The Evolution of Stress and Strain Tensors in Welds With Mitigation of Residual Stress and Distortion

Abstract

By getting the data from an ordered set of Gauss points on the flow line of a material point that passes near the weld pool, the evolution of the stress/strain tensor fields is visualized. The principal plastic strain tensor, principal deviatoric stress tensor, hydrostatic stress and temperature are visualized. This is done for three weld distortion mitigation strategies: i) pre-bending by applying a prescribed displacement, ii) applying a tensile load to the weld and iii) applying side heaters to the weld. Visualizing the evolution of the principal stress and strain vectors gives interesting insight into the mechanics of plastic deformation near a weld pool.

Mitigation of Distortion in an Edge-Welded Bar by Optimization Control of the Welding Current and Speed Profile During Welding

“…Welding distortion is usually controlled by various techniques that can be, for example, optimized tack welds [1], sequence pattern [2], pre-bending [3], and tension loading [4]. Side heating [5] or fast cooling [6] can also be effective in some cases if it is well-optimized.…”