Numerical modelling of temperature distribution during multipass welding of plates

Abstract

Welding is a reliable, cost effective, and efficient metal joining process. Manual metal arc welding (MMAW) is a widely used welding process in industry and multipass welding is very frequently used in the MMAW process. The temperature distribution that prevails during multipass welding affects the material microstructure and hardness of the regions near the weld, and the residual stresses that will be present in the material after cooling to room temperature. These changes will consequently affect the performance of the welded joint. In the present work, a computer model based on the control volume method has been developed to predict the temperature distribution during multipass welding of plates using the MMAW process. To validate the computer model, the temperature distribution was measured experimentally in a 12 mm thickness stainless steel weld pad during multipass welding. The welding parameters were used as input data for the computer model. The computer predictions and the experimentally measured temperature distributions agree well.