Thermo-mechanical model with adaptive boundary conditions for friction stir welding of Al 6061

A finite element thermo-mechanical model with mechanical tool loading was developed considering a uniform value for contact conductance and used for predicting the stress at the workpiece and backplate interface. This pressure distribution contours are used for defining the non-uniform adaptive contact conductance used in the thermal model for predicting the thermal history in the workpiece. The thermo-mechanical model was then used in predict stress development in friction stir welding.