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Friction Stir Spot Welding (FSSW) is a relatively new solid state joining technology that has the potential to be a replacement for single point joining processes like Resistance Spot Welding and rivet technology in certain applications. Since the material flow around the pin plays an important role in determining the quality of the weld, understanding how the material moves is important to optimize process parameters and to validate the results of numerical simulations of the process. In this paper, an experimental study aimed at visualizing the material flow during the plunge phase of refill FSSW of an aluminum alloy is presented. Different marker materials were placed at a certain depth from the plate surface and metallographic samples in three mutually perpendicular directions were prepared and examined to identify the final location of the marker material after the plunge of the pin.

Friction Stir Spot Welding (FSSW) is a solid state joining technology that has the potential to find applications in the automotive and aerospace industries. One of the FSSW approaches currently used is the refill method. Having numerical models capable to represent the physics of this process with reasonable accuracy can be useful to optimize process parameters and explore new tool designs. In this paper, a three-dimensional isothermal finite element model of the plunge phase of a refill FSSW process is presented. ABAQUS/Explicit is employed to obtain the deformations, stresses and strains induced in the plates being spot welded. Virtual tracers are also incorporated in the simulation in an attempt to visualize the material flow near the tool. A comparison of results provided by the simulation with previously reported experimental data shows that it gives an acceptable approximation but additional refinement of the model is needed.

Friction Stir Spot Welding (FSSW) has a strong potential to find applications in both the automotive and aerospace industries. At the present time, research efforts are taking place to gain a better understanding of the process, to explore different tool configurations, and to optimize the set of process parameters. In this regard, gaining an understanding of how the material flows under a given set of processing parameters is of particular importance for tool design and to validate numerical models aimed at simulating the process. In this paper, the results corresponding to an experimental study performed using markers are presented to provide insight about the material flow during the plunge phase of the fixed-position refill FSSW process.

Friction Stir Spot Welding (FSSW), originally developed by GKSS (Germany), has a strong potential to find applications in the automotive and aerospace industries. At the present time, research efforts are taking place to gain a better understanding of the process, to explore different tool configurations, and to optimize the set of process parameters. In this regard, having reliable numerical models capable to simulate FSSW can be useful to reduce the number of physical experiments required in those studies. In this paper, a simplified isothermal three-dimensional Finite Element model of the initial plunge phase of the FSSW process is presented. The model, based on a solid mechanics approach, was developed using the commercial software ABAQUS/Explicit. The results of the simulations are compared against experimental information corresponding to similar tool geometry, sequence of operations, and process parameters.

Developing successful architectures for a system as complex as an automobile requires an eclectic mix of art, science, and engineering judgment. Many of the skills necessary to be a successful architect in the automotive world come mainly through years “in the trenches.” Nonetheless, many of the lessons learned and the decision making practices of successful automotive architects can be captured in the form of heuristics which can be used to guide the architecting process. This paper will present and briefly discuss the rationale behind, and examples illustrating, a selected subset of heuristics developed by students taking the Systems Architecture course at UDM. These heuristics can provide valuable insight for any systems architect working in the automotive industry.