Friction Stir Processing for Enhanced Low Temperature Formability: A volume in the Friction Stir Welding and Processing Book Series

The use of friction stir processing to locally modify the microstructure to enhanced formability has the potential to alter the manufacturing of structural shapes. There is enough research to put together a short monograph detailing the fundamentals and key findings. One example of conventional manufacturing technique for aluminum alloys involves fusion welding of 5XXX series alloys. This can be replaced by friction stir welding, friction stir processing and forming. A major advantage of this switch is the enhanced properties. However qualification of any new process involves a series of tests to prove that material properties of interest in the friction stir welded or processed regions meet or exceed those of the fusion welded region (conventional approach). This book will provide a case study of Al5083 alloy with some additional examples of high strength aluminum alloys.

• Demonstrates how friction stir processing enabled forming can expand the design space by using thick sheet/plate for applications where pieces are joined because of lack of formability
• Opens up new method for manufacturing of structural shapes
• Shows how the process has the potential to lower the cost of a finished structure and enhance the design allowables

Mr. Smith is a Project Manager at Wolf Robotics in Fort Collins, Colorado, specializing in projects advancing the state of the capability automatic robotic solutions and has been with Wolf Robotics since early 2013. Prior to that, Chris was Co-Founder and Vice President of Engineering of Friction Stir Link, Inc. (FSL) in Brookfield, WI which was founded in 2001. At FSL, Chris led efforts in the commercialization of friction stir welding and the related technologies. Prior to FSL, Chris began his career at A.O. Smith Automotive Products Company, where he was responsible for the development of new robotic processing technologies. Throughout his career, Mr. Smith has lead the development and integration of new automated technologies and has been involved with friction stir welding, arc welding, machining and material handling technologies. He developed the first production capable industrial robotic system for friction stir welding. Chris has managed projects leading to significant advancements in robotic material handling, friction stir welding and its related technologies, as well as robotic machining and drilling. At FSL he managed projects leading to many of North America’s first and/or most significant friction stir welding applications. Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Colorado-Boulder and Master of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Mechanical Engineering. He was awarded the American Welding Society’s A.F. Davis Silver Medal Award in 2001. Chris has authored over 30 papers and chapters on FSW in two engineering books and has two patents. Chris also is co-chair of the American Welding Society’s C6 Committee on Recommended Practices for Friction Stir Welding.

Prof. Rajiv Mishra (Ph.D. in Metallurgy from University of Sheffield) is a Regents Professor at the University of North Texas and founder of Optimus Alloys LLC. He is a Fellow of ASM International. He is a past-chair of the Structural Materials Division of TMS and served on the TMS Board of Directors (2013-16). He has authored/co-authored more than 450 papers in peer-reviewed journals and proceedings and is principal inventor of four U.S. patents. His current Google Scholar h-index is 95 and his papers have been cited more than 43000 times. He has co-authored three books; (1) Friction Stir Welding and Processing, (2) Metallurgy and Design of Alloys with Hierarchical Microstructures, (3) High Entropy Materials: Processing, Properties, and Applications. He has edited or co-edited fifteen TMS conference proceedings. He was an associate editor of Journal of Materials Processing Technology and is the founding editor of a short book series on Friction Stir Welding and Processing published by Elsevier and has co-authored seven short books in this series. He is a recipient of TMS-SMD Distinguished Scientist Award in 2020 and TMS-MPMD Distinguished Scientist Award in 2024. He is an adjunct professor in the department of Materials Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University. Most recently, he has founded Optimus Alloys LLC for commercialization of research efforts and serves as the Chief Scientific Advisor. Optimus Alloys is focused on process-specific alloy design for additive manufacturing of high-performance components.