Welding Simulation with Abaqus

Metal welding processes are employed in various indus-tries. Gas welding techniques use the heat from a flame to melt the parts to be joined and a filler material simulta-neously. Extreme thermal loading is applied to the parts being joined, and complex material responses are initi-ated. The steep, localized thermal gradients result in stress concentrations in the welding zone. Consequently, modeling and simulation of welding processes are often complex and challenging. In this technology brief the use of Abaqus for this class of problems is discussed and an example analysis is presented.