Austenitic stainless steels are very popular due to their high strength properties, ductility, excellent corrosion resistance and work hardening. This paper presents the test results for joining AISI 316Ti austenitic steel. The technologies used for joining were the most popular welding techniques such as TIG (welding with a non-consumable electrode in the shield of inert gases), MIG (welding with a consumable electrode in the shield of inert gases) as well as high-energy EBW welding (Electron Beam Welding) and plasma PAW (plasma welding). Microstructural examinations in the face, center and root areas of the weld revealed different contents of delta ferrite with skeletal or lathy ferrite morphology. Additionally, the presence of columnar grains at the fusion line and equiaxed grains in the center of the welds was found. Microstructural, X-ray and ferroscope tests showed the presence of different delta ferrite contents depending on the technology used. The highest content of delta ferrite was found in the TIG and PAW connectors, approximately 5%, and the lowest in the EBW connector, approximately 2%. Based on the tests carried out on the mechanical properties, it was found that the highest properties were achieved by the MIG joint (R_m, 616, R_p0.2 = 335 MPa), while the lowest were achieved by the PAW joint (R_m = 576, R_p0.2 = 315 MPa).

This article assesses the tribological performance of new composite tool sets for stamping dies. Four sets of composite countersamples were tested. These consisted of polyurethane resin with mineral filler (base variant) and modified with aluminium powder (10wt%) and roving fabric (5wt%). Strip samples for the strip drawing tests were cut from AMS5599 (Inconel 625) corrosion-resistant nickel alloy, AMS5510 (321) corrosion and heat-resistant steel and AMS6061-T4 heat treatable aluminium alloy sheet metals. The influence of the type of sample material on the coefficient of friction (COF) was observed. The smallest values of the COF over the entire range of clamping force values used on AMS5599 and AMS5510 sheets were observed during tests with countersamples made of the base variant of composite. When testing the AMS6061-T4 aluminium alloy sheet, the countersamples modified with roving fabric provided the lowest value of COF, which stabilised at a value of about 0.197 as pressure was increased.

This study investigates the influence of joining technology on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of joints produced from extruded AA2017 aluminum alloy rods. Rotary Friction Welding (RFW) was compared with conventional TIG welding to evaluate the effects of solid-state and fusion-based joining mechanisms. The joints were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), hardness measurements, tensile testing, and fracture analysis. TIG welding produced a coarse-grained cast microstructure within the fusion zone, whereas RFW generated a fine-grained microstructure formed through intense thermomechanical deformation accompanied by crystallographic texture evolution. These distinct microstructural characteristics resulted in markedly different mechanical behavior. The RFW joints achieved an ultimate tensile strength of 247 MPa and an elongation to failure of 12.5%, compared with 160 MPa and 1.7%, respectively, for the TIG-welded joints. The results demonstrate that the joint formation mechanism is the primary factor governing the microstructural evolution and mechanical performance of AA2017 alloy joints.