Evaluation of Dissimilar Welds of 5083-H12 and 6061-T6 Produced by Friction Stir Welding

In the present study, the dissimilar aluminum alloys of 5083-H12 and 6061-T6 were joined by friction stir welding (FSW). Then, the design of experiments (DOE), the Box–Benken method, and the response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize the effective parameters of the FSW process. The optimized parameters that led to the maximum tensile strength in dissimilar friction stir welded sheets were determined. The predicted results were then compared with those measured experimentally. The results show that there is good agreement between the predicted and measured amounts. By applying the limit dome height (LDH) test, the formability of friction stir welded sheets was studied. During the LDH test, the minimum formability occurred in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the 6061-T6 side. The results of microhardness and tensile tests confirm the results of the LDH tests.