The ability to join dissimilar materials in the automotive industry will result in more efficient multimaterial structures. However, welding of aluminium (Al) to magnesium (Mg) alloys is problematic because of the rapid formation of brittle intermetallic phases at the weld interface. Ultrasonic welding (USW) is a solid-state joining technology that may offer a potential solution, but USW of Al to Mg is currently not well understood. Here, we have investigated the effect of process variables and energy input on joint formation between Al-6111 and Mg-AZ31 alloys, and we report on the optimum welding conditions, heat generation, and the formation of a significant intermetallic reaction layer. Furthermore, the factors influencing the interface reaction rate and the advantages of precoating the Mg with Al are discussed.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank M. Shergold of JLR and B. Davies and T. Wilks of MEL for the provision of materials. We are also grateful to the EPSRC for funding this research through LATEST2, (EP/G022402/1), and Friction Joining—Low Energy Manufacturing for Hybrid Structures in Fuel Efficient Transport Applications (EP/G022402/1).
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Panteli, A., Chen, YC., Strong, D. et al. Optimization of Aluminium-to-Magnesium Ultrasonic Spot Welding. JOM 64, 414–420 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-012-0268-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-012-0268-6