An investigation on friction spot welding of AA2198-T8 thin sheets

The feasibility of joining 1.6-mm-thick sheets of AA2198-T8 by the novel friction spot welding technology and the resulting microstructural features on the welds cross sections were assessed, with further evaluation of the process parameters on the weld performance. Besides the intrinsic discontinuity related to the interface between the sheets, the hook feature was found to be inherent to the welding process, and its morphology was determinant to the weld performance and fracture mode. A beneficial response on the shear strength was achieved with the minimization of the hook feature because of the absence of a potential site for crack nucleation, although the generation of other defects, depending on the combination of parameters, could erase this benefit. Through statistical analysis, the most influent parameters on the weld performance were plunge depth and welding time. In the present study, regardless of the weld discontinuities, the optimum shear strength revealed a satisfactory performance in mechanical terms for aerospace applications.