Determination of Dominant Factors in High Accuracy Prediction of Welding Distortion

Abstract

The experiment was carried out using a bead-on-plate specimen with the groove placed to accurately predict welding distortion. The experiment was simulated with thermal elastic-plastic analysis based on FEM. Comparing and investigating both results, the dominant factors for high accuracy prediction of welding distortion were determined. In the thermal elastic-plastic analysis, the yield condition should be satisfied regardless of the magnitude of yield stress of the material. It was not known if the predicted results of welding distortion obtained without satisfying the yield condition in the whole temperature range were overestimated or underestimated. The accuracy of prediction of welding distortion was improved by applying heat input to the weld metal bead shape, not just the groove profile. It was determined that satisfying the yield condition in the entire temperature range and considering the weld metal shape as the deposited metal were the dominant factors for high accuracy prediction of welding distortion.