NAFEMS International Journal of CFD Case Studies

Volume 10, March 2013

ISSN 1462-236X

Multi-physics Models for Friction Stir Welding Simulation

D Mackenzie, H Li and R Hamilton
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XJ, UK

https://doi.org/10.59972/fkwes73g

Keywords: Multiphysics, Explicit Analysis, Friction Stir Welding, Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian

Abstract

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state welding technology for joining a range of metals and alloys. The FSW joining process involves several coupled non-linear phenomena including; frictional heating, large plastic deformation, material transportation and dissipative heating. Numerical simulation of the process may include some or all of these physical processes, depending on the objective of the analysis. This paper gives an overview of two continuum solid mechanics FSW simulation models of differing complexity. The first model is a simplified ANSYS thermo-mechanical finite element model with an externally applied heat source simulating frictional and dissipative heating. The model can be used to quickly evaluate temperature, stress and deformation of the welded plate for a specified heat input. The second model is an ABAQUS/EXPLICIT Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) model of the complete FSW process: plunge, dwell, travel and withdraw. The model simulates coupled frictional heating, plastic dissipation, transient heat transfer and solid-state material flow. The results obtained for transient temperature distribution, material flow, residual stress and strain, etc. are found to be consistent with experimental observations.

References

[1] Kawasaki T, Makino T, Masai K, Ohba H, Ina Y, Ezumi M, ‘Application of Friction Stir Welding to Construction of Railway Vehicles’, JSME International Journal, Series A, Vol. 47, No. 3, 2004

[2] Zhu X K, Chao Y J, ‘Numerical Simulation of Transient Temperature and Residual Stresses in Friction Stir Welding of 304L Stainless Steel’, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, Vol. 146, pp 263-272, 2004.

[3] Chen C, Kovacevic R, ‘Finite Element Modelling of Friction Stir Welding-Thermal and Thermomechanical analysis’, International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture, Vol. 43, pp 1319-1326, 2003.

[4] Chen C and Kovacevic R, ‘Thermomechanical Modelling and Force Analysis of Friction Stir Welding by the Finite Element Method’, Proceedings of the I MECH E Part C Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, Vol.218, pp 509-519, 2004.

[5] Soundararajan V, Zekovic S and Kovacevic R, ‘Thermo-mechanical Model with Adaptive Boundary Conditions for Friction Stir Welding of Al 6061’, Int. J. Machine Tools and Manufacture, Vol. 45, 14, pp 1577-1587, 2005.

[6] Ulysse P, ‘Three-dimensional Modelling of the Friction Stir-welding Process’, Int. J. Machine Tools & Manufacture, Vol. 42, pp 1549-1557, 2002.

[7] FIDAP, Fluid Dynamic Analysis Package, version 7.6, Fluid Dynamics International, Evanston, IL

[8] Diego H, Santiago F, Lombera S, Urquiza A, Cassanelli L A V, ‘Numerical Modeling of Welded Joints by the Friction Stir Welding Process’, Materials Research, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp 569-574, 2004

[9] Schmidt H and Hattel J, ‘A Local Model for the Thermo-mechanical Conditions in Friction Stir Welding’, Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering, Vol. 13, pp 77-93, 2005

[10] Lasley M J, ‘A Finite Element Simulation of Temperature and Material Flow in Friction Stir Welding’, Unpublished thesis, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 2005

[11] Buffa G, Hua J, Shivpuri R, Fratini L, ‘A Continuum Based Fem Model for Friction Stir Welding-Model Development’, Mat.l Sci. and Eng. A, in press.

[12] ANSYS V10.0, ANSYS Inc. 2005.

[13] Chao Yuh J, Qi X, Tang W, “Heat Transfer in Friction Stir Welding-Experimental and Numerical Studies”, J Manuf. Sci. and Eng., Vol. 125, pp. 138-145, 2003

[14] ABAQUS/EXPLICIT (2006), Version 6.6-1, ABAQUS, Inc., Providence, USA.

[15] Lienert T J, Stellwag WL, Grimmett B B and Warke R W, “Friction Welding Studies on Mild Steel”, Supplement to the Welding Journal, 82(1), pp. 1s-9s, 2003

[16] Bastier A, Maitournam M H, Van Dang K, Roger F, “Steady State Thermomechanical Modelling of Friction Stir Welding”, Science and Technology of Welding & Joining, Volume 11, Number 3, pp. 278-288, 2006.

Cite this paper

D Mackenzie, H Li and R Hamilton, Multi-physics Models for Friction Stir Welding Simulation, NAFEMS International Journal of CFD Case Studies, Volume 10, 2013, Pages 19-30, https://doi.org/10.59972/fkwes73g