THE APPLICATION OF THERMAL IMAGING METHOD FOR MONITORING THE FSW PROCESSES

Jordan Mezyk, Szymon Kowieski
Abstract:
The article presents the authors’ method for monitoring the Friction Stir Welding (FSW) processes with use of thermal imaging camera. The FSW method is a modern and still not very common method for joining materials by mixing them after plasticizing with a special tool and allows the combination of non-welding and difficult to weld materials, including combining different (dissimilar) materials. FSW method is a new method and there still are few tools to assess the quality of the process, especially on-line, that is in the making of the weld.
The authors propose a new method for on-line monitoring of the FSW processes using hybrid vision method, that is acquisition of the image of the weld with the use of a thermal imaging camera and visual band camera. The paper presents selected preliminary results of research carried out using only infrared imaging channel. Recordings were made of the welding process for different values of rotary and linear velocities of the tool. With variable parameters of velocity one can obtain weld of different quality: both normal welds and non-compliant welds. The defects included excessive burrs, discontinuities, uneven edge of the weld and others. The recorded thermal images allow identification of weld defects and non-compliances during the process. The use of a thermal imaging camera also allows detection of subsurface defects. The obtained results indicate its potential practical application.
Keywords:
thermal imaging, FSW, process monitoring, welding
Download:
IMEKO-TC14-2013-59.pdf
DOI:
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Event details
IMEKO TC:
TC14
Event name:
TC14 ISMQC 2013
Title:

11th International Symposium on Measurement and Quality Control

Place:
Cracow and Kielce, POLAND
Time:
11 September 2013 - 13 September 2013