Effects of process time and thread on tensile shear strength of al alloy lap joint produced by friction stir spot welding

In automotive applications, friction stir spot welding (FSSW) has been practically used in the construction of aluminium car bodies. In this study, the weld strength and factors governing the weld strength in the friction stir spot welded aluminium alloy 6061-T6 were examined. The weld strength increased with the process time during FSSW up to 3 s, beyond which it decreased. The fracture path changed from the lapped interface into the shoulder edge as the process time increased, and the maximum strength was obtained at the process time when the transition of the fracture path occurred. The cross-sectional microstructure depended on the threads on the probe surface, i.e. the elliptical zone was formed in the stir zone by the threads, but an effect of the thread on the weld strength was hardly found. The present study suggests that the weld strength was strongly related to the size of the well-consolidated region, which was larger than the elliptical zone observed in the vicinity of the exit hole. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.