Predicting welding distortion in a panel structure with longitudinal stiffeners using inherent deformations obtained...

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Welding-induced deformation impacts product accuracy and performance.
• Accurate prediction of welding deformation aids in developing strategies for enhanced manufacturing precision.
• Existing finite element methods (FEM) have limitations in simulating large-scale welding deformation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel inverse analysis method for obtaining inherent deformations in weld joints.
• To integrate these inherent deformations into an elastic FEM framework for predicting welding distortion.
• To validate the proposed method's effectiveness through experimental comparison.

Main Methods:

• Developed an inverse analysis technique to calculate inherent deformations in weld joints.
• Employed elastic FEM based on inherent strain theory, incorporating the derived inherent deformations.
• Conducted experiments on a panel structure with longitudinal stiffeners to validate simulation results.

Main Results:

• The proposed inverse analysis method successfully determined inherent deformations for weld joints.
• The elastic FEM, utilizing the obtained inherent deformations, accurately predicted welding deformation in the tested panel structure.
• Experimental results corroborated the simulation predictions, confirming the method's efficacy.

Conclusions:

• The novel inverse analysis method provides an effective means to obtain inherent deformations for weld joints.
• This approach enhances the predictive capability of elastic FEM for welding-induced deformation in large and complex structures.
• The validated method offers a valuable tool for improving dimensional accuracy and product performance in welded structures.