FIND THE ROOT CAUSE OF WELDING-INDUCED DISTORTION BY NUMERICAL MODELING METHOD

The cumulative, shrinkage plastic strains and their distributions in the weld joint after completion of the welding process determine welding-induced distortion. Although the weldment undergoes many complex physical and metallurgical changes during welding, only the material plastic temperature range and its cooling history below this temperature range influence the [mal state of the cumulative shrinkage plastic strains. In addition, for structural welds, these plastic strains are uniform, except in the arc start and stop regions, along the weld. Therefore, the plastic strain-based "inherent shrinkage model" is effective and accurate to describe welding-induced distortion. This paper presents the theoretical background and numerical verification of this root cause.