Optimization of Friction Stir Welding of Thermoplastics

Friction stir spot welding (FSSW) of thermoplastic materials has been recently developed. Early investigations have proved that such joining technology allows achieving high quality joints over conventional welding processes. In this paper, Friction spot stir welding is applied to Polycarbonate sheets of 3 mm thickness. A prototypal setup is developed to monitor the evolution of main forces and tool temperature during the joining phases. The influence of the main process parameters on the joints strength has been assessed by mean of single lap shear test on single joint. The joints quality has been also assessed by means of optical microscopy analysis. Finally an Artificial Neural Network has been developed in order to predict the mechanical behavior of the welded joints.