Study on the Effect of Energy-Input on the Joint Mechanical Properties of Rotary Friction-Welding
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metals Article Study on the Effect of Energy-Input on the Joint Mechanical Properties of Rotary Friction-Welding Guilong Wang 1,2, Jinglong Li 1, Weilong Wang 1, Jiangtao Xiong 1 and Fusheng Zhang 1,* 1 Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Friction Welding Technologies, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China; [email protected] (G.W.); [email protected] (J.L.); [email protected] (W.W.); [email protected] (J.X.) 2 State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +86-029-8849-1426 Received: 17 October 2018; Accepted: 3 November 2018; Published: 6 November 2018 Abstract: The objective of the present study is to investigate the effect of energy-input on the mechanical properties of a 304 stainless-steel joint welded by continuous-drive rotary friction-welding (RFW). RFW experiments were conducted over a wide range of welding parameters (welding pressure: 25–200 MPa, rotation speed: 500–2300 rpm, welding time: 4–20 s, and forging pressure: 100–200 MPa). The results show that the energy-input has a significant effect on the tensile strength of RFW joints. With the increase of energy-input, the tensile strength rapidly increases until reaching the maximum value and then slightly decreases. An empirical model for energy-input was established based on RFW experiments that cover a wide range of welding parameters. The accuracy of the model was verified by extra RFW experiments. In addition, the model for optimal energy-input of different forging pressures was obtained. To verify the accuracy of the model, the optimal energy-input of a 170 MPa forging pressure was calculated. Three RFW experiments in which energy-input was equal to the calculated value were made. The joints’ tensile strength coefficients were 90%, 93%, and 96% respectively, which proved that the model is accurate. Keywords: rotary friction-welding; energy-input; joint mechanical properties 1. Introduction Rotary friction-welding (RFW) is a method of manufacturing that has been used extensively in recent times due to its advantages such as low heat input, production time, ease of manufacture, and environment friendliness [1,2]. The main parameters of rotary friction-welding are welding pressure, welding rotational speed, welding time, and forging pressure [3,4]. The influence of welding parameters on joint performance has always been a research focus of rotary friction-welding, whether in terms of numerical models or experiments. According to previous literature, it has been found that the RFW joints’ tensile strength increases with the increase of friction time until it reaches a maximum point, after which the tensile strength decreases [5]. The welding time determines the amount of heat flux in the joint and the width of the heat-affect zone (HAZ), which increases as the welding time increases [6]. Regarding welding pressure, it was found that friction pressure has a significant effect on tensile strength and the width of HAZ, both of which increased along with the increase in friction pressure until reaching a certain value [7]. In addition, friction pressure also affects the temperature gradient, the required weld power, and the burn-off rate during the RFW process [2]. For the rotational speed, numerical analyses found that an increase in rotational speed causes the weld interface to reach a quasi-stable temperature quicker, which starts material extrusion earlier and increases the upsetting rate remarkably [8]. The rotational speed also affects the heat input of the joint; thus, it has a significant Metals 2018, 8, 908; doi:10.3390/met8110908 www.mdpi.com/journal/metals Metals 2018, 8, 908 2 of 14 Metals 2018, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 14 effectjoint; on thus, the notch it hastensile a significant strength effect and on impact the notch toughness tensile[ strength9]. Moreover, and impact the overall toughness width [9]. of the Moreover, weld zonethe reduces overall withwidth the of increasethe weld of zone rotational reduces speed with [ 10the]. increase of rotational speed [10]. AsAs discussed discussed above, above, the the parameters parameters of weldingof welding time, time, welding welding pressure, pressure, and and rotational rotational speed speed all all havehave a significanta significant effect effect on on joint joint performance performance when when considered considered separately. separately. However, However, in in practical practical applicationsapplications of of RFW, RFW, it isit oftenis often necessary necessary to adjustto adjust several several welding welding parameters parameters simultaneously simultaneously accordingaccording to to the the actual actual condition, condition, such such as as the the welding welding material material characteristics characteristics and and the the welding welding machine’smachine’s condition. condition. Therefore, Therefore, it it isis necessarynecessary to evaluate the the significance significance of of each each parameter parameter on on joint jointperformance performance when when considering considering all all parameters parameters synt synthetically.hetically. SuchSuch anan understanding understanding will will help help to to improveimprove the the weld weld quality, quality, to eliminate to eliminate weld weld defects defec andts and transfer transfer knowledge knowledge of welding of welding procedures procedures to newto conditionsnew conditions (e.g., for (e.g new., for geometry new geometry or new materials).or new materials). It is generally It is knowngenerally that known welding that pressure welding andpressure rotation and speed rotation determine speed the determine characteristics the characteristics of the power of inputthe power during input the during RFW process, the RFW and process, the integraland the of powerintegral for of weldingpower for time welding is the energy-input.time is the energy-input. For the RFW For method, the RFW heat method, flux is generated heat flux is bygenerated the conversion by the of conversion mechanical of energy mechanical into thermal energy energyinto thermal at the energy interface at ofthe the interface work pieces of the [ 11work]. Inpieces addition, [11]. the In amountaddition, of the energy-input amount of energy-inpu dictates a successfult dictates a welding successful process, welding the process, quality the of joint,quality theof shape joint, of the flash, shape the of micro-structure, flash, the micr aso-structure, well as the as residual well as stressthe residual [12,13]. stress Therefore, [12,13]. it isTherefore, reasonable it is to usereasonable the energy-input to use asthe an indexenergy-input to characterize as an the jointindex performance to characterize comprehensively. the joint Inperformance this work, thecomprehensively. effect of the energy-input In this work, on the the joint’s effect mechanicalof the energy-input property on was the investigated; joint’s mechanical an energy-input property was modelinvestigated; as a function an energy-input of welding pressure,model as rotationala function speed,of welding and pressure, welding timerotational was obtained, speed, and and welding the accuracytime was of theobtained, model and was the verified accuracy by experimentalof the model wa data.s verified The model by experimental that describes data. the The variation model of that optimaldescribes energy-input the variation with of forging optimal pressure energy-input also was with established, forging pressure and an excellent also was performance established, jointand an wasexcellent obtained performance based on the joint calculated was obtained optimal based energy-input on the calculated value. optimal energy-input value. 2. Experimental2. Experimental Procedures Procedures TheThe specimen specimen used used in the in present the present investigation investigation was 304 stainlesswas 304 steelstainless (304SS) steel rods (304SS) with diameters rods with of 25diameters mm. The of specimens 25 mm. The were specimens welded by were the C320 welded (Friction by the Welding C320 (Friction Eng. & Tech. Welding Co. Ltd., Eng. Hanzhong, & Tech. Co. Shaanxi,Ltd., Hanzhong, China) continuous-drive Shaanxi, China) rotary continuous-drive friction-welding rotary machine friction-welding (maximum machine of 45 kW (maximum and 320 kN of 45 forgingkW and load). 320 AccordingkN forging to load). our preliminary According to experiments our preliminary and the experiments literature onand 304SS the literature RFW [5, 6on,9, 14304SS], theRFW welding [5,6,9,14], experiments the welding were conductedexperiments using were welding conducted parameters using welding in which parameters the welding in pressure which the variedwelding from pressure 40 MPa tovaried 200 MPa, from rotational40 MPa to speed 200 MPa, varied rotational from 500 speed rpm varied to 2300 from rpm, 500 and rpm welding to 2300 time rpm, variedand welding from 4 s time to 20 varied s, all while from under4 s to 20 forging s, all whil pressurese under of forging 100 MPa, pressures 120 MPa, of 100 140 MPa, MPa, 120 160 MPa, MPa, 140 180MPa, MPa, 160 and MPa, 200 MPa,180 MPa, respectively. and 200 DuringMPa, respective the RFWly. process, During the the welding RFW process, power was the recordedwelding bypower a computerwas recorded through by ana computer A/D converter through with an A/D a sampling converte timer with of 0.01a sampling s, and thetime surface of 0.01 temperature s, and the surface of thetemperature joint was measured of the by joint