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Method of joining heat-treatable aluminum alloy members by friction stir welding

a technology of heat-treatable aluminum alloy and friction stir, which is applied in welding/soldering/cutting articles, non-electric welding apparatuses, manufacturing tools, etc., can solve the problems of heat-affected zones deforming faster than the other portions of the blank, affecting the degree of elongation or ductility of the blank, and inevitably affecting the softening of the material

Inactive Publication Date: 2009-10-08
SUMITOMO LIGHT METAL INDS LTD
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a method of joining heat-treatable aluminum alloy members by friction stir welding, which method optimizes the relationship in strength among the stir zone, heat-affected zones, and base material to avoid fracture and enhance press formability. The method includes a T4 treatment, friction stir welding, and a reversion treatment, which results in a joined product with excellent ductility and press formability. The invention also provides a joined product produced by this method."

Problems solved by technology

However, even where the T4-treated members are butted and joined together according to such a friction stir welding process to provide the blank, softening inevitably occurs at heat-affected zones of the blank which are located adjacent to a stir zone at which the T4-treated members are welded and which are affected by a heat generated in the friction stir welding process.
If such a blank is used for press forming in the as-welded condition without undergoing any post-treatment, stress concentrates locally on the heat-affected zones at which the strength (hardness) is the lowest due to the heat generated upon welding, so that the heat-affected zones tend to deform faster than the other portion of the blank and often break or fracture.
The fracture or breakage at the heat-affected zones raises a problem of limitation in a configuration of the press product to be obtained from the blank and a degree of elongation or ductility (a deformation amount) of the blank.
Those Patent Documents, however, are silent about press formability and ductility of the joined product obtained by joining the aluminum alloy members.
Accordingly, the strength of the heat-affected zones is lower than those of the welded region and the base material, so that the stress concentrates on the heat-affected zones, causing fracture at the heat-affected zones.
Therefore, there still exists the problem of limitation in the configuration of the press product to be obtained from the joined product and the elongation degree (the formable amount) of the joined product.
None of these methods aim at refining the aluminum alloy members.

Method used

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  • Method of joining heat-treatable aluminum alloy members by friction stir welding
  • Method of joining heat-treatable aluminum alloy members by friction stir welding
  • Method of joining heat-treatable aluminum alloy members by friction stir welding

Examples

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example 1

[0092]Ten aluminum alloys A-J having respective chemical compositions shown in the following TABLE 1 were cast into ingots according to a DC casting method in an ordinary manner. The obtained cast ingots were then subjected to homogenization, hot rolling and cold rolling, thereby providing aluminum alloy plate members each having thickness of 1.0 mm. Subsequently, the aluminum alloy plate members were subjected to a solution heat treatment and quenching into water, and then naturally aged at room temperature for ten days. Thus, there were obtained T4 temper members.

TABLE 1Composition (mass %)AlloySiFeCuMnMgCrZnTiAlSeries of alloyA0.60.324.50.80.420.020.090.04balance2000B0.50.284.30.60.60.020.070.03balance2000C0.120.184.50.61.50.010.020.02balance2000D0.420.150.030.060.50.020.030.03balance6000E0.70.130.320.121.10.180.020.02balance6000F1.00.160.010.070.50.010.010.02balance6000G1.00.120.010.090.50.020.230.02balance6000H1.00.150.70.090.40.030.010.03balance6000I0.110.170.160.251.30.094.60...

example 2

[0105]Ten aluminum alloys K-T having respective chemical compositions shown in the following TABLE 6 were cast into ingots according to a DC casting method in an ordinary manner. The obtained cast ingots were then subjected to homogenization, hot rolling and cold rolling, thereby providing aluminum alloy plate members each having thickness of 1.0 mm. Subsequently, the aluminum alloy plate members were subjected to a solution heat treatment and quenching into water, and then naturally aged at room temperature for seven days. Thus, there were obtained T4 temper members.

TABLE 6Composition (mass %)AlloySiFeCuMnMgCrZnTiAlSeries of alloyK0.60.284.40.80.440.030.070.03balance2000L0.50.294.30.60.60.040.080.02balance2000M0.140.204.50.71.50.020.030.02balance2000N0.440.180.040.060.50.030.040.02balance6000O0.70.150.340.151.10.220.020.03balance6000P1.00.140.010.090.50.020.010.02balance6000Q1.00.150.020.070.50.010.210.02balance6000R1.00.180.70.070.40.020.010.02balance6000S0.140.190.140.241.30.084....

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Abstract

A method of joining heat-treatable aluminum alloy members by friction stir welding, including the steps of: a T4-treatment-performing step of performing a T4 treatment on heat-treatable aluminum alloy members so as to impart T4 temper to the heat-treatable aluminum alloy members; a joining step of joining the heat-treatable aluminum alloy members with T4 temper by friction stir welding to provide a joined product; and a reversion-treatment-performing step of performing a reversion treatment, the reversion-treatment-performing step being carried out prior to or after the joining step.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 305,547, having a filing date of Dec. 15, 2005, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates in general to a method of joining heat-treatable aluminum alloy members by friction stir wielding and a joined product for press forming obtained by the method. More particularly, the invention relates to such a method capable of advantageously providing a joined product with good ductility, accordingly with good press formability while effectively preventing occurrence of fracture at a stir zone and heat-affected zones of the joined product obtained as a result of joining the heat-treatable aluminum alloy members by friction stir welding, and such a joined product for press forming advantageously produced by the method.[0004]2. Discussion of Related Art[0005]Conventionally, a plat...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B23K31/02B23K20/12C22F1/04
CPCB23K20/1235B23K20/24C22F1/00B23K2203/10B23K2201/18B23K2101/18B23K2103/10C22F1/05
Inventor KUMAGAI, MASAKIMINODA, TADASHIUCHIDA, HIDETOSHITANAKA, KOJITANAKA, SUNAO
Owner SUMITOMO LIGHT METAL INDS LTD
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