Mechanical Property and Process Variables Optimization of Tube-to-Tube Friction Welding for Steel Pipe with 36 mm External Diameter

Friction welding is a very useful joining process to weld metals which have axially symmetric cross section. In this paper, for the friction welding with tube-to-tube shape, the feasibility of industry application was determined using analyzing mechanical properties of weld and optimized welding variables was suggested. In order to accomplish this object, rotating speed, friction heating pressure, and friction heating time were selected as the major process variables and the experiment was performed in three levels of each parameter. Weld characteristic was investigated in terms of weld shape and metal loss, and 7mm of metal loss was regarded as the optimal metal loss. By tensile test, tensile strength and yielding strength was measured and fracture was occurred at base metal. In order to optimize the welding condition, fitness function was defined with respect to metal loss and yielding strength and the fitness values for each welding condition could be calculated in experimental range. Consequently, we set the optimal welding condition as the point which had maximum value of fitness function. As the result of this paper the optimal welding variables could be suggested as rotating speed was 1300 rpm, friction heating pressure was 15 MPa, and friction heating time was 10 sec.

외경 36mm 강관의 관대관 마찰용접 특성과 공정 변수 최적화