Research on FSW Welds of Al-Alloy Modified by Laser Shock Peening Process

The friction stir welding (FSW) method is classified as a so-called green or eco-friendly production technology in terms of its environmental impact. In the process of friction stir welding, there is no melting and the weld joint is formed by the movement of a rotating tool between the materials to be welded. The advantage of this technology is welding without the accompanying phenomena such as the release of harmful substances into the air, the emission of infrared, ultraviolet and visible radia-tion, and low energy consumption. In this work, friction stir welding tests of FSW and SR-FSW type were carried out, the butt welds themselves were performed on EN AW - 6060 sheets of 5 mm thick-ness. The surfaces of the specimens that met the weld quality visually were treated with laser shock peening (LSP), which is based on a pulsed effect. In the process of experiments, the authors investi-gated the weld quality at different speeds and tool rotation visually, then the welds were subjected to microscopic analysis, microhardness analysis and nanohardness analysis.