High safety and low weight are requested for modern automobiles. Both demands are met best by tailored application of different materials. Multimaterial car body design is a challenge for joining and welding.

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The microstructure exerts a strong influence on the mechanical properties and on the integrity of welded joints. Prediction of the formation of the microstructure during welding and of other solidification processes may be an important and supporting factor for technology optimization. Nowadays, increasing computing power allows direct simulations of the dendritic and cell morphology of columnar grains in the molten zone for specific temperature conditions. Modelling is carried out, on the one hand, with the finite difference—cellular automata and, on the other hand, with the phase field method. Determination of the solidification conditions during fusion welding (temperature gradient, local solidification rate, weld pool shape) is carried out with a numerical macroscopic finite element modelling calculation of the weld pool fluid flow and of the temperature distribution, as presented in this paper. As with the use of accurate physical models, the simulations are carried out with a spatial resolution of the microstructure, and many assumptions and restrictions from traditional, analytical or phenomenological models may be eliminated. The possibilities of using numerical algorithms for generation and visualization of microstructure formation during solidification are demonstrated. The spectrum of applications extends from welding and casting to processes with rapid solidification. In particular, computer simulations of the solidification conditions and the formation of a dendritic morphology during the directional solidification in gas–tungsten-arc welding are described. Moreover, the simulation results are compared with the experimental findings.

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