Possibilities of joining different metallic parts of structure using friction stir welding methods

Abstract The transportation industry, particularly the automotive and aviation sectors, has strongly committed to reducing the mass of the construction. The process of reducing weight of a vehicle/aircraft is mainly conducted by replacing steel components by lightweight materials such as aluminum and magnesium alloys. This work presents the results of research work on linear FSW butt and lap joining of aluminum 2024-T3 and magnesium AZ31B alloys, and RFFSW joints of 5182 aluminum sheets. An analysis of microstructure and mechanical properties of FSW joints based on plastic flow and stir of metal in joint zone, thin sheets in particular, has been presented. The experimental work was conducted in laboratory and industry environments. The durability of obtained joints has oscillated around 80-90% compared to parent materials.