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Numerical study of the residual stress and welding deformation of mid-thick plate of AA6061-T6 in the multi-pass MIG welding process

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Abstract

In this paper, three methods of adding and activating weld bead elements, i.e., adding and activating the weld bead segment by segment (case A), adding and activating one weld pass after another (case B), and modified adding and activating one weld pass after another (case C), were employed to establish the corresponding simulation model of a butt joint of AA6061-T6 mid-thick plate with a double-pass weld by ABAQUS. The welding temperature field, residual stress field, and welding deformation were simulated. The heat loss of three methods in the welding simulation was tested by theoretical calculation. To verify the simulation results, the metal-inert gas (MIG) welding experiment was also performed, and the molten pool dimensions, residual stress, and welding deformation were measured. The results show both cases A and C can be effectively employed to predict residual stress, and case C can also save computing time. Case A can more accurately predict the welding deformation.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Chenlong Group Co., Ltd. for the use of welding equipment and material. The authors also thank Dongliang Liu and Zhenhui Sun for their help in revising this paper. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51305408) and the Science and Technology Planning Project of Zhejiang Province (No. 2019C05008).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China

    Shusen Zhao, Yanmin Li, Rui Huang & Zhanshu He

  2. Henan Province Engineering Laboratory for Anti-fatigue Manufacturing Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China

    Shusen Zhao, Yanmin Li, Rui Huang & Zhanshu He

Authors
  1. Shusen Zhao
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  2. Yanmin Li
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  3. Rui Huang
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  4. Zhanshu He
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Correspondence to Yanmin Li.

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Yanmin Li is an Associate Professor of the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. His research interests include welded space structure of aluminum alloy, aluminum alloy welding, and welding joint strengthening.

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Zhao, S., Li, Y., Huang, R. et al. Numerical study of the residual stress and welding deformation of mid-thick plate of AA6061-T6 in the multi-pass MIG welding process. J Mech Sci Technol 35, 4931–4942 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-021-1012-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-021-1012-3

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