Ultrasonic assisted friction stir processing of 6063 aluminum alloy

An ultrasonic vibration setup has been designed and fabricated to make a comparative study between conventional frictions stir processing and ultrasonic assisted friction stir processing. Effects of ultrasonic vibrations on rotational speeds as well as processing speeds are studied. A series of experiments are performed to determine effect of ultrasonic vibrations. From the experimental results, it is seen that ultrasonic vibrations help in generating high heat in the stirred zone of friction stir processing which causes intense plastic deformation and improves material flow. By using the ultrasonic vibrations, higher hardness and tensile strength of friction stir processed joints are evident. Further axial force and transverse force reduction is also visible in case of ultrasonic assisted friction stir processing.