ICME Modeling of Aluminum during Additive Friction Stir Deposition and Repairing

Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFSD) has been demonstrated be to an efficient repair methodology and receiving booming interests, especially in Al-alloys in aerospace components. In this study, we systematically investigated different processing strategies on microstructural evolution and mechanical performance in hole repairs, and developed an integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) framework that establishes process–structure–property–performance (PSPP) relationships for AFSD repair of AA7050-T7451 alloys. In the processing modeling, COMSOL thermal simulations were performed to capture the thermal history and validated by in-situ time–temperature histories were recorded via thermocouples. With the thermal profile as inputs, a predictive model of microstructural transformations during AFSD was also developed using the precipitation modeling in TC-Prisma module of Thermo-Calc software. Finally, a physics-based yield strength model, was developed to correlate the evolving precipitation characteristics with mechanical performance. This ICME framework demonstrate a direct influence of AFSD process parameters on strengthening mechanisms, offering a predictive pathway for optimizing repair strategies in aerospace alloys.