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Several potential benefits in joining thin, dissimilar and highly conductive metals in a solid-state environment make ultrasonic welding (USW) a popular method for building Li-ion battery packs. The USW method is highly complex and relies on multiple factors. In this study, aluminum (AA1100) and nickel (UNS N02200) dissimilar sheets were ultrasonically welded using various process parameters. Plastic deformation, microstructural development, and the corresponding mechanical characteristics of the joints were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. The joint strength and critical intensity factor values seemed to rise until the welding duration of 0.3 s, following which there was a subsequent drop in their values. Based on the mechanical analysis, it is observed that the optimal condition records an amplitude of 68 µm, a weld time of 0.3 s, and a clamping pressure of 0.24 MPa. It showed that the joint performance was significantly impacted by the plastic deformation and microstructural changes at the weld region. On the Al side, substantial plastic deformation was observed, and it was primarily attributed to the sonotrode knurls' penetration. The Al sheet's thickness was reduced by more than 40%. The microhardness readings at the welding region experienced diminution due to the acoustic softening effect. The cross-section and fracture surfaces of the Al/Ni weld exhibited several distinct microstructural characteristics, such as atomic diffusion, crimped interface, dimple pattern, and swirl pattern flow. Additionally, the diffusion zone is also investigated using X-ray diffraction analysis. These observations offer valuable insights for enhancing weld quality and controlling the overall welding process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present experimental study introduced NTA-WAAM system for fabricating thin-layered structures using ER70S-6 wire. The study is directed towards determining the Sw in the manufactured parts, considering varying level of TS (0.17, 0.19, and 0.24 m/min) and BL (2, 3, 7 layers). The Sw is computed through image processing using canny edge detection method. Increasing the BL from 2 to 7 and reducing TS from 0.24 to 0.17 m/min, the resulting Sw is increased from 1.05 to 2.69 mm. So with high BL, TS should be more to suitably control the Sw because of high heat dissipation and low fluidity of molten pool. In addition to the morphological attributes, microstructural evolution, XRD, Rietveld refinement, tensile, and wear testing are incorporated to present the feasibility and stability of part fabricated through NTA-WAAM. Crystallite size, dislocation density, and residual stress are computed through XRD. It is observed that when approaching the top section from bottom zone of deposition, crystallite size is reduced from 23.43 to 21.85 nm, whereas dislocation density (2.83 × 1012 to 6.52 × 1012m−2) and residual stress (−263.72 to −300.12 MPa) are increased. It indicates the adverse effect of crystallite size towards dislocation density and residual stress, which is primarily attributed to varying level of heat transfer during deposition. The deposit exhibits an ideally refined crystal structure than initial filler wire as χ2≈1 (from Rietveld analysis). Compressive residual stress development further improves the fabricated part's tensile characteristics. Formation of equiaxed dimples, characterises the ductile failure phenomena, whereas the enhancement in their dimensions reflects the improvement in ductility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]