Finite element modeling of multipass GMA welds in steel plates

摘要

Distortions from gas metal arc (GMA) multipass welds of thick steel plates were measured in experiments and calculated using finite element analysis. Two- and three-dimensional finite element simulations were compared with the experimentally measured in-plane distortions in a 2-3/4 in. thick steel plate. Thermal analyses were performed using 2D models of the weld cross-section. These temperature histories were used for 2D and 3D mechanical analyses. Data for verification of thermal analyses included weld cross-sections, weld pool crater shape from power-off tests, and embedded and surface thermocouple temperature histories. Mechanical analyses were verified using caliper measurements of shrinkage transverse to the weld and strain gage measurements. Calculated in-plane shrinkage from the 3D model for 4 passes compared well with caliper measurements of a test specimen's distortion. Two-dimensional mechanical analyses were not capable of predicting the accumulation of shrinkage occurring after the first pass.