Effect of Friction Stir Additive Manufacturing on the Mechanical and Microstructural Properties of AISI 304 Stainless Steel

The present work focuses on studying the effect of Friction Stir Additive Manufacturing on the mechanical and microstructural properties of AISI 304 stainless steel. AISI 304 stainless steel is widely used in structural, automotive, marine, aerospace, and chemical industries due to its formability, and mechanical strength. However, processing stainless steel through FSAM requires careful control of process parameters because of its relatively high melting point, high strength, and complex thermo-mechanical behavior during deformation. This report highlights the working principle of FSAM, its influence on material behavior, and the research progress reported by various authors using FSAM as a fabrication technique. The study also emphasizes the changes in hardness, corrosion behavior, and microstructure of AISI 304 stainless steel after FSAM processing. Optical microscopy is used to examine microstructural evolution, while hardness testing is performed to evaluate the mechanical and surface degradation behavior of the fabricated material.