Counter pressure enhanced joint strength in spot friction melt bonding of titanium to aluminum
(2026) Advances in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering — Vol. 12, p. 100191 (2026)
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- The joining of dissimilar metals offers considerable potential for weight reduction in aerospace structures, especially through the substitution of mechanical fasteners such as screws and rivets with spot-welded joints. Friction Melt Bonding (FMB) is a lap welding technique developed for joining dissimilar metals with large differences in melting temperature. However, achieving sound joints between titanium and aluminum alloys remains challenging due to intermetallic compound formation and uneven material flow. In this study, a modified spot FMB process was proposed to join titanium and aluminum alloys. Particular attention was given to the introduction of a counter-pressure step, aimed at improving the quality of Ti-Al weld joints. Microscopic characterization and mechanical testing were performed on welds produced with and without counter-pressure to assess its role in the joining process. The formation of nano scale Ti-Al intermetallic compounds at the Ti-Al interface assists the joint formation. Fracture surface analysis further confirmed the beneficial effect of counter-pressure in promoting stronger interfacial bonding. These results highlight the critical role of counter-pressure in facilitating interfacial diffusion and consequently, in producing high quality Ti-Al joints through the spot FMB process.
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Krishnamurthy, S. C., Ryelandt, S., Agrawal, S., Sapanathan, T., Idrissi, H., & Simar, A. (2026). Counter pressure enhanced joint strength in spot friction melt bonding of titanium to aluminum. Advances in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, 12, 100191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aime.2026.100191 (Original work published 2026)