This paper focuses on Friction Stir Welding (FSW), a fairly recent technique, invented by The Welding Institute (TWI) in 1991, that utilizes a non-consumable rotating welding tool to generate frictional heat and plastic deformation at the welding location; thereby, affecting the formation of a joint while the material is in the solid state. In particular, FSW can be used to join high-strength a...

Friction stir welding (FSW) is an emerging manufacturing technology for aerospace structures. It will see widespread use in the future as it offers ways of creating lighter structures at lower manufacturing cost than traditional methods (riveting, adhesive bonding). Since its invention in 1991, FSW has known fast improvements and many studies have demonstrated its capability for joining a wide ...

The dislocation density and subgrain size were determined in the base material and friction-stir welds of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy. High-resolution X-ray diffraction measurement was performed in the base material. The result of the line profile analysis of the X-ray diffraction peak shows that the dislocation density is about 4.5 9 10 m 2 and the subgrain size is about 200 nm. Meanwhile, neutron ...