Current Trends and Emerging Strategies in Friction Stir Spot Welding for Lightweight Structures: Innovations in Tool Design, Robotics, and Composite Reinforcement—A Review
Friction stir spot welding (FSSW) is a solid-state joining technique increasingly favored in industries requiring high-quality, defect-free welds in lightweight and durable structures, such as the automotive, aerospace, and marine industries. This review examines the current advancements in FSSW, fo...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| author | Suresh Subramanian Elango Natarajan Ali Khalfallah Gopal Pudhupalayam Muthukutti Reza Beygi Borhen Louhichi Ramesh Sengottuvel Chun Kit Ang |
| author_facet | Suresh Subramanian Elango Natarajan Ali Khalfallah Gopal Pudhupalayam Muthukutti Reza Beygi Borhen Louhichi Ramesh Sengottuvel Chun Kit Ang |
| author_sort | Suresh Subramanian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Friction stir spot welding (FSSW) is a solid-state joining technique increasingly favored in industries requiring high-quality, defect-free welds in lightweight and durable structures, such as the automotive, aerospace, and marine industries. This review examines the current advancements in FSSW, focusing on the relationships between microstructure, properties, and performance under load. FSSW offers numerous benefits over traditional welding, particularly for joining both similar and dissimilar materials. Key process parameters, including tool design, rotational speed, axial force, and dwell time, are discussed for their impact on weld quality. Innovations in robotics are enhancing FSSW’s accuracy and efficiency, while numerical simulations aid in optimizing process parameters and predicting material behavior. The addition of nano/microparticles, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene, has further improved weld strength and thermal stability. This review identifies areas for future research, including refining robotic programming, using artificial intelligence for autonomous welding, and exploring nano/microparticle reinforcement in FSSW composites. FSSW continues to advance solid-state joining technologies, providing critical insights for optimizing weld quality in sheet material applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a025bff07b4d4ef7b4f2caa95c165be3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4352 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Crystals |
| spelling | doaj-art-a025bff07b4d4ef7b4f2caa95c165be32025-08-20T03:27:18ZengMDPI AGCrystals2073-43522025-06-0115655610.3390/cryst15060556Current Trends and Emerging Strategies in Friction Stir Spot Welding for Lightweight Structures: Innovations in Tool Design, Robotics, and Composite Reinforcement—A ReviewSuresh Subramanian0Elango Natarajan1Ali Khalfallah2Gopal Pudhupalayam Muthukutti3Reza Beygi4Borhen Louhichi5Ramesh Sengottuvel6Chun Kit Ang7Department of Mechanical Engineering, Erode Sengunthar Engineering College, Erode 638 057, IndiaFaculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur 56000, MalaysiaCEMMPRE, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Rua Luís Reis Santos, 3030-788 Coimbra, PortugalDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore 641 021, IndiaDepartment of Materials Engineering and Metallurgy, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak 3815688349, IranDeanship of Scientific Research, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11432, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Jerusalem College of Engineering, Chennai 600 100, IndiaFaculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur 56000, MalaysiaFriction stir spot welding (FSSW) is a solid-state joining technique increasingly favored in industries requiring high-quality, defect-free welds in lightweight and durable structures, such as the automotive, aerospace, and marine industries. This review examines the current advancements in FSSW, focusing on the relationships between microstructure, properties, and performance under load. FSSW offers numerous benefits over traditional welding, particularly for joining both similar and dissimilar materials. Key process parameters, including tool design, rotational speed, axial force, and dwell time, are discussed for their impact on weld quality. Innovations in robotics are enhancing FSSW’s accuracy and efficiency, while numerical simulations aid in optimizing process parameters and predicting material behavior. The addition of nano/microparticles, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene, has further improved weld strength and thermal stability. This review identifies areas for future research, including refining robotic programming, using artificial intelligence for autonomous welding, and exploring nano/microparticle reinforcement in FSSW composites. FSSW continues to advance solid-state joining technologies, providing critical insights for optimizing weld quality in sheet material applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/15/6/556FSSWsolid-state joiningmicrostructure-propertyFSSW simulationcomposite reinforcementtool design |
| spellingShingle | Suresh Subramanian Elango Natarajan Ali Khalfallah Gopal Pudhupalayam Muthukutti Reza Beygi Borhen Louhichi Ramesh Sengottuvel Chun Kit Ang Current Trends and Emerging Strategies in Friction Stir Spot Welding for Lightweight Structures: Innovations in Tool Design, Robotics, and Composite Reinforcement—A Review Crystals FSSW solid-state joining microstructure-property FSSW simulation composite reinforcement tool design |
| title | Current Trends and Emerging Strategies in Friction Stir Spot Welding for Lightweight Structures: Innovations in Tool Design, Robotics, and Composite Reinforcement—A Review |
| title_full | Current Trends and Emerging Strategies in Friction Stir Spot Welding for Lightweight Structures: Innovations in Tool Design, Robotics, and Composite Reinforcement—A Review |
| title_fullStr | Current Trends and Emerging Strategies in Friction Stir Spot Welding for Lightweight Structures: Innovations in Tool Design, Robotics, and Composite Reinforcement—A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Current Trends and Emerging Strategies in Friction Stir Spot Welding for Lightweight Structures: Innovations in Tool Design, Robotics, and Composite Reinforcement—A Review |
| title_short | Current Trends and Emerging Strategies in Friction Stir Spot Welding for Lightweight Structures: Innovations in Tool Design, Robotics, and Composite Reinforcement—A Review |
| title_sort | current trends and emerging strategies in friction stir spot welding for lightweight structures innovations in tool design robotics and composite reinforcement a review |
| topic | FSSW solid-state joining microstructure-property FSSW simulation composite reinforcement tool design |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/15/6/556 |
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