Residual stress in friction stir-welded Al sheets

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a relatively new joining technique particularly for aluminum alloys that are difficult to fusion weld. Although FSW is as a solid-state joining process which produces low-distortion welds of high quality, significant levels of residual stresses can be present in the weld after fabrication. These residual stresses can influence the service performance of the welded components with respect to fatigue and corrosion...