Effect of Welding Velocity on Residual Stresses and Distortions in Butt Welds

Fusion welding is one of the most versatile joining processes widely used in industry. The localized heating and non-uniform cooling during fusion welding result in a complex distribution of residual stresses and undesirable deformations in the welded structure. Welding induced residual stresses and distortions are among the most studied subjects for welded structures. Many welding process parameters influence residual stresses and distortions in the welded joint. Therefore identifying the effect of certain process parameters on residual stresses and distortions are deemed necessary. In this paper, the effect of welding arc velocity on residual stresses and angular distortions in single pass butt-welding of 304 stainless steel plates is investigated by experimental and numerical simulation. For this purpose, stainless steel plates with thickness 2 mm arewelded using three different velocities. Residual stresses and angular distortions are predicted by threedimensional finite element simulation. Experiments have also been performed to measure temperature histories, residual stresses and angular distortions to validate the proposed numerical model. The results of this study revealed that increasing welding velocity reduces the magnitude of residual stresses and angular distortions.