Simulation and Optimization of Friction Stir Process of Aluminum 7075-T6 Alloy

In recent decades, friction stir process (FSP) has become a popular manufacturing method for joining metals especially in automotive and aerospace industries. Aluminum alloys match the requirements of aircraft and automobile production due to the balance between light weight and strength as well as resistance to rust and corrosion. In the present study, Abaqus®/Explicit CAE 2017 (Complete Abaqus® Environment) with built-in Johnson-Cook material flow algorithm was used to model the friction stir process for joining two AA7075-T6 Aluminum alloy plates under different rotation and linear speeds. The trade-off analysis can be performed in three dimensional numeric domain before joining the alloys in experiments. This study used Eulerian finite-element simulation for the workpiece and Lagrangian simulation for the tool. The present study simulated tool rotation speed at 135, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 rpm. Also, traverse speed was simulated at 16, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125 mm/min. The effects of different parameters on the temperature, material flow, and microstructures in SZ and TMAZ zones were evaluated. Taguchi DOE determined the optimum FSP/FSW process parameters at 1500 rpm rotation, 50 mm/min traverse, and 20 rev/mm pitch to generate the highest tensile strength. This study demonstrated that Abaqus®/Explicit is a powerful tool for engineers and researchers to develop optimized 3D numeric models. The Abaqus® inputs can be modified to adjust FSP parameters and simulate the thermo-mechanical goals that must be achieved in industrial applications. Optimum non-linear 3D model will minimize lab experimentation and will result in significant industrial cost savings. The findings of present study are useful for industrial manufacturing, future scientific studies of alloy compositions, and finding new alloys optimized for emerging industrial applications.