Dissimilar friction welding of aluminium alloys to other materials

Friction welding makes it easier to set welding conditions and also confers greater reproducibility than other welding processes. Through being a solid-phase process, friction welding moreover makes it relatively easy to join dissimilar materials. Other advantages of friction welding include good operability, the lack of any need for special skills, and a convenient capability for incorporation in assembly lines without showers of sparks and similar hazards being generated. Friction welding is therefore extensively used in a wide variety of industries, such as automotive engineering, printing, etc. Joining of dissimilar materials as a characteristic friction welding application has been well researched,¹ reported,² and thoroughly explained with reference made to practical examples.³ In the current situation of materials development advancing apace in pursuit of various objectives, available data relating to joining of dissimilar materials remains scant. To meet resource- and energy-saving objectives, machinery and plant, transport machinery, etc. are now required to embody lighter weight in a well-established trend that can only serve to expand the use of light metals. Compared with ferrous metals, however, friction welding of light metals has been little documented.