Thermal and structural modelling of arc welding processes: A literature review

Abstract

This paper presents a state-of-the-art critical review of the thermal and structural modelling of the arc welding process. During the welding process, high temperature in the welding zone leads to generation of unwanted residual stresses and results in weld distortion. Measurement of the temperature distribution was a key issue and challenge in the past decade. Thermomechanical analysis is among the best-known techniques to simulate and investigate the temperature distribution, welding distortion and residual stresses in the weld zone. The main emphasis of this review is the thermal and structural modelling of welding processes and the measurement of welding residual stresses using different techniques. The study also provides information about the various types of heat sources and models used to predict the weld bead characteristics and thermomechanical analysis for different welding processes such as tungsten inert gas welding, metal inert gas welding and shielded metal arc welding.