FEM SIMULATION OF FRICTION STIR WELDING PROCESS ON SYSWELD

Friction Stir Welding is a solid-state welding technology that uses the thermo-mechanical effect of a rotary tool on the base material to achieve overall welding. It has been widely used in the welding applications of the low melting point alloy such as aluminium alloy, but for the high melting point and high strength alloys, it is still in the research stage. With implementation of Friction Stir Welding experiment in laboratory, the aim of this work is to create a virtual simulation of this cutting-edge welding technology. An appropriate process modelling will lead to a good understanding of material flow and temperature field distribution, moreover the prediction of Friction Stir Welding process under different condition will be available. However, it is difficult to numerically simulate this technology because the process is highly complex. Indeed, this is a fully coupled thermomechanical problem with large plastic deformation, heat flow, and non-linearity contact. In this study, the contact and the friction were predicted using a finite element simulation of the coupled Eulerian Lagrangian formula. Furthermore, within the available range of FEM computing software, the main differences between Abaqus, COMSOL and Sysweld have been discussed. After comparing the calculation methods, complexity of the models, approximation methods adopted and contextualization of the final results, Sysweld software has been chosen to build the numerical model. The simulation procedure is articulated as model building, model mesh, finite element group definition, process parameter definition, material parameter input, simulation execution and simulation result examination. With the development of simulation procedures, a further research to check the alignment of simulation result and experimental measurements has been carried out. This numerical model enables the possibility to virtually explore different materials and process conditions, thus speeding up the design phase of advanced joints that require an innovative joining technique such as the Friction Stir Welding process.