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.