Defects of friction stir welded 1060 aluminum alloy and their effects on joint tensile property

9.6 mm thick 1060-H24 aluminum alloy plates were friction stir welded and the influencing factors on groove and tunnel defects were examined. Results show that the welding speed range for achieving a groove-free joint is enlarged with increasing the rotating speed. The tunnel size decreases with decreasing the welding speed under the same rotating speed. Excessive or insufficient shoulder plunge depth will cause defective joints. At a relatively low rotating speed and high welding speed, the tool having a larger shoulder diameter has a larger range of processing parameters to obtain a groove-free joint. Moreover, the tensile fracture behaviors of the defective and defect-free samples are different.