Heat reflux in flash and its effect on joint temperature history during linear friction welding of steel

A 2D numerical model was developed to investigate the effect of flash on the joint temperature field during the cooling phase of linear friction welding (LFW). The LFW experiments and analytical heat loss analysis calculations validated this observation. Experiments show that the heat loss rate of the flash root is lower than that of the weld center during the cooling phase of LFW, which is observed in the model as well. Furthermore, analysis of the heat losses during the cooling phase of LFW shows that 90.7% of the flash heat is dissipated through conduction, pointing to the importance of flash heat reflux on the joint temperature.