Investigating the role of different components of friction stir welding tools on the generated heat and strain

Temperature and strain in friction stir welding (FSW) induced by the FSW/FSP tool play a critical role in successful welding. In order to properly design the FSW/FSP tool, it is necessary to understand the role of each component of the probe and shoulder of the tool in heat and strain generation. In this study, the heat and strain generated by the tool were numerically modeled using a thermo-mechanically coupled 3D FEM model. To investigate the effect of tool probe and shoulder on heat and strain production, a tool without a probe, a tool without a shoulder, and a complete tool were modeled, and the contribution of each component in heat and stress production was calculated. The results show that, in contrast to plastic deformation, frictional heat generation is the main mechanism for increasing workpiece temperature. Also, about 90% of the heat is generated by the tool shoulder, and the tool pin alone is not able to generate heat and strain in the samples.