New technique to control welding buckling distortion and residual stress with non-contact electromagnetic impact

Abstract

A new technique using non-contact electromagnetic forces has been proposed for controlling welding buckling distortion and residual stresses in welded thin plates. The experimental results show that the method can successfully eliminate the buckling distortion and reduce the residual stresses. Three-dimensional finite element modelling has been developed to study the evolution of the stress and strain throughout the welding and electromagnetic impacts. The predicted welding distortion and residual stresses are in good agreement with the experimental results. The numerical analyses show that the reduction in distortion and stress is a result of the change of the plastic strain field in the weld region: electromagnetic impacts reduce longitudinal compressive plastic strain in the local region near the weld, and even produce the tensile plastic strain. Moreover, it is found that the residual stress can promote the changes of the longitudinal plastic strain state under electromagnetic impact.     

采用三维光学测量技术对薄板焊接失稳变形的分析

采用一种新的测试方法——三维光学面扫描测量系统对低碳钢板平板堆焊过程中的失稳变形进行了研究,通过对低碳钢薄板焊前和焊后状态进行测量,得到薄板焊前和焊后的全场面外变形形貌;并结合基于固有应变法的有限元数值模拟,分析可知焊接引起的这种凹_凸变形属于失稳变形.进而采用小孔法进行残余应力测量.结果表明,远离焊缝区存在较大的残余压应力,纵向残余压应力是导致失稳变形的主要作用力.采用三维光学全场测试技术结合有限元数值模拟分析的方法,对薄板失稳变形的机理及影响因素的探究更加深入、准确.     

Mitigation of welding induced buckling distortion using transient thermal tensioning

Abstract

Welding induces residual stresses in structures and may cause buckling distortion if the stresses exceed the critical buckling stress of the structure. Reducing the welding heat input or increasing the structural stiffness reduces or eliminates buckling distortion. However, where, because of the design constraints, structure geometry and weld size are fixed, the transient thermal tensioning process is effective in reducing buckling distortion. An experimental verification and demonstration of transient thermal tensioning for minimising welding induced buckling distortion is presented. Conventional welding was carried out to demonstrate buckling distortion and establish a baseline case. Buckling distortion was eliminated using transient thermal tensioning during welding under the same welding conditions. After buckling distortion was eliminated, angular distortion became evident, which was eliminated using mechanical restraints alongside transient thermal tensioning. Residual stress measurements were obtained using the blind hole drilling method and a comparison of residual stresses for the baseline panel and for the panel with transient thermal tensioning is presented.     

Prediction of buckling distortion of welded structures

Abstract

A predictive distortion analysis approach for welded structures is presented. Two-dimensional thermomechanical welding process simulations were performed to determine the residual stress. The critical buckling stress and the buckling mode are computed in a three-dimensional eigenvalue analysis. A technique employing decoupled two- and three-dimensional approaches is used to predict the occurrence of buckling distortion. Experimental validation of the prediction has been carried out in the laboratory. Welding experiments were carried out using welding conditions identical to those in the finite element model. The computational results are then verified by experimental observations.     

Distortion control in welding by mechanical tensioning

Abstract

This paper investigates the potential of mechanical tensioning (MT) to reduce the magnitude of residual stresses in welds and to eliminate buckling distortion. Both friction stir (FSW) and arc welds have been produced from the aluminium alloy AA2024, with different levels of tensile stress applied along the weld line either during or after welding. The resulting welds have been characterised in terms of out of plane distortion, residual stresses and microstructure. Buckling distortion was eliminated by stretching plates to between 35 and 70% of the yield stress of the material during welding. For each set of welding parameters investigated, an optimum tensioning stress has been identified, which eliminates the tensile residual stress peak across the weld zone, along with distortion. This optimum tensioning stress increases in line with the heat input of the welding process. When MT stresses are increased beyond this optimum value, then distortion arises once more and a band of compressive stress is formed across the weld zone.     

Numerical study on stress induced cambering distortion and its mitigation in welded titanium alloy sheet

Abstract

Arc welding process is widely used for fabricated thin structures in aerospace, shipyard, etc. Welding deformation is undesirable owing to the decrease in buckling strength and injures the beautiful appearance of structures. In addition, it causes errors during the assembly which result in more rework and productivity restriction. Welding deformation is complicated in real structure and is difficult to control. In the present study, numerical simulation by applying finite element has been performed using ANSYS to predict residual stress and cambering distortion in welded titanium alloy sheet. Furthermore, attempt was made to eliminate this distortion by applying dynamic spot cooling source technique behind the welding torch. The computed result revealed that the cambering could be eliminated under proper control of the parameters of this technique, such as the distance between the two sources. Transient residual stress through the thickness exhibit different behaviour and magnitude from that in conventional welding, and its cost is minimised by such technique. Explanation of this minimising mechanism was discussed.     

Fundamental study of thermal stress generation during welding heat cycles. Studies on numerical simulation of temperature, microstructure and thermal stress histories during welding, and their application to welded structures

During mechanical processing with input of heat, for example that generated by welding, thermal deformation and residual stress necessarily arise. Welding distortion not only substantially impairs engineering accuracy, but may also affect important features such as the buckling performance of welded structures. The presence of residual stress strongly affects features such as brittle fracture, buckling, fatigue, stress corrosion cracking, etc, and the development of suitable procedures for evaluation of welding distortion and residual stress is an important practical problem routinely facing welding technologists.     

Elasto-visco-plastic analysis of welding residual stress

Abstract

In the past three decades, extensive research has focussed on the application of numerical methods for the computation of residual stress. Most commonly, the simulations involved performing weakly coupled thermal mechanical finite element analyses in Lagrangian reference frames assuming rate independent elasto-plastic material response. Nearly all approaches assumed rate independent elasto-plastic material response, which is most appropriate at low to moderately elevated temperatures. At, the high temperatures near the fusion zone, the material response becomes rate dependent and an elasto-visco-plastic model would be more suitable. In 1989, Brown et al. (Int. J. Plast., 1989, 5 , 95–130) proposed a rate dependent constitutive equation (commonly known as Anand's model) to describe the plastic evolution of metals at high temperatures. The objective of this work is twofold: evaluate the suitability of Anand's elasto-visco-plastic model in computing welding residual stress and investigate the feasibility of an Eulerian implementation of Anand's model in modelling welding residual stress. Such an implementation has the potential to reduce computational cost in modelling welding processes, since it is a steady state analysis as compared to the common time incremental Lagrangian analyses. An Eulerian reference frame is also more advantageous in modelling processes with large deformation such as friction stir welding, rolling and extrusion since excessive mesh distortion and re-meshing are no issues as the case of Lagrangian models (Int. J. Mater. Form., 2008, 1 , 1287–1290).     

电火花堆焊温度场、应力场的二维与三维数值模拟

国内有文献报道，用电火花表面堆焊技术精密修复失重型失效零部件，但对其表面堆焊温度场、应力场的模拟并未系统研究，本文运用有限元软件ANSYS对电火花堆焊的温度场、应力场分别建立二维与三维模型，进行焊接过程模拟，并计算出了温度场、残余应力场的分布及残余变形的状况。二维计算得到的应力数值范围是-9MPa～57．5MPa，三维计算得到的应力数值范围是-12MPa-52MPa，并对二维模型进行残余变形分析，计算得到最大变形为0．861E-6m，证明了电火花堆焊这种精密修复工艺的优良性。     

Experimental and computational analysis of residual buckling distortion of bead-on-plate welded joint

A test specimen with a thickness of 2.28 mm was selected as the examined object, to investigate welding induced buckling. Bead-on-plate welding was conducted on the test specimen and residual buckling distortion was observed. A thermal-elastic-plastic (TEP) FE analysis using solid elements model was carried out to predict welding induced buckling after cooling. The inherent deformation of the examined welded joint was also evaluated from the computed results of TEP FE analysis. A shell elements model of the test specimen was used for eigenvalue and elastic FE analyses based on the inherent deformation theory. Eigenvalue analysis predicted the buckling mode and corresponding tendon force in the examined welded joint. Considering large deformation and initial deflection, an elastic FE analysis was carried out to predict the out-of-plane welding distortion, which showed a good agreement with measured distortion.The generation mechanism of buckling in bead-on-plate welded joint was clarified employing the inherent deformation theory. The tendon force (longitudinal inherent shrinkage) is the dominant reason to produce buckling and the disturbance (initial deflection or inherent bending) triggers buckling but does not influence the buckling mode.     

Predictive analysis of buckling distortion of thin-plate welded structures

The welding buckling distortions of thin-plated structures were investigated based on finite element methods.An engineering treatment method for predicating the buckling distortion was proposed.The equivalent applied thermal-load was used to simulate the welding residual stress,thus the calculation of complex welding distortion can be transformed into 3D elastic structural applied-load analyses,which can reduce the quantities of calculating work effectively.The validation of the method was verified by comparison of the numerical calculation with experimental results.The prediction of buckling distortion for side-walled structures of passenger train was performed and the calculation was in agreement with measuring results in general.It is shown that the main factors for producing the buckling are the intermittent fillet and plug weld during welding general.It is shown that the main foactors for groducing the buckling are the intermittent fillet and plug weld during welding the stiffened beams and columns to the panel.     

Material response of GMA welded 1 mm thick DP600 overlap joints

Abstract

In a previously published model, gas metal arc welding of 1 mm thick DP600 overlap joints is validated for the transient temperature distribution, the welding distortion and longitudinal residual stresses. Tensile tests have been simulated and performed experimentally. Validations were performed for two clamping cases: an immediate release of the clamps after welding and a release of the clamps after cooling to room temperature. There is good agreement between experiments and simulations. It has been found that the temperature distribution, longitudinal stresses and welding distortions are dependent on the clamping conditions. To explain the effect of the clamping time, a bar model is proposed. It is shown that longer clamping times increase plastic deformation and hence reduce residual stresses and buckling distortion. Additionally for an overlap joint, it has been found that the longitudinal residual stresses are affected significantly by the sample's geometry.     

Controlling welding residual stress and distortion by a hybrid technology of transient thermal tensioning and trailing intensive cooling

ABSTRACT

A new method of hybrid technology for controlling welding residual stress and distortion is proposed, which contains the transient thermal tensioning with two symmetrical heat sources ahead and the trailing intensive cooling with a cooling source behind the welding heat source during the welding process. Welding temperature, stress and distortion were compared and discussed under different welding processes by experimental and numerical methods. The results reveal that the hybrid technology adjusted the temperature field during welding and redistributed the longitudinal residual stress of welding joint. Thus, the welding residual distortion was reduced. Compared with conventional metal inert gas welding, the reductions of the welding residual stress and distortion of joint by the hybrid technology reached 65% and 58%, respectively.     

Uncertainty quantification in modelling welding residual stress and distortion

Abstract

Currently available welding simulation methodologies provide deterministic results for the best estimate of the input parameters, such as part geometry, processing conditions and material properties. If there is an uncertainty in any of the input parameters, then a reanalysis needs to be performed with perturbed values of each uncertain variable. However, there can be several hundred input parameters; therefore, the use of reanalysis in uncertainty quantification in welding modelling can be time consuming or computationally prohibitive, especially for three-dimensional modelling. This paper explores the application of design sensitivity analysis in quantifying uncertainty in welding residual stress and distortion computations. Analytic sensitivities are computed by direct differentiation, resulting in a very efficient computational approach. The variation of temperature, welding residual stress and distortion with respect to processing parameters is computed from a first order Taylor expansion of the model output. The approach is demonstrated in a three-dimensional model of a singe pass weld and validated by comparing sensitivity analysis results to reanalyses.     

Themo-elasto-viscoplastic modelling of friction stir welding

Abstract

A coupled two-dimensional Eulerian thermo-elasto-viscoplastic model has been developed for modelling the friction stir welding process. First, a coupled thermo-viscoplastic analysis is performed to determine the temperature distribution in the full domain and the incompressible material flow around the spinning tool. Next, an elasto-viscoplastic analysis is performed outside the viscoplastic region to compute the residual stress. Both frictional heat and plastic deformation heat generation are considered in the model. Furthermore, this is the only known model computing residual stress accounting for plasticity caused by both thermal expansion and mechanical deformation due to material spinning. The computed residual stress is verified by comparing to experimentally measured data.     

Effects of arc distance on angular distortion by asymmetrical double sided arc welding

Abstract

Permanent angular distortion of the welded structure is developed because of non-uniform transverse shrinkage on thickness. Reducing and controlling residual angular deformation from the welding processes is extremely important in the manufacturing industry. A new method, asymmetrical double sided arc welding (A-DSAW), is studied due to controlling residual angular distortion. But it is not clear about the effects of arc distance on the angular distortions. In this paper, the effects of arc distance on angular deformation are researched through developing finite element model of A-DSAW at different arc distances. To verify the calculated results, the temperature and angular distortion are measured. Numerical and experimental results indicate that angular distortion v. arc distance appears non-linear relationship and the effect mechanism of arc distance on angular distortion of A-DSAW is further analysed.     

Numerical simulation about the effect of fixture on the welding stress and distortion of thin aluminum plate joints

The effect of welding jig on the welding stress and buckling distortion of thin aluminum plate joints was simulated by finite element method （FEM）. The results show that the restraint distance and the heat conduction ability of the fixture do have essential effects on the residual stress and distortion. The residual compressive stress and distortion will be increasing with the increase of the restraint distance, while the residual compressive stress and distortion will be decreasing with the increase of the heat conduction ability of the fixture.     

沟槽蒙皮结构激光焊接应力和变形的数值模拟

利用有限元分析软件MARC对"沟槽-蒙皮"结构的激光焊接过程进行三维数值模拟,涉及了激光焊接复合热源模型的确定,热力学边界条件的简化,数值模拟温度场的验证,以及残余变形和应力分布结果的分析和讨论.研究了结构上规则排列的多道焊缝的施焊顺序对焊接残余应力和变形的影响.结果表明,不同焊接顺序所产生的变形态相同,变形量有区别,而残余应力的分布则不同,以由外向中的对称顺序进行焊接时,结构的焊后残余变形最小,残余应力的分布比较均匀,峰值最小.     

Process–microstructure–property correlations in Al–Li AA2199 friction stir welds

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of three friction stir welding process parameters on the residual stresses, hardness and distortion for butt welded aluminium–lithium AA2199 alloy, a novel, low density high strength alloy with potential in the aerospace sector. A systematic set of nine trial welds is examined at different tool rotation and traverse speeds as well as tool downforces. The tensile residual stresses (～50% of parent material yield strength) and the hardness drop in the weld line varied little with any of the friction stir welding process parameters. However, their breadth increased with rotation speed and downforce and decreased with increasing translation speed, which is consistent with increasing heat input. Weld distortion took the form of a saddle with the longitudinal bending distortion correlating strongly with the width of the tensile zone consistent with it being driven by the magnitude of the tensile buckling forces in the weld region.