Mechanical characterization by DOE analysis of AA6156-T4 friction stir welded joints in as-welded and post-weld aged condition

Tensile properties of AA6156-T4 friction stir welded joints were studied in the as-welded and T62 post-weld heat treated condition. To analyze the influence of rotating and welding speed on the 0.2 % proof stress and tensile strength of the two classes of joints, a complete full factorial design with three levels for each studied parameter was performed. Statistical analyses were carried out to establish empirical models of the tensile properties of the joints as a function of the studied welding parameters. The obtained models were validated by statistical tools such as Mallow???s CP, S, R2 and R2(adj). The developed regression models can be effectively used to predict the mechanical properties of the joints at 95 % confidence level.