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Eingeladener Vortrag
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The present thesis provides a contribution to the solution of the inverse heat conduction problem in welding simulation. The solution strategy is governed by the need that the phenomenological simulation model utilised for the direct solution has to provide calculation results within short computational time. This is a fundamental criterion in order to apply optimisation algorithms for the detection of optimal model parameter sets. The direct simulation model focuses on the application of functional-analytical methods for solving the corresponding partial differential equation of heat conduction. In particular, volume heat sources with a bounding of the domain of action are applied. Besides the known normal and exponential distribution, the models are extended by the introduction of parabolically distributed heat sources. Furthermore, the movement on finite specimens under consideration of curved trajectories has been introduced and solved analytically. The calibration of heat source models against experimental reference data involves the simultaneous adaptation of model parameters. Here, the global parameter space is searched in a randomised manner. However, an optimisation pre-processing is needed to get information about the sensitivity of the weld characteristics like weld pool dimension or objective function due to a change of the model parameters. Because of their low computational cost functional-analytical models are well suited to allow extensive sensitivity studies which is demonstrated in this thesis. For real welding experiments the applicability of the simulation framework to reconstruct the temperature field is shown. In addition, computational experiments are performed that allow to evaluate which experimental reference data is needed to represent the temperature field uniquely. Moreover, the influence of the reference data like fusion line in the cross section or temperature measurements are examined concerning the response behaviour of the objective function and the uniqueness of the optimisation problem. The efficient solution of the inverse problem requires two aspects, namely fast solutions of the direct problem but also a reasonable number of degrees of freedom of the optimization problem. Hence, a method was developed that allows the direct derivation of the energy distribution by means of the fusion line in the cross section, which allows reducing the dimension of the optimisation problem significantly. All conclusions regarding the sensitivity studies and optimisation behaviour are also valid for numerical models for which reason the investigations can be treated as generic.
The objective of this paper is to demonstrate a new simulation technique which allows fast and automatic generation of temperature fields as input for subsequent thermomechanical welding simulation. The basic idea is to decompose the process model into an empirical part based on neural networks and a phenomenological part that describes the physical phenomena. The strength of this composite modelling approach is the automatic calibration of mathematical models against experimental data without the need for manual interference by an experienced user. As an example for typical applications in laser beam and GMA-laser hybrid welding, it is shown that even 3D heat conduction models of a low complexity can approximate measured temperature fields with a sufficient accuracy. In general, any derivation of model fitting parameters from the real process adds uncertainties to the simulation independent of the complexity of the underlying phenomenological model. The modelling technique presented hybridises empirical and phenomenological models. It reduces the model uncertainties by exploiting additional information which keeps normally hidden in the data measured when the model calibration is performed against few experimental data sets. In contrast, here the optimal model parameter set corresponding to a given process parameter is computed by means of an empirical submodel based on relatively large set of experimental data. The approach allows making a contribution to an efficient compensation of modelling inaccuracies and lack of knowledge about thermophysical material properties or boundary conditions. Two illustrating examples are provided.
The objective of this paper is to demonstrate a new simulation technique which allows the fast and automatic generation to temperature fields based on a combination of empirical and phenomenological modelling techniques. The automatic calibration of the phenomenological model is performed by a multi-variable global optimisation routine which yields the optimal fit between simulated and experimental weld charcteristics without the need for initial model parameters. For exemplary welding processes it is shown that linear 3D heat conduction models can approximate measured temperature fields with a high accuracy. The modelling approach presented comprises the automatic calibration against multiple experiments which permits simulating the temperature field for unknown process parameters. The validation of this composite simulation model is performed for exemplary welding processes and includes the prediction of the fusion line in the cross section and the corresponding thermal cycles.
Fast temperature field generation for welding simulation and reduction of experimental effort
(2009)
The quality of welding processes is governed by the occurring induced distortions yielding an
increase in production costs due to necessary reworking. Especially for more complex specimens
it is difficult to evaluate the optimal configuration of welding sequences in order to
minimise the distortion. Even experienced welding operators can solve this task only by trial
and error which is time and cost consuming.
In modern engineering the application of welding simulation is already known to be able to
analyse the heat effects of welding virtually. However, the welding process is governed by
complex physical interactions. Thus, recent weld thermal models are based on many simplifications.
The state of the art is to apply numerical methods in order to solve the transient heat
conduction equation. Therefore, it is not possible to use the real process parameters as input
for the mathematical model. The model parameters which allow calculating a temperature
field that is in best agreement with the experiments cannot be defined directly but inversely by
multiple simulations runs. In case of numerical simulation software based on finite discretisation
schemes this approach is very time consuming and requires expert users. The weld
thermal model contains an initial weakness which has to be adapted by finding an optimal set
of model parameters. This process of calibration is often done against few experiments. The
range of model validity is limited. An extension can be obtained by performing a calibration
against multiple experiments.
The focus of the paper is to show a combined modelling technique which provides an efficient
solution of the inverse heat conduction problem mentioned above. On the one hand the inverse
problem is solved by application of fast weld thermal models which are closed form
solutions of the heat conduction equation. In addition, a global optimisation algorithm allows
an automated calibration of the weld thermal model. This technique is able to provide a temperature
field automatically that fits the experimental one with high accuracy within minutes
on ordinary office computers. This fast paradigm permits confirming the application of welding
simulation in an industrial environment as automotive industry.
On the other hand, the initial model weakness is compensated by calibrating the model
against multiple experiments. The unknown relationship between model and process parameters
is approximated by a neural network. The validity of the model is increased successively
and enables to decrease experimental effort. For a test case it is shown, that this approach
yields accurate temperature fields within very short amount of time for unknown process parameters
as input data to the model contributing to the requirement to construct a substitute
system of the real welding process.
This paper presents an approach to reconstruct the three-dimensional transient temperature field for fusion welding processes as input data for computational weld mechanics. The methodology to solve this inverse heat conduction problem fast and automatically focuses on analytical temperature field models for volumetric heat sources and application of global optimisation. The important issue addressed here is the question which experimental data is needed to guarantee a unique reconstruction of the experimental temperature field. Different computational-experimental test cases are executed to determine the influence of various sets of discrete experimental data on the solvability of the optimisation problem. The application of energy distributions utilised for laser beam welding allows reconstructing the temperature field efficiently. Furthermore, the heat input into the workpiece determined by the simulation contributes to the evaluation of the thermal efficiency of the welding process.
Austenite grain growth during welding is a critical factor for controlling weld microstructure in addition to nominal composition and thermal cycles. Recently, experimental data suggesting a decrease in martensite start temperature with a decrease in prior austenite grain size has been published. However, the actual sensitivity of this phenomenon on residual stresses evolution in the heat-affected zone has not been investigated, yet. Therefore, a numerical model was modified to consider this phenomenon. Numerical simulations were performed for welding of a low-alloy structural steel with minimum yield strength of 355 MPa (S355J2+N) and a heat-resistant steel P91 or 9Cr–1Mo, respectively. The results clarify the influence of prior austenite grain size on the residual stress development and show the importance martensite transformation temperatures and final martensite fraction. Consequently, the residual stress evolution of P91, which completely transforms to martensite while cooling, based on the enhanced model leads to maximum stress differences of 200 MPa in the heat-affected zone.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) are applied in evaluating possible social and environmental impacts of the state-of-art welding technologies, such as Manual Metal Arc Welding (MMAW), Manual Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Automatic GMAW and Automatic Laser-Arc Hybrid Welding (LAHW). The LCA results indicate that for 1 meter weld seam, MMAW consumes the largest amount of resources (like filler material and coating on electrodes) and energy, which contributes to comparatively higher environmental impacts in global warming potential, acidification, photochemical ozone creation potential and eutrophication than other chosen processes. With regard to social aspects, the health issues and fair salary are under survey to compare the relative potential risk on human health caused by fumes in different welding technologies, and to indicate the sufficiency of current salary of welders in Germany. The results reflect that the wage status of welders is still fair and sufficient. The manual processes bring much higher potential risk of welders health than the automatic processes, especially MMAW.
The residual stress distribution of tungsten inert gas welded S235JRC+C plates was determined by means of neutron diffraction(ND). Large longitudinal residual stresses with maxima around 600 MPa were found. With these results as reference, the evaluation of residual stress with high spatial resolution GMR (giant magneto resistance) sensors was discussed. The experiments performed indicate a correlation between changes in residual stresses (ND) and the normal component of local residual magnetic stray fields (GMR). Spatial variations in the magnetic field strength perpendicular to the welds are in the order of the magnetic field of the earth.
Numerical Sensitivity Analysis of TRIP-Parameter K on Weld Residual Stresses and Weld Distortion
(2016)
A combined experimental numerical approach is applied for a sensitivity analysis of the transformation induced plasticity (TRIP)-parameter K on welding residual stresses and welding distortion for the welding of the low-alloyed high-strength S960QOL with the high-alloyed hig-strength filler material CN13-4-IG. A thermo-mechanical FE model of a real GMA welding process was experimentally validated against termperature field, X-Ray stress measurments and optical distortion measurement. Within the sensititvity analysis K was varied and the influence on the calculated welding residual stresses and welding distortion is evaluated by performing corresponding FEA. The correct order of K magnitude is necessary in order to reproduce the residual stresses qualitatively and quantitatively. For the sufficient reproducing of the welding distortion the transformation induced plasticity can be neglected.
Evaluating innovative process technologies has become highly important within the last decades. As standard tools different Life Cycle Assessment methods have been established, which are continuously improved. While those are designed for evaluating single processes they run into difficulties when it comes to assessing environmental impacts of process innovations at macroeconomic level. In this paper we develop a multi-step evaluation framework building on multi regional inputeoutput data that allows estimating macroeconomic impacts of new process technologies, considering the network characteristics of the global economy.
Our procedure is as follows: i) we measure differences in material usage of process alternatives, ii) we identify where the standard processes are located within economic networks and virtually replace those by innovative process technologies, iii) we account for changes within economic systems and evaluate impacts on emissions.
Within this paper we exemplarily apply the methodology to two recently developed innovative technologies: longitudinal large diameter steel pipe welding and turning of high-temperature resistant materials. While we find the macroeconomic impacts of very specific process innovations to be small, its conclusions can significantly differ from traditional process based approaches. Furthermore, information gained from the methodology provides relevant additional insights for decision makers extending the picture gained from traditional process life cycle assessment.
An approach to develop an arc sensor for gap width estimation during automated NG-GMAW with a weaving electrode motion is introduced by combining arc sensor readings with optical measurements of the groove shape to allow precise analyses of the process. The two test specimen welded for this study were designed to feature a variable groove geometry in order to maximize efficiency of the conducted experimental efforts, resulting in 1696 individual weaving cycle records with associated arc sensor measurements, process parameters and groove shape information. Gap width was varied from 18 mm to 25 mm and wire feed rates in the range of 9 m/min to 13 m/min were used in the course of this study. Artificial neural networks were applied as a modelling tool to derive an arc sensor for estimation of gap width suitable for online process control that can adapt to changes in process parameters as well as changes in the weaving motion of the electrode. Wire feed rate, weaving current, sidewall dwell currents and angles were defined as inputs to calculate the gap width. The evaluation of the proposed arc sensor model shows very good estimation capabilities for parameters sufficiently covered during the experiments.
Simultaneous measurement of tool torque, traverse force and axial force in friction stir welding
(2013)
Simultaneous measurement of the tool torque, traverse force and axial force during friction stir welding process is of great significance to the understanding of the underlying process mechanism and the optimizing of the process parameters. Different from the traditional measurement methods using load cell or rotating component dynamometer, an indirect but economical methodology is used in this study for the simultaneous measurement of the traverse force, axial force and tool torque by monitoring the output torques of the servo motors and main spindle three-phase AC induction motor inside the FSW machine. The values of the traverse force, axial force and tool torque are determined under different welding conditions, and the influencing factors are examined. The measured results in friction stir welding of AA2024-T4 aluminum alloys at different combinations of tool rotation speed and welding speed lay foundation for process optimization.
Grain refinement is an important possibility to enhance the mechanical properties such as strength, ductility and toughness of aluminium weld metal. In this study, grain refinement was achieved through the addition of commercial grain refiner Al Ti5B1 to gas tungsten arc weld metal of the aluminium alloys 1050A (Al 99.5) and 5083 (Al Mg4.5Mn0.7). The grain refiner additions led to a significant reduction of the weld metal mean grain size (Alloy 1050A, 86 %; Alloy 5083, 44 %) with a change in grain shape from columnar to equiaxed. Tensile tests showed for Alloy 5083 that the weld metal's ductility can be increased through grain refinement. No improvement in weld metal strength (i.e. yield strength and ultimate tensile strength) was observed. Furthermore, tear tests with notched specimens revealed that the resistance against initiation and propagation of cracks in the weld metal can be enhanced through grain refinement. The toughness was observed to increase clearly by grain refinement in weld metal of commercial pure Al (Alloy 1050A). In Alloy 5083 weld metal, the toughness was not improved through grain refinement, likely because of a semi-continuous network of brittle intermetallic phases that facilitate crack propagation.
Modeling of gas metal arc welding process using an analytically determined volumetric heat source
(2013)
High peak temperature and continuous deposition of electrode droplets in the weld puddle inhibit real-time monitoring of thermal cycles and bead dimensions in gas metal arc welding. A three-dimensional numerical heat transfer model is presented here to compute temperature field and bead dimensions considering a volumetric heat source to account for the transfer of arc energy into the weld pool. The heat source dimensions are analytically estimated as function of welding conditions and original joint geometry. The deposition of electrode material is modeled using deactivation and activation of discrete elements in a presumed V-groove joint geometry. The computed values of bead dimensions and thermal cycles are validated with the corresponding measured results. A comparison of the analytically estimated heat source dimensions and the corresponding numerically computed bead dimensions indicate that the former could rightly serve as the basis for conduction heat transfer based models of gas metal arc welding process.
In order to generate a material data base for computational welding mechanics, temperature and strain-rate dependent stress-strain experiments were performed by using a Gleeble®3500 testing system. The object of the investigation was HSLA transformable steel S960QL and related solid phases as bainite, martensite and austenite. For the production of these solid phases, the base material was heat treated according to an average weld temperature cycle which was extracted within the heat affected zone of a thermal numerical weld simulation of a GMA weld. The hot tensile tests were carried out via cost-saving flat specimen geometries. Two experimental series with different strain-rates were conducted, where the longitudinal strain-rate was controlled by specification of the transversal strain-rate applying Poisson’s-ratio. Subsequently, the resulting stress-strain curves were approximated in accordance with the Ramberg-Osgood-materials law. Consequently, it is shown that the temperature and strain-rate dependent stress-strain behavior of metals can be successfully characterized by means of a Gleeble®-system.
However, this requires a control of the longitudinal strain-rate by specification of the transversal strain-rate. The related experimental procedure and the method of evaluation are explained in detail. With regard to all tested solid phases, a significant strain-rate dependency can only be observed upwards from temperatures of 400 °C. Based on experimental results, Ramberg-Osgood-parameters will be presented to describe the stress-strain behavior of steel S960QL and related solid phases for temperatures between 25 °C and 1200 °C. Furthermore, the use of costsaving flat specimen-geometry appears reasonable.
This study examines the relationship between the magnetic mesostructure with the microstructure of low carbon steel tungsten inert gas welds. Optical microscopy revealed variation in the microstructure of the parent material, in the heat affected and fusion zones, correlating with distinctive changes in the local magnetic stray fields measured with high spatial resolution giant magneto resistance sensors. In the vicinity of the heat affected zone high residual stresses were found using neutron diffraction.
Notably, the gradients of von Mises stress and triaxial magnetic stray field modulus follow the same tendency transverse to the weld. In contrast, micro-X-ray fluorescence characterization indicated that local changes in element composition had no independent effect on magnetic stray fields.
More than 80 representatives of SMEs, industrial companies and research institutes met on September 12 at the workshop "Challenges in Additive Manufacturing: Innovative Materials and Quality Control" at BAM in Adlershof to discuss the latest developments in materials and quality control in additive manufacturing.
In special lectures, researchers, users and equipment manufacturers reported on the latest and future developments in additive manufacturing. Furthermore, funding opportunities for projects between SMEs and research institutions on a national and European level were presented.
The digitalization of industrial processes is the most discussed topic in society these days. New business models have been developed to benefit from the opportunities offered by a digitally connected world. However, the focus in on the smart factory consisting of autonomous acting cyber physical systems (CPS). The efficient implementation of such CPS within an industrial environment requires the digitalization of the corresponding production processes. The digital twin of the process under investigation enables to develop sophisticated monitoring and control strategies which are necessary to fulfil the requirements of individual product design.
The need for a digitalization of the welding process is a logical consequence especially with regards to its industrial importance. The theoretical investigations and derived mathematical models of the welding process are well known since many decades. Anyhow, there is still a lack of industrial applicability of such models for an efficient and safe design of welded components. With respect to structural welding simulation that targets the heat effects of welding in terms of global quantities like temperature, solid phase distribution and residual stresses as well as distortions, the limited predictability of these quantities for arbitrary process parameters hinders its usability.
This presentation aims to give an overview of the current state of the art in structural welding simulation to predict the evolution of welding induced temperatures, stresses and distortions. Emphasis is given to industrial applicability of such models by reduction of the calculation times for large real-world structures and improved prediction of optimal process parameters. Furthermore, the role of such models within a weld data management system is demonstrated. The accumulation and relational storage of simulation and measuring data improves the overall process knowledge. This enables virtual cause and effect analyses of new process parameters as basis for a control system design.
The development within the offshore wind energy sector towards
more powerful turbines combined with increasing water depth
for new wind parks is challenging both, the designer as well as
the manufacturer of support structures. Besides XL-monopiles
the jacket support structure is a reasonable alternative due to the
high rigidity combined with low material consumption. However,
the effort for manufacturing of the hollow section joints reduces
the economic potential of jacket structures significantly. Therefore,
a changeover from an individual towards a serial production
based on automated manufactured tubular joints combined with
standardized pipes has to be achieved. Hence, this paper addresses
the welding process chain of automated manufactured
tubular joints including digitization of the relevant manufacturing parameters such as laser scanning of the weld seam geometry.
An approach to develop an arc sensor for gap-width estimation during automated NG-GMAW with a weaving electrode motion is introduced by combining arc sensor readings with optical measurement of the groove shape to allow precise analyses of the process. The two test specimen welded for this study were designed to feature a variable groove geometry in order to maximize efficiency of the conducted experimental efforts, resulting in 1696 individual weaving cycle records with associated arc sensor measurements, process parameters and groove shape information. Gap width was varied from 18 to 25 mm and wire feed rates in the range of 9 to 13 m/min were used in the course of this study. Artificial neural networks were used as a modelling tool to derive an arc sensor for estimation of gap width suitable for online process control that can adapt to changes in process parameters as well as changes in the weaving motion of the electrode. Wire feed rate, weaving current, sidewall dwell currents and angles were used as inputs to calculate the gap width. Evaluation the proposed arc sensor model show very good estimation capabilities for parameters sufficiently covered during experiments.
This paper investigates gas metal arc welding (GMAW) with respect to energy consumption and its associated environmental impacts. Different material transfer modes and power levels for single wire GMAW (SGMAW) and tandem GMAW (TGMAW) are evaluated by means of the indicator electrical deposition efficiency. Furthermore, the wall-plug efficiency of the equipment is measured in order to describe the total energy consumption from the electricity grid. The results show that the energy efficiency is highly affected by the respective process and can be significantly enhanced by a TGMAW process. The wall-plug efficiency of the equipment shows no significant dependency on the power range or the material transfer mode. Moreover, the method of life cycle assessment (LCA) is adopted in order to investigate the influences of energy efficient welding on the environmental impacts. In the comparative LCA study, the demand of electrical energy is reduced up to 24%. In consequence, the indicator values for global warming potential (100), acidification potential, eutrophication potential, and photochemical ozone creation potential are reduced up to 11%.
Single-wire gas metal arc welding (SGMAW) and high power tandem GMAW (TGMAW) are evaluated with respect to energy efficiency. The key performance indicator electrical deposition efficiency is applied to reflect the energy efficiency of GMAW in different material transfer modes. Additionally, the wall-plug efficiency of the equipment is determined in order to identify the overall energy consumption. The results show that energy efficiency can be increased by 24% and welding time is reduced over 50% by application of the tandem processes. A comparative life cycle assessment of a 30-mm-thick weld is conducted to investigate the influences of the energy efficiency on the environmental impacts. The environmental impacts on the categories global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, and photochemical ozone creation potential can be reduced up to 11% using an energy-efficient TGMAW process.
The accurate prediction of the thermal energy generation and distribution in friction stir welding process is of great significance for the optimization of the process parameters and the understanding of the underlying mechanisms. In this study, a new method of integrative calculation and measurement is proposed to obtain the more reasonable values of the frictional coefficient and the slip rate, which are both used to characterize the heat generation rate at the tool-workpiece contact interfaces. A three-dimensional model is established to fully couple the energy generation, heat transfer and material flow in friction stir welding of aluminum alloys. The energy produced by both interfacial friction and plastic deformation are taken into consideration. The analysis accuracy of the thermal energy generation and distribution is improved, and the distribution features of thermal energy density in the vicinity of the tool are elucidated. The predicted peak temperature values at some locations are in agreement with the experimentally measured ones.
The microstructure of a fusion weld has great influences on the susceptibility of the base material to hot cracking and on the mechanical properties of the weld. Small, globulitic grains are necessary for increased strength, ductility and toughness and for a low inclination to hot cracking instead of large, oblong grains. This study reports on the factors which exert the main influences on such grain refinement in the weld. Thus, the influences of the thermal conditions, the chemical composition of the weld metal and the number and type of solidification nuclei on the microstructure were classified for the TIG welding of three different aluminium alloys.
Microcrack formation during gas metal arc welding of high-strength fine-grained structural steel
(2014)
The recent development of high-performance-modified spray arc processes in gas metal arc welding due to modern digital control technology and inverter power sources enables a focused spray arc, which results in higher penetration depths and welding speed. However, microcracks occurred in the weld metal while approaching the process limits of the modified spray arc, represented by a 20-mm double layer DV-groove butt-weld. These cracks were detected in structural steel exhibiting a yield strength level of up to 960 MPa and are neither dependent on the used weld power source nor a consequence of the modified spray arc process itself. The metallographic and fractographic investigations of the rather exceptional fracture surface lead to the classification of the microcracks as hot cracks. The effects of certain welding parameters on the crack probability are clarified using a statistical design of experiment. However, these microcracks do not impact the design specification for toughness in the Charpy V-notch test (absorbed energy at -40 °C for the present material is 30 J).
Selecting a welding process for a given application is crucial with respect to the sustainability of part manufacturing. Unfortunately, since welding processes are evaluated by a number of criteria, preferences for one or the other process can be contradictory. However, the prevalent procedure of weight assignment for each criterion is subjective and does not provide information about the entire solution space. From the perspective of a decision maker it is important to be able to assess the entire set of possible weightings and answer the question which welding process is optimal for which set of weights. This issue is investigated by means of a weight space partitioning approach. Two welding processes are considered with respect to three criteria that reflect their economic and environmental performance. In order to find the most sustainable welding process the underlying weight space partition is evaluated.
Increasing performance and energy efficiency of Gas Metal Arc Welding by a high power tandem process
(2016)
Standard Gas Metal Arc Welding (Standard GMAW) and a high power Tandem GMAW (TGMAW) process are evaluated with respect to energy efficiency. Current, voltage and overall equipment power are measured and energy consumption is determined. The new key performance indicator Electrical Deposition Efficiency is introduced to reflect the energy efficiency of GMAW processes. Additionally, wallplug efficiency of the equipment is determined in order to identify the overall energy consumption. Results show that energy efficiency as well as economic process performance can be significantly increased by application of the TGMAW process. Furthermore findings indicate that wall-plug efficiency of the equipment is independent of power level and material transfer mode. A metal plate of 30 mm thick structural steel is joined by Standard GMAW and TGMAW to demonstrate the total energy savings for a real weld. Electricity consumption is reduced by more than 20 % using the high power TGMAW process.
The paper presents bounded volume heat sources and the corresponding functional-analytical expressions for the temperature field. The power density distributions considered here are normal, exponential and parabolic. The sources model real heat sources like the welding arc, laser beam, electron beam, etc., the convection in the weld pool as well as the latent heat due to fusion and solidification. The parameters of the heat source models are unknown a priori and have to be evaluated by solving an inverse heat conduction problem. The functional-analytical technique for calculating 3D temperature fields in butt welding is developed. The proposed technique makes it possible to reduce considerably the total time for data input and solution. It is demonstrated with an example of laser beam welding of steel plates.
This paper presents volume heat sources and the corresponding functional analytical Solutions for the transient temperature field. The considered energy distributions are normal, exponential and parabolic. The method follows the common approach in Computational Welding Mechanics (CWM) to account for the physics of the welding process and the resulting temperature field by phenomenological models for heat conduction. Therefore, the used heat source models are apparent heat sources that incorporate the real heat input as well as the fluid flow in the weld pool and the latent heat connected with phase transformations. The heat source models provide welding characteristics like thermal cycle and Fusion line in the cross section within short computational time. Consequently, inverse techniques on basis of optimisation algorithms enable the adaptation of the models to the experimental data efficiently. Furthermore, the direct evaluation of the energy distribution for the experimental fusion line in the cross section is demonstrated which enhances the numerical optimisation by reducing the number of unknown model Parameters and providing a reasonable initial guess within the model parameter space. The proposed temperature field models are validated with real laser beam welding experiments.
Fast temperature field generation for welding simulation and reduction of experimental effort
(2011)
The quality of welding processes is governed by the occurring induced distortions yielding an increase in production costs due to necessary reworking. Especially for more complex specimens, it is difficult to evaluate the optimal configuration of welding sequences in order to minimize the distortion. Even experienced welding operators can solve this task only by trial and error which is time and cost consuming. In modern engineering the application of welding simulation is already known to be able to analyse the heat effects of welding virtually. However, the welding process is governed by complex physical interactions. Thus, recent weld thermal models are based on many simplifications. The state of the art is to apply numerical methods in order to solve the transient heat conduction equation. Therefore, it is not possible to use the real process parameters as input for the mathematical model. The model parameters which allow calculating a temperature field that is in best agreement with the experiments cannot be defined directly but inversely by multiple simulations runs. In case of numerical simulation software based on finite discretization schemes this approach is very time consuming and requires expert users. The weld thermal model contains an initial weakness which has to be adapted by finding an optimal set of model parameters. This process of calibration is often done against few experiments. The range of model validity is limited. An extension can be obtained by performing a calibration against multiple experiments. The focus of the paper is to show a combined modelling technique which provides an efficient solution of the inverse heat conduction problem mentioned above. On the one hand the inverse problem is solved by application of fast weld thermal models which are closed form solutions of the heat conduction equation. In addition, a global optimization algorithm allows an automated calibration of the weld thermal model. This technique is able to provide a temperature field automatically that fits the experimental one with high accuracy within minutes on ordinary office computers. This fast paradigm permits confirming the application of welding simulation in an industrial environment as automotive industry. On the other hand, the initial model weakness is compensated by calibrating the model against multiple experiments. The unknown relationship between model and process parameters is approximated by a neural network. The validity of the model is increased successively and enables to decrease experimental effort, For a test case, it is shown that this approach yields accurate temperature fields within very short amount of time for unknown process parameters as input data to the model contributing to the requirement to construct a substitute system of the real welding process.
Refinement of the weld metal grain structure can improve the mechanical properties of the weld and decrease the susceptibility to solidification cracking of the weld metal. In this study, commercial Al Ti5B1 grain refiner was used to refine the microstructure of LB (laser beam) and GTA (gas tungsten arc) aluminum welds by inoculation. The grain refiner additions led to a significant decrease in the weld metal mean grain size whereby a transition from columnar to equiaxed grain structure (Columnar to Equiaxed Transition, CET) was observed. The development of both grain size and shape depended upon the base metal (Al alloys 1050A, 5083 and 6082) and upon the welding process. The GTA welding process allowed a more pronounced and a more efficient refinement than in LB welds. Furthermore, the influence of the solidification conditions on the CET was investigated through temperature measurements in the weld metal. The temperature profiles revealed a faster solidification of LB welds than in GTA welds. The results from the temperature measurements were also used to estimate (according to an existing model) the critical thermal gradient at which the CET occurs.
Influence of solute content and solidification parameters on grain refinement of aluminum weld metal
(2013)
Grain refinement provides an important possibility to enhance the mechanical properties (e.g., strength and ductility) and the weldability (susceptibility to solidification cracking) of aluminum weld metal. In the current study, a filler metal consisting of aluminum base metal and different amounts of commercial grain refiner Al Ti5B1 was produced. The filler metal was then deposited in the base metal and fused in a GTA welding process. Additions of titanium and boron reduced the weld metal mean grain size considerably and resulted in a transition from columnar to equiaxed grain shape (CET). In commercial pure aluminum (Alloy 1050A), the grain-refining efficiency was higher than that in the Al alloys 6082 and 5083. Different welding and solidification parameters influenced the grain size response only slightly. Furthermore, the observed grain-size reduction was analyzed by means of the undercooling parameter P and the growth restriction parameter Q, which revealed the influence of solute elements and nucleant particles on grain size.
The application of welded aluminum constructions has increased over the last decades due to the high demand for lightweight design. In this context aluminum alloys have a significant importance especially the heat treatable Al-Mg-Si alloys. With regards to welding the heat input causes the dissolving of the precipitates yielding a degradation of the strength properties. Furthermore, there is the risk of solidification cracking during welding for Al-Mg-Si alloys, especially AW 6082-T6. As a consequence Al-Mg-Si alloys are welded using a dissimilar filler material based on 5xxxx aluminum alloys that yields a reduction of resulting strength properties in comparison to the base material. Therefore, the paper presents the application of a novel massive filler wire for Al-Mg-Si alloys. The wire consists of AW 6082 with additionally added AlTi5B1 master alloy fostering the grain refinement of the weld metal. Exemplarily for the base material AW 6082-T6 GMA welding experiments are performed using the novel filler wire 6082TiB. It could be shown that solidification cracks could totally be avoided. The tensile strength of the welded joints are evaluated and compared with weldments using a conventional 5183 filler wire. Artificial aging is performed after welding in order to improve the strength properties by solution hardening showing the potential of these alloys.
Welding is the most important joining technology. In the steel construction
industry, e.g. production of windmill sections, welding accounts for a
main part of the manufacturing costs and resource consumption. Moreover, social
issues attached to welding involve working in dangerous environments. This aspect
has unfortunately been neglected so far, in light of a predominant focus on economics
combined with a lack of suitable assessment methods. In this chapter,
exemplary welding processes are presented that reduce the environmental and
social impacts of thick metal plate welding. Social and environmental Life Cycle
Assessments for a thick metal plate joint are conducted for the purpose of
expressing and analysing the social and environmental impacts of welding.
Furthermore, it is shown that state-of-the-art technologies like Gas Metal Arc
Welding with modified spray arcs and Laser Arc-Hybrid Welding serve to increase
social and environmental performance in contrast to common technologies, and
therefore offer great potential for sustainable manufacturing.
Ultrasonic vibration enhanced friction stir welding (UVeFSW) is a recent modification of conventional friction stir welding (FSW), which transmits ultrasonic vibration directly into the localized area of the workpiece near and ahead of the rotating tool. In this study, a high strength aluminium alloy (2024-T4) was welded by this process and conventional FSW, respectively. Then tensile tests, microhardness tests and fracture surface analysis were performed successively on the welding samples. The tests results reveal that ultrasonic vibration can improve the tensile strength and the elongation of welded joints. The microhardness of the stir zone also increases.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is applied in evaluating environmental impacts of state-of-the-art welding technologies. Manual Metal Arc Welding (MMAW), Laser Arc-Hybrid Welding (LAHW) and two Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) variants are used to join a plate of 20 mm thick structural steel. The LCA results indicate that for 1 m weld seam, MMAW causes the highest environmental impacts in global warming potential (GWP), eutrophication potential (EP), acidification potential (AP), and photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP) among the selected processes, and the LAHW variant performances the least. Filler material and electricity consumptions generally dominate the impacts and reach shares of up to 80% and 61% in the respective impact categories. However, electrode coating consumption in MMAW remarkably contributes impacts on AP and EP, for instance 52% of AP and 76% of EP. Strategies for improvement of the applied welding technologies are discussed.
Numerical sensitivity analysis of TRIP-parameter K on weld residual stresses for steel S355J2+ N
(2016)
A combined experimental numerical approach is applied for sensitivity analysis of the transformation induced plasticity (TRIP)-parameter K on weld residual stresses for welding of structural steel of grade S355J2+N. K was determined experimentally using the Gleeble 3500 facility. A thermomechanical FE model of the real welding process was experimentally validated against temperature field and X-ray stress measurements. Within sensitivity analyses K was varied by several orders of magnitude and the influence on the calculated residual stresses is evaluated by performing corresponding FEA. The correct order of magnitude is sufficient to reproduce the residual stresses qualitatively and quantitatively.
A combined experimental numerical approach is applied to determine the transformation induced plasticity (TRIP)-parameter K for different strength low-alloy steels of grade S355J2+N and S960QL as well as the super martensitic filler CN13-4-IG containing 13 wt% chromium and 4 wt% nickel. The thermo-physical analyses were conducted using a Gleeble® 3500 facility. The thermal histories of the specimens to be tested were extracted from corresponding simulations of a real gas metal arc weldment. In contrast to common TRIP-experiments which are based on complex specimens a simple flat specimen was utilized together with an engineering evaluation method. The evaluation method was validated with literature values for the TRIP-parameter. It could be shown that the proposed approach enables a correct description of the TRIP behavior.
A combined experimental and numerical approach is applied for a numerical analysis of the non-uniform martensitic transformation kinetic on welding residual stresses and distortion of a single pass weld. The (γ → α)-transformation kinetic within the weld pool region is governed by a non-uniform distribution of the elements chromium and nickel. The single-pass weld was performed by use of the low-alloyed high-strength steel S960QL with the high-alloyed high-strength filler wire CN 13/4-IG®. A thermo-mechanical FE model of the welding process was experimentally validated against temperature field, solid phase distribution, transformation behaviour, X-Ray stress measurements and transient optical distortion measurements.
The experimentally determined and calculated weld residual stresses and transient distortion are in good agreement. It can be shown that the change on the (γ → α)-transformation kinetic driven by the inhomogeneous distribution of the chemical contents causes a strong influence on the weld residual stresses within the volume of the weld pool, which could promote crack propagation within the solidified weld pool by use of high-alloyed filler materials. Furthermore, a significant influence on the development of the transient welding distortion is visible. This influence should be respected during numerically calculation of welding distortion in case of multi-pass welding using interpass temperatures and high-alloyed filler materials.
An experimental setup to integrate laser sensor into conventional GMAW setups via a unified control architecture is described. The setup is used to automate and monitor narrow-gap GMAW. A way to develop GMAW arc-sensors using artificial neural networks using the setup is shown.
The control system is connected to a relational database to store various process measurements. The database can be accessed to filter previous weldments by numerous criteria which allows modelling of process parameter correlation among vast datasets. Such models can be used for process monitoring and control in future applications.
Effect of cooling rate on microstructure and properties of microalloyed HSLA steel weld metals
(2015)
Two high strength Nb/Ti microalloyed S690QL steels were welded with identical filler material, varying welding parameters to obtain three cooling rates: slow, medium and fast cooling. As cooling rate increased, the predominantly acicular ferrite in Nb weld metal (WM) is substituted by bainite, with a consequence of obvious hardness increase, but in Ti WM, no great variation of acicular ferrite at all cooling rates contributed to little increment of hardness. The transition between bainite and acicular ferrite has been analysed from the point view of inclusions characteristics, chemical composition and cooling rate. Excellent Charpy toughness at 233 K was obtained with acicular ferrite as predominantly microstructure. Even with bainite weld of high hardness, the toughness was nearly enough to fulfill the minimal requirements. WM for Ti steel showed to be markedly less sensitive to the variations of cooling rate than that for Nb steel.
The determination of mechanical properties of welded Steel structures such as strength or ductility is a subject of high interest for the majority of Companies in the area of metal Processing. The material Parameters can be obtained by performing the tensile test on the samples made from a part of a component. In some cases, it is highly expensive to produce the tensile specimens especially from the weld metal, which contains different type of microstructure such as weld seam or heat affected zone in an extremely small area. Therefore, a method is described in this paper to determine the material Parameters of high strength Steel structures and welded joints locally and without any additional effort to perform the tensile test. In this method, instrumented indentation technique (IIT), an indenter is pushed on the flat surface of a specimen in a certain period of time and simultaneously the applied force and the corresponding indentation path are measured. The data related to the force-indentation diagram is given as input to an artificial neural network (ANN) to obtain the material Parameters. The ANN can be trained by generating the large qualitative data sets with numerical Simulation of the IIT procedure. The Simulation must be run several times with the different material model parameter sets to generate the numerous
force-indentation diagrams as the inputs of ANN. Then, the trained ANN is validated by performing the IIT on the welded joints and comparing the obtained material Parameters from ANN with the tensile test.
Consequently, the mechanical properties of welded joints can be determined by performing the IIT and evaluating the resulting data by the ANN.