Finite element simulation of deformation behavior in friction welding of Al-Cu-Mg alloy

Friction welding is one of the most effective and widely used solid-state joining methods in modern industries. Plastic deformation of interface material is the essence of friction welding, and welding process parameters affect the welding quality greatly. To understand the friction welding process better, it is important to calculate the temperature, stress, and strain fields of welding interface material in the welding process. In this paper, continuously driven friction welding of Al-Cu-Mg alloy round bars that are commonly used in aerospace structures are calculated with the finite element method (FEM). FEM calculations and results are explained and discussed in much detail. For example, depending on experiments as reference, FEM results show that a temperature of 490 °C, which is below the low value of Al-Cu-Mg alloy melting point, is obtained at the end of 0.6 s of friction welding. During the whole process of friction welding, the calculated equivalent strains increase monotonously, and the equivalent strain at the center of circular section of interface material is the largest.