Sequential Transient Numerical Simulation of Inertia Friction Welding Process

Abstract

Inertia friction welding processes often generate substantial residual stresses due to the heterogeneous temperature distribution during the welding process. The residual stresses, which are the results of incompatible elastic and plastic deformations in weldment, will alter the performance of welded structures. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) finite element analysis has been performed to analyze the coupled thermo-mechanical problem of inertia friction welding of a hollow 36CrNiMo4 cylinder. The analyses include the effect of conduction and convection heat transfer in conjunction with the angular velocity and the thrust pressure. The results include joint deformation and a full-field view of the residual stress field and the transient temperature distribution field in the weldment. The shape of deformation matches the experimental results reported in the literature. The residual stresses in the heat-affected zone have a high magnitude but comparatively are smaller than the yield strength of the material.