Experimental and numerical simulation of thermomechanical phenomena during a TIG welding process

In this study, a parallel experimental and numerical simulation of phenomena that take place in the Heat Affected Zone during TIG welding on 316L stainless steel is presented. The aim of this study is to predict by numerical simulation residual stresses and distortions generated by the welding process. For the experiment, a very simple geometry with reduced dimensions is considered: the specimens are disks, made of 316L. The discs are heated in the central zone in order to reproduce thermo-mechanical cycles that take place in the HAZ during a TIG welding process. During and after thermal cycle, a large quantity of measurement is provided, and allows to compare the results of different numerical models used in the simulations. The comparative thermal and mechanical analysis allows to assess the general ability of the numerical models to describe the structural behavior. The importance of the heat input rate and material characteristics is also investigated