Dissimilar Friction Stir Lap Welding of AA2198 and AA7075 Sheets: Forces, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties

This paper deals with the dissimilar friction stir lap welding of AA2198 and AA7075 sheets. The influence of processing parameters, namely welding speed and tool rotational speed on joint features, microstructure, and mechanical properties were investigated implementing a full factorial design of experiments. During the welding process, axial and transversal forces were continuously measured using a dedicated sensed fixture aiming at the correlation of this processing parameter with the quality of the achieved joints. The reported outcomes showed a very narrow processing window in which it was possible to avoid the formation of defects while the formation of an hook was observed for all the joints welded. The influence of the weld bead morphology on the lap shear strength was elucidated proving that the strength is ruled by the hook morphology. A correlation between the process parameters and the forces arising was also attempted. The final microstructure of the joints was studied and explained and also compared with the microhardness results.