Enhancement on the Mechanical Properties of Dissimilar Friction Stir Welded Aluminum Alloys Potential for Aircraft Application

This study investigates the effect of feed rate variation on the mechanical properties of dissimilar aluminum alloy joints, specifically Al 2524-T3 and Al 7055-T7, created through Friction Stir Welding (FSW). Using feed rates of 45, 60, and 75 mm/min at a fixed spindle speed of 1500 rpm and a tilt angle of 2°, we evaluated bending strength, Brinell hardness, and a Mechanical Property Index (MPI) to assess weld quality. Results indicate that a feed rate of 75 mm/min yields the highest bending strength (215.15 MPa) and hardness (42.81 BHN), correlating with an MPI of 1.0, which demonstrates optimal performance. The lower feed rates resulted in lower mechanical properties due to insufficient heat generation. This work highlights the critical influence of feed rate on FSW joint quality in aerospace-relevant dissimilar aluminum alloys.