Publication

Abstract : Friction Stir Welding is more feasible in joining of Aluminium Metal MatrixComposites (AMMC) than fusion welding processwhich avoids the formation ofIntermetallic Compounds in weld zone. In this study, an adaptive controller isdeveloped for joining Al6061/SiC/B4C composites by Friction Stir Welding to addressthe position disturbances of the rotating tool pin. The aluminium composites areinitially prepared with five different combinations of disperoids and are welded atthree level parameter settings followed by tensile testing. The obtained experimentaldata are used to estimate the model of the plant by System Identification method. Using the estimated model of the plant, PID controller and an adaptive controller aredeveloped to control the position of rotating tool pin during the occurrences ofdisturbance. The study indicates that, PID controller results in a noise response whilethe MRAC results in a smooth response. Experimental validation is done by weldingthe AMMC samples using MRAC followed by microscopic studies. The resultsemphasize that, MRAC results in superior performance by minimizing positiondisturbances.