A Comparative Study of flexible ultrasonic enhanced FSW (FLEX-USE-FSW) and Conventional FSW in AA6082-T6

A Comparative Study of flexible ultrasonic enhanced FSW (FLEX-USE-FSW) and Conventional FSW in AA6082-T6 | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A Comparative Study of flexible ultrasonic enhanced FSW (FLEX-USE-FSW) and Conventional FSW in AA6082-T6 Marat Rebrin, Martin Mädlow, Andreas Gester, Dmitrii Ozherelkov, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7253851/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study presents a comparative analysis between conventional friction stir welding (CFSW) and flexible ultrasonic-enhanced friction stir welding (FLEX-USE-FSW) applied to 3 mm thick AA6082-T6 aluminum alloy. A novel ultrasonic system integrated into the tool holder was employed to introduce axial ultrasonic vibrations during welding. Mechanical testing, microstructural characterization, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), process force monitoring, and laser vibrometry were conducted to evaluate the influence of ultrasonic excitation on weld quality and process behavior. The results show that ultrasonic assistance reduces axial and traverse forces by up to 20%, broadens the operational window for tensile strength and elongation, and enhances material plasticization. EBSD analysis revealed a higher fraction of low-angle boundaries and modified grain texture in the ultrasonic-assisted stir zone (SZ), suggesting a change in recrystallization dynamics. Cross-sectional imaging indicated a larger and more homogeneous stirred zone in FLEX-USE-FSW, with reduced defect formation at elevated welding speeds. Additionally, laser vibrometry measurements showed improved energy transmission in specimens oriented parallel to the rolling direction. The findings demonstrate that ultrasonic excitation positively affects weld morphology, mechanical properties, and microstructural evolution, particularly under high-speed and low-heat input conditions. Friction stir welding aluminum alloy ultrasonic-assisted microstructure mechanical properties acoustic softening laser vibrometry Full Text Supplementary Files AllPictures.7z Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Aug, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 22 Aug, 2025 Editor invited by journal 21 Aug, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 20 Aug, 2025 First submitted to journal 18 Aug, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7253851","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":504023150,"identity":"c2dbb04f-0962-401f-a705-6b4d2ad73e37","order_by":0,"name":"Marat 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Additionally, laser vibrometry measurements showed improved energy transmission in specimens oriented parallel to the rolling direction. 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