Analysis of temperature and stress-strain fields during laser beam welding of a TRIP steel

Abstract

Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP) steels belong to the group of Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) that are characterized by good strength-strain combination and formability required for special applications in the automotive industry. The excellent combination of strength, ductility and formability of TRIP steels is achieved by a careful control of microstructure development in the process of their production. The microstructure of multiphase TRIP steels typically consists of ferrite, carbide-free bainite and metastable retained austenite, which can be transformed into martensite by plastic deformation. Upon crash, this feature allows the TRIP steels to absorb more energy, ensuring greater passenger safety. In the automotive industry, TRIP steels are mainly joined by resistance spot welding, laser or electron beam welding. Generally, the thermal cycle of a fusion welding process destroys the sophistically designed microstructure of these steels in fusion and heat-affected zones resulting in deterioration of mechanical properties of the weld joint. Negative consequences of the welding process can be eliminated using proper welding parameters. The paper deals with numerical simulation and analysis of the temperature and stress-strain fields developed during the laser beam welding of a CMnSiNb TRIP steel sheets with the thickness of 2 mm. Simulation model takes into account non-linear temperature and phase dependent material properties. The heat input during the laser beam welding is modelled using the conical volumetric heat source. The optimal welding parameters for production of butt joints of CMnSiNb TRIP steel sheets using the TruDisk 4002 disc laser with the maximum power of 2 kW are designed.