Effect of inductor position on thermal characteristics during induction lap welding process for Fe/Al dissimilar metal

Abstract

In order to investigate the influence of the inductor position on thermal characteristics during induction lap welding (ILW) process of steel-aluminum heterogeneous metals, the finite element model of ILW process was established. The effect of X-coordinate and Z-coordinate on the magnetic flux density, heat affected zone (HAZ) and temperature uniformity during ILW process was studied. The results show that a relatively small Z-coordinate value increases the maximum magnetic flux density and the maximum temperature of the workpiece in the process of ILW on Fe/Al dissimilar metal, reduces the time to reach the thermal equilibrium, and the temperature uniformity is relatively low. A relatively small X-coordinate value reduces the maximum magnetic flux density and the maximum temperature of the workpiece in the process of ILW on Fe/Al dissimilar metal, increases the time to reach the thermal equilibrium, and the temperature uniformity is relatively high. The Z-direction coordinate value (change of proximity effect) has a greater influence on the electromagnetic and temperature fields during ILW than the X-direction coordinate value (change of magnetic shielding region). The simulated temperature curve with time and the HAZ distribution under different process parameters agree with the experimental results, which proves the reliability of the numerical model.