Abstract
Due to the increasing needs of producing low weight vehicles with minum poluent emmissions, there is a marked tendency in the automotive industry to upgrade the manufacture technology, including the utilization of new processes such as solid state welding, and apply convetional and new materials as the aluminum and magnesium alloys. In this scope, the solid-state process Friction Stir Welding - FSW, becomes an alternative to weld structures and components of automotive vehicles. This paper will present the following subjects: the description of the FSW process, microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of welded joints, advantage and disadvantage of the process, including their applications.
