Residual Stress Analysis in Welding Processes

Residual stresses arise in welded assemblies as a consequence of non-uniform heating and cooling during the welding cycle. Rapid thermal transients induce localised expansion and contraction, leaving locked-in stresses once the joint returns to ambient temperature. These stresses contribute to distortion, dimensional inaccuracy and a heightened risk of fatigue crack initiation, corrosion and brittle fracture. Analysis of these distortions demands a combination of experimental measurement techniques—such as X-ray and neutron diffraction, contour and hole-drilling methods—and computational modelling based on thermo-mechanical coupling. Finite element analysis, often employing specialised heat source models, enables predictive mapping of stress distributions in the weld metal, heat-affected zone and surrounding base material. Accurate prediction facilitates optimisation of welding parameters, selection of appropriate filler materials and post-weld treatments—such as mechanical stress relief, peening or controlled heat treatment—to mitigate adverse effects. Applications span critical sectors including pressure-bearing pipelines, nuclear power plant components, aerospace structures and high-precision manufacturing. Recent advances have focused on full-field reconstruction methods, enhanced heat source representations and integrated strategies for measurement and simulation, thereby improving the reliability and performance of welded structures under service loads.

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Residual Stress Analysis in Welding Processes publication trend

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Technical terms

Residual stress: Locked-in stresses remaining after welding-induced thermal and mechanical loading have ceased.

Heat-affected zone (HAZ): The region of base metal adjacent to the weld that has experienced microstructural changes due to elevated temperatures.

Finite element analysis (FEA): A numerical method that divides a structure into discrete elements to simulate thermal, mechanical and coupled phenomena.

Double-ellipsoidal heat source model: A mathematical representation of welding heat input, originally proposed to describe power density distribution in arc welding.

References

1. Residual Stress and Fracture Toughness Study in A516 Gr70 Steel Joints Welded and Repaired by Arc Processes. Engineering (2023).
2. Extension of the double-ellipsoidal heat source model to narrow-groove and keyhole weld configurations. Journal of Materials Processing Technology (2017).
3. Investigation of post-weld rolling methods to reduce residual stress and distortion. Journal of Materials Processing Technology (2017).