WELD QUALITY APPRAISAL OF AA1050/Cu FSWed JOINTS: A NOVEL HYBRID TAGUCHI–WASPAS–ALIBABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES ALGORITHM

Several studies using Friction Stir Welding (FSW) on dissimilar Aluminium and Copper weld configurations and the mechanical and microstructure characteristics, as well as the identification of intermetallic phases that appear in the weld region, have been conducted. Indeed, earlier several studies had been conducted in both lap and butt FSW joint designs. Even so, Al–Cu lap welding has received further attention than butt–welding, which has attracted only a few studies thus far. The studies ended with varying findings and were unable to reach high strengths despite the fact that very few studies addressed tool placement factors. The present investigation starts with butt–welding of AA1050 and pure Cu sheet by employing the FSW procedure. Experimental trails were designed using the L16 array (Taguchi’s technique) with distinct combinations of tool spinning speed, tool offset, welding speed, and plunge depth. Weld parameters such as compressive strength (CS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and average hardness at nugget zone (AHNZ) were evaluated using three different optimization methodologies, i.e. the WASPAS method, Alibaba and the Forty Thieves algorithm, and the Taguchi–WASPAS method, to find out the best weld constraint arrangement for maximizing the welded joint mechanical characteristics. ANOVA test was also conducted, which revealed that welding speed is the most significant and influential FSW factor for Al–Cu butt–welding using FSW. Finally, confirmatory tests were piloted to check the consistency of the predicted FSW parameters.