Friction stir lap welding of plastic to metal using adjustable tool

Abstract

An OX horn type interlocking joint of MC Nylon-6 (top sheet) and AMXS6020 Mg alloy (bottom sheet) with satisfactory mechanical properties had been obtained by friction stir lap welding (FSLW) using an adjustable tool. The adjustable tool produced the good surface appearances and mechanical interlocking interfaces with low shoulder rotation speeds and high probe rotation speeds. The Mg alloy around the probe was stirred into the melted MC Nylon-6 zone during the FSLW process to form OX horn shape which bended toward the joint centre. The influences of welding parameters on Mg alloy horns formation, tensile shear strength and fracture morphology were investigated. Mechanical interlocking induced by the Mg alloy horns contributed to the main joining mechanism.

KEYWORDS:

• Plastic/metal dissimilar joint
• friction stir lap welding
• adjustable tool
• interlocking interface
• mechanical property

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

J. Liao http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6096-7227