Characterization and optimization of extrusions welded by the friction stir welding process

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Aluminium structures are rapidly gaining popularity in civil and mechanical engineering applications. Roofs, bridges and trailers are all examples of products that benefit from the corrosion resistance and lightness of aluminium. Lots of these structures are made using extrusions that are welded together to form panels. However, traditional welding methods lead to lower mechanical properties in the welded joints and in the thermally affected zone (TAZ). Friction stir welding is a solid-state welding method that produces joints with less decrease in mechanical properties, but the joint design has to be carefully selected in order to obtain sound welds. The aim of this project is to characterize friction stir welded joints between aluminium extrusions, and then to optimize the shape of the extrusions using modelling and experiments. This will allow our industrial partner to assess the potential performance of friction stir welded extrusions for the manufacturing of structural panels and to gain important know-how about the design of extrusion suitable for friction stir welding.**