtained from the given wire feed speed by adjusting the wire current and wire position/orientation appropriately. A variety of DE-AW processes are thus available to suit for different applications, using existing arc welding equipment.     

Influence of displacement constraints in thermomechanical analysis of laser micro-spot welding process

The evolution of mechanical components into smaller size generating a need for microwelding of these components using laser which offers better control as compared to arc and plasma processing. The present article describes the numerical simulation of laser micro-spot welding using finite element method. A two dimensional Gaussian distributed surface heat flux as a function of time is used to perform a sequentially coupled thermal and mechanical analysis. The model is used for simulating laser micro-spot welding of stainless steel sheet under different power conditions and configurations of mechanical constraints. The temperature dependent physical properties of SS304 have been considered for the simulation and an isotropic strain hardening model has been used. The simulated weld bead dimensions have been compared with experimental results and temperature profiles have been calculated. The maximum deformation of 0.02 mm is obtained with maximum laser power of 75 W. The thermal stress is more inducing factor to temperature induced residual stresses and plastic strain as compared to mechanical constraints. The plastic strain changes significantly by displacement constraints as compared to residual stress.     

Metallurgical and mechanical characterization of electron beam welded super-duplex stainless steel UNS 32750

This paper addresses the weldability of 6 mm thick plates of super-duplex stainless steel by electron beam welding (EBW) process. Microstructure investigations conducted using optical and SE microscopy showed the presence of large ferrite grains with intra- and inter-granular austenite. Ferrite content studies on the weld zone estimated that there is no significant element partitioning between austenite and ferrite phases. Hardness studies portrayed that the weld hardness is found to be greater than the parent metal which is acquainted due to the solid solution strengthening effect. Tensile results corroborated that the joints obtained by EB welding process have better strength than the base metal. A detailed structure–property relationships has also been carried out through point and line mapping EDAX analysis across the weldment to substantiate the discussions.     

Application of CGP-cross route process for microstructure refinement and mechanical properties improvement in steel sheets

A modified method of severe plastic deformation (SPD) entitled constrained groove pressing-cross route (CGP-CR) was introduced for imposing a high magnitude of equivalent strain of about 2.32 per pass on the sheet form samples. The major benefit of this improved route compared to previous common route was the more homogeneity of strain in the rolling (RD) and transverse (TD) directions of sheets. In this study, low carbon steel samples were used for examination of evolutions in microstructure and mechanical properties during SPD via CGP-CR process. Mechanical properties improvement were measured by tensile and macro hardness tests. The results indicate that CGP-CR process can effectively improve tensile strength; and also, yield stress and hardness of as-received low carbon steel samples were improved up to about 100% after two deformation passes. Also, high magnitude of inhomogeneity can be observed in hardness distribution through first pass of the process which diminishes in the subsequent passes. Microstructural evolutions during process were monitored by optical microscopy observations and X-ray diffraction analysis. The results demonstrate that initial ferritic microstructure with grain size of about 30 μm was refined to a 225 nm cell structure after two passes of CGP-CR process.     

Insertable thin film thermocouples for in situ transient temperature monitoring in ultrasonic metal welding of battery tabs

Real-time monitoring and control of temperature in ultrasonic joining of battery tabs and coupons are important for the quality improvement and cost reduction of battery assembly. However, there have always been difficulties in accurate and real-time measurement of temperature by conventional sensors for practical implementation. In this study, an innovative method is developed to provide an enabling technology for the in situ transient temperature monitoring, which could provide reliable feedback signals for potential control of ultrasonic joining processes. Micro thin film thermocouples (TFTCs) were fabricated on thin silicon substrates, which were then inserted in the welding anvil as a permanent feature so that the sensors were always located about 100 μm directly under the welding spot during joining of multilayer Ni-coated Cu thin sheets for battery assembly. Good repeatability was demonstrated while a temperature rise of up to 650 °C was obtained due to the closeness of the sensors to the welding spot. The inserts with thin film sensors remained functional after welding experiments. This method has a great potential for in situ transient temperature monitoring, and thus the control of ultrasonic joining processes to realize a practical smart joining system.     

Energy input during friction stir spot welding

Friction stir spot welding is performed on thin plates of an aluminum alloy. This paper presents the results on how the number of tool rotations affects the quality of the resulting spot weld. Different combinations of rotation rate and dwell time are investigated. A linear relationship was found to exist between the number of tool rotations completed during the spot weld and the resulting tensile shear strength. Spot welds that only completed 10 rotations were 177% stronger than those created at 50 tool rotations. The energy generated during the welding operation was quantified and also found to have a linear relationship with tensile shear strength. A modified open-loop position control system is proposed that monitors and limits the energy generated during friction stir spot welding by adjusting the dwell time.     

Recycling thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) waste glass produced as glass–ceramics

The waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directives are designed to deal with the rapidly increasing waste stream comprised of electrical and electronic equipment. Recycling electrical and electronic equipment reduces the quantity of waste going to final disposal. The demand for thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels, commonly used in everyday electronic products, is increasing. Conventionally adopted treatments of TFT-LCD waste glass cannot meet WEEE directives. This study adopts the following operating conditions in fabricating glass–ceramics: sintering temperature of 800–950 °C; sintering time of 6 h; and, temperature increase rate of 5 °C/min. The glass–ceramic samples then underwent a series of tests, including the Vickers hardness, water absorption and porosity tests, to determine product quality. The Vickers hardness was 12.1 GPa when fired at 900 °C for 6 h, and density was 2.4 g/cm³ and water absorption was 0%. Thus, TFT-LCD waste glass can be regarded as a good glass–ceramic material.     

Friction stir welding: Process,automation, and control

This article provides an introduction to the basic principles of friction stir welding (FSW) as well as a survey of the latest research and applications in the field. The basic principles covered include terminology, material flow, joint configurations, tool design, materials, and defects. Material flow is discussed from both an experimental and a modeling perspective. Process variants are discussed as well, which include self-reacting (SR-FSW), stationary shoulder, friction stir processing (FSP), friction stir spot welding (FSSW), assisted FSW, and pulsed FSW. Multiple aspects of robotic friction stir welding are covered, including sensing, control, and joint tracking. Methods of evaluating weld quality are surveyed as well. The latest applications are discussed, with an emphasis on recent advances in aerospace, automotive, and ship building. Finally, the direction of future research and potential applications are examined.     

Experimental investigation on mechanical and metallurgical properties of super duplex stainless steel joints using friction welding process

Friction welding is one of the most economical and highly practicable methods in joining similar and dissimilar metals. In this study, high-quality welds are produced in the super duplex stainless steel by continuous drive friction welding successfully. Design of experiment was done using central composite design of response surface methodology. In the present work, the microstructure and mechanical properties of friction welded super duplex stainless steel (UNS S32760) were examined. The base material has a microstructure consisting of the ferrite matrix with austenite islands. Ferrite content was analyzed through the phase analyzer software and found that it is in the range of 42–55% in all weld metals. The phases were further analyzed through X-ray diffraction method. All the weld metals have higher hardness than the base metals. Weld transverse tensile failures consistently occurred away from the weld zone and exhibit more hardness, yield and ultimate tensile strengths than the base material. The austenite content increases with nitrogen concentration. Nitrogen could enhance the yield stress and ultimately tensile strength of super duplex stainless steel. Secondary phase precipitation is not observed in the welded joint probably due to the shorter heating times.     

Copper and zinc recycling in Australia: potential quantities and policy options

This paper presents relevant data for industry and governmental policy makers with the aim of increasing the recycling rate of end-of-life copper and zinc in Australia in a technically and economically feasible way. The methodology used to quantify and spatially distribute end-of-life flows of copper and zinc is based on existing and anticipated in-use stocks, their residence times, and their historical and anticipated future evolution. Australia currently (ca. 2000) generates about 72 Gg/year and 57 Gg/year of end-of-life copper and zinc, respectively. Some 70% of all discarded copper and 40% of all discarded zinc generated in Australia are currently being recycled. A detailed assessment shows that about 75% of all end-of-life material in Australia comes from the three states New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. In Australia, about 70–75% of waste copper and waste zinc is generated in urban areas. Residential applications account for about 40% (copper) and 60% (zinc) of the generated discards; commercial and industrial applications account for the remainder. By 2030, the discard flows are predicted to increase by about 105% and 155%, to 150 Gg Cu/year and 145 Gg Zn/year, providing substantially increased opportunities for recovery and re-use. Priority targets for the improvement of copper and zinc recycling in Australia are buildings under renovation, urban infrastructure, the transportation sector, and also consumer and business durables. Urban centres are particularly attractive locations for recycling facilities, especially in Perth and Adelaide.     

Vibrational energy loss analysis in battery tab ultrasonic welding

In ultrasonic metal welding processes, high-frequency ultrasonic energy is used to generate friction and heat at the interface between weld parts to produce solid-state bonds. It has been observed that sufficient energy is required to produce proper bonding, while excessive energy can cause such quality issues as weld fracture and perforation. Therefore, it is important to have a product/process design in ultrasonic welding to ensure efficient energy conversion from ultrasonics to welding energy, minimizing energy loss in the process. In this work, vibrational energy loss associated with the longitudinal and flexural vibrations of the Cu coupon during ultrasonic welding is studied by applying one-dimensional continuous vibration models. To facilitate our modeling, experimental results from the free response of Cu coupon were obtained to determine the damping characteristics of the Cu coupon in the welding process. Our analysis shows that substantial energy loss can occur during welding due to the flexural vibration of the Cu coupon, especially when the overhang (the upper part of the Cu coupon extended from the anvil) of the Cu coupon resonates at or close to the welding frequency (about 20 kHz), degrading the weld quality of battery tabs. This study contributes to understanding the fundamental dynamics of the Cu coupon during ultrasonic welding and its impact on weld quality.     

Integrated environmental assessment of biodiesel production from soybean in Brazil

This paper presents the results of an environmental impact assessment of biodiesel production from soybean in Brazil. In order to achieve this objective, environmental impact indicators provided by Emergy Accounting (EA), Embodied Energy Analysis (EEA) and Material Flow Accounting (MFA) were used. The results showed that for one liter of biodiesel 8.8 kg of topsoil are lost in erosion, besides the cost of 0.2 kg of fertilizers, about 5.2 m² of crop area, 7.33 kg of abiotic materials, 9.0 tons of water and 0.66 kg of air and about 0.86 kg of CO₂ were released. About 0.27 kg of crude oil equivalent is required as inputs to produce one liter of biodiesel, which means an energy return of 2.48 J of biodiesel per Joule of fossil fuel invested. The transformity of biodiesel (3.90E + 05 seJ J^?1) is higher than those calculated for fossil fuels as other biofuels, indicating a higher demand for direct and indirect environmental support. Similarly, the biodiesel emergy yield ratio (1.62) indicates that a very low net emergy is delivered to consumers, compared to alternatives. Obtained results show that when crop production and industrial conversion to fuel are supported by fossil fuels in the form of chemicals, goods, and process energy, the fraction of fuel that can actually be considered renewable is very low (around 31%).     

Long-term impact of a gliricidia-maize intercropping system on carbon sequestration in southern Malawi

Tree/crop systems under agroforestry practice are capable of sequestering carbon (C) in the standing biomass and soil. Although studies have been conducted to understand soil organic C increases in some agroforestry technologies, little is known about C sequestered in simultaneous tree/crop intercropping systems. The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of agroforestry practice on C sequestration and CO₂-C efflux in a gliricidia-maize intercropping system. The experiment was conducted at an experimental site located at the Makoka Agricultural Research Station, in Malawi. The studies involved two field plots, 7-year (MZ21) and 10-year (MZ12), two production systems (sole-maize and gliricidia-maize simultaneous intercropping systems). A 7-year-old grass fallow (Grass-F) was also included. Gliricidia prunings were incorporated at each time of tree pruning in the gliricidia-maize. The amount of organic C recycled varied from 0.8 to 4.8 Mg C ha⁻¹ in gliricidia-maize and from 0.4 to 1.0 Mg C ha⁻¹ in sole-maize. In sole-maize, net decreases of soil carbon of 6 Mg C ha⁻¹ at MZ12 and 7 Mg C ha⁻¹ at MZ21 in the topsoil (0–20 cm) relative to the initial soil C were observed. After 10 years of continuous application of tree prunings C was sequestered in the topsoil (0–20 cm) in gliricidia-maize was 1.6 times more than in sole-maize. A total of 123–149 Mg C ha⁻¹ were sequestered in the soil (0–200 cm depth), through root turnover and pruning application in the gliricidia-maize system. Carbon dioxide evolution varied from 10 to 28 kg ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ in sole-maize and 23 to 83 kg ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ in gliricidia-maize. We concluded that gliricidia-maize intercropping system could sequester more C in the soil than sole-maize.