Effect of Rotating Speed of Probe on Micro-Hardness, Tensile Strength, Fatigue Behavior and Failure Mode of Friction Stir Spot Weld of Al 6061-T6 of Lap-shear Specimens

The friction stir spot welding of Al 6061-T6 alloy is experimented to determine the behavior of micro-hardness, static tensile strength and fatigue behavior of the lap shear specimens by changing of rotating speed at three different speeds. Micro-hardness results show similarity in the regions far from shoulder indentation region. By the static strength and fatigue results, The optimal behavior of the rotational speed is determined. Therefore, the speed of 1000 rpm shows much better mechanical behavior than the other conditions of this research. The fatigue results of different welding conditions demonstrate, in the same cycles, more divergences in the lower cycles than, the higher ones. Two different failure modes have been observed at different load levels. At high load levels, final failure was nugget pull out. At low load levels, the final failure was as separation from the plate. At medium load levels, although the final failure was similar to high load levels, the growth of the crack in the sheet outside the stir zone, just like low load levels, was also observed.