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This study explores the thermal distribution of high-strength engineering alloys during the friction stir welding process (FSW). Materials which are difficult to weld or are unweldable by conventional welding processes can be successfully welded by FSW. The specific analysis and modification of the process require an understanding of the actual mechanism of the process. Therefore, a transient, three-dimensional, thermo-mechanical finite element model (FEM) for FSW was developed. The model calculates the temperature distribution during the welding process considering various boundary conditions such as rotational speed, linear speed, normal pressure, tool diameter and material properties. The thermo-mechanical FEM calculations consider the effects of conduction and convection heat transfer. The numerical results are successfully compared and validated by experimental results published in the literature for aluminium alloy, titanium alloy and steel (mild and bainitic) as workpiece materials. The model was found to be useful for understanding the effects of changes in different system parameters, and for selecting the optimum welding conditions before undertaking high-cost physical testing.

In recent years, joint types in railway superstructure have shifted to continuous welded rails (CWRs), which can be constructed by various welding techniques to form uninterrupted rails several kilometres long. Because of the numerous advantages of this method, CWR systems are highly preferred today for the construction of new railway lines. The increase in the number of trains in operation is inducing fatigue damages, linking to life‐threatening risks in the rails as well as in trains' wheels and axles. In this study, CWR specimens formed by the flash butt‐welding process are investigated. Specimens extracted from rail sections are subjected to four‐point bending fatigue tests to establish S–N curves under various loading levels. The surfaces of those specimens which fail are then investigated in detail in order to determine the initiation points of the failures. The findings provide experimental data on the dynamic life cycle of CWR and identify the failure mechanism of the CWR system.

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