On the role of the Thermal Contact Conductance during the Friction Stir Welding of an AA5754-H111 butt joint

A three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) was developed to predict the evolution of the thermal flux in an FS-welded joint of aluminum alloy, considering the presence of the backing plate and the clamping system. The Thermal Contact Conductance (TCC) was measured under different temperature and pressure conditions. Experiments on a welding on 6 mm of AA5754 H111 were also carried out, to compare the model with the experimental results.