Description Rotary friction welding (RFW) is a solid-state joining method that joins two components through axial pressure and heat generated during friction between a rotating part and a stationary part. RFW provides a broad variety of advantages when compared to traditional joining techniques, because the produced joints have higher structural integrity, the joining process is much faster, there is great repeatability of the welds, and RFW can be used for dissimilar materials. Due to these advantages, RFW is used in many industries, namely in aerospace, automobile, marine, oil and gas and in nuclear industries. The purpose of this project is to optimise the interface profiles through a design and verification process based on modelling, so that it is possible to eliminate or drastically reduce the flow of metal (weld flash) around the inner bore of steel tubes. The research will be conducted in collaboration with the Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC), which is a research center part of The University of Strathclyde. The student will review the different modes of RFW and existing work on interface profiles, down-selecting operation modes and profile options. Then the student will run a virtual Design of Experiments (DoE) based on existing models of RFW provided by the AFRC with the aim to optimize the interface geometries and process conditions for the specific geometry and application. After the completion of the design stage, a welding trial will be carried out at the AFRC based on the selected conditions and interface profile to validate and verify the design of the process. Key Objectives
- Detailed Undertstanding of RFW, advantages compared to other joining techniques
- Modelling of RFW (most likeely finite element)
- Design of experiments.