Influence of pin geometry on mechanical and structural properties of butt friction stir welded 2024-T351 aluminum alloy

The aim of this work was to investigate the combined effect of small difference in pin geometry, together with rotation and welding speed on the weldability, mechanical and structural properties of FSW 2024-T351 Al plates. The only difference in tool pin design was the shape of thread: regular and rounded. Specimens were welded using rotation rate of 750 rev/min and welding speeds of 73 and 93 mm/min. Specimens were defect free, with good or acceptable weld surface, in all four cases. Modification in pin design showed strong influence on macro structure and hardness distribution. Weak places are identified as low hardness zone, close to the nugget zone and are in good agreement with fracture location in tensile testing. Weld efficiency, as a measure of weld quality, is better in case of 310 tool, while UTS values can differ up to 13% for the equal welding parameters. Therefore, it can be assumed that small modification in tool design, particularly in pin geometry, can have great influence on weld formation and mechanical properties.