Title: The development of a continuum framework for friction welding processes with the aid of micro-mechanical parameterisations

Authors: Achilles Vairis, Nicholas Christakis

Addresses: Centre for Technological Research – Crete, P.O. Box 1939, Heraklion 71004, Greece. ' Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Crete, Heraklion 71409, Greece

Abstract: Continuum modelling of complex industrial systems can be addressed with the aid of micromechanical parameterisations. The appropriate framework has been demonstrated through recent work in the area of modelling complex industrial processes which involve granular material. In this paper, the framework is set for the continuum modelling of friction welding processes with the aid of information, which is derived at the microscopic level. Sliding frictional behaviour of an unlubricated metal couple was studied experimentally and was found to be strongly influenced by operating conditions such as sliding speed and interface temperature for the titanium alloy Ti6Al4V. The different friction regimes observed experimentally are explained using an analytical contact model, which represents the moving system of two interconnected plates at the sliding interface with bonds, which continuously form and rupture during sliding. Moreover, the characterised frictional behaviour, which depends on interface temperature, is used to model numerically the non-linear thermo-mechanical process of linear friction welding of Ti6Al4V.

Keywords: continuum modelling; micromechanical parameterisations; friction coefficient; stick-slip; friction welding; titanium alloys; sliding.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIC.2007.016417

International Journal of Modelling, Identification and Control, 2007 Vol.2 No.4, pp.347 - 355

Published online: 28 Dec 2007 *

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