Resistance Spot Welding: Finite Element Simulation of RSW

FEA & CFD Based Simulation Design Analysis Virtual prototyping MultiObjective Optimization

Resistance Spot Welding is a pressure welding process during which the sheets are pressed together locally with the help of fitted copper electrode welding guns. The electrical current between the weld guns causes a heating and melting of the joining partners, creating a small circular welded area between them.The standard approach in a RSW model contains fully coupled electrical, thermal, metallurgical and mechanical steps, so the heat generation is calculated due to Joule’s heating coming from electrical current and resistivity between components.

Research & developments in resistance spot welding:

The optimization of welding processes
Usage of new high-performance robotic welding guns
New self-regulating process control, which can also cover an increased range of material thickness combinations
The use of control devices for quality assurance and a reduction in the resources needed to inspect parts and processes.
Investigations of hybrid welding processes, such as spot-weld bonding
Achieving consistent quality by using spot welding systems on a circulating process belt
Investigations of spot welding of CF components by the use of local metal structures

One way to preserve the welding expertise within a company and to reduce trial costs is to use a welding simulation software that offers both structure and process simulations. This allows the potential process parameters to be virtually and investigated with appropriate parameters being documented.

Enteknograte engineers simulate the Welding with innovative CAE and virtual prototyping available in the non-linear structural codes LS-DYNA, Ansys, Comsol, Simufact Welding and ABAQUS. We are experienced with FEA Welding simulation.

Enteknograte Engineers can simulate any type of welding such as Arc Welding, laser Beam Welding, RSW, FSW and transfer the results of welding simulation for next simulation like NVH, Crash test, Tension, Compression, shear test and fatigue simulation.

Simufact Welding for RSW: Industrial Welding Process Design

For a defined welding process, including planned welding sequence as well as clamping and unclamping, Simufact Welding provides the possibility to calculate expected distortions, stresses and material properties after welding. Furthermore, the software allows for estimating the effects of tack welds on expected gap formation during and after welding. Especially calculation of stresses and material properties is a big advantage of the simulation because those are result values that are difficult to measure on real components.

The process itself (i.e. the welding sequence) can easily be changed in the model, providing a quick possibility to investigate its influence on distortions and properties of the welded assembly. Furthermore, it is possible to change the position, applied forces and unclamping times in order to calculate the influence of clamping tools on final results.

Enteknograte engineers simulate the Welding with innovative CAE and virtual prototyping available in the non-linear structural codes such as LS-DYNA, Ansys, Comsol, Simufact Welding, ESI SysWeld and ABAQUS. The Finite element analysis of welding include Arc Welding, laser Beam Welding, RSW, FSW and transfer the results of welding simulation for next simulation like NVH, Crash test, Tension, Compression and shear test and fatigue simulation. We can develop special purpose user subroutine (UMAT) based on clients need to empower simulation environment to overcome any complicated problem in heat load condition, phase change and user defined material constitutive equation.

Enteknograte Engineers simulate any type of welding with any level of complexity:

• Arc Welding
• Electron Beam Welding
• Laser Beam Welding
• RSW (Resistance Spot Welding)
• FSW (Friction Stir Welding)
• Pressure Welding
• Stress Relief Heat Treatment
• Fatigue Life of Welded Structures
• NVH, Crash test, Tension, Compression and shear test behavior of Welded Structures

Why we use Simufact as default for welding simulation

Simufact Welding predicts distortions and residual stresses by virtually try-outs and helps the user to determine appropriate strategies to minimize them. It is the only simulation software which automatically considers the complex contact situation between the components, which in turn allows conclusions about the properties of the weld seam, in particular its strength, to be drawn. Simufact Welding achieves this by calculating the microstructural properties within the heat-affected zone, which also gives the user a valuable insight into identifying welding defects, such as hot cracks in the simulation, and how to avoid them in practice.

Spot Weld, Seam Weld Vibration fatigue analysis in time frequency domain Simufact Welding ESI Sysweld Abaqus Ansys Enteknograte

Fatigue fe-safe abaqus ansys caefatigue ncode RSW Seam Welding Simulation Finite element FEA Simufact welding ESI sysweld

Brazing Simulation Finite element FEA Ansys Abaqus Simufact ESI sysweld

Stress Relief Heat Treatment Welding Simulation Finite element FEA Ansys Abaqus Simufact welding ESI sysweld 2

Laser Electron Beam Welding Simulation Finite element FEA Ansys Abaqus Simufact ESI sysweld 2

Spot Weld, Seam Weld Vibration fatigue analysis in time frequency domain

Resistance Welding Microstructure Finite element abaqus ansys sysweld simufact MSC 4

Brazing RSW Microstructure Welding Finite element abaqus ansys sysweld simufact MSC

Resistance Welding Microstructure Finite element abaqus ansys sysweld simufact MSC

Friction Welding simulation Finite element abaqus ansys sysweld simufact MSC

Arc Welding Simulation Finite element abaqus ansys sysweld simufact MSC

RSW resistance spot welding Simulation Finite element FEA Ansys Abaqus Simufact welding ESI sysweld 4

Resistance Spot Welding: Finite Element Simulation of RSW

Finite Element Simulation of Arc Welding

Arc welding processes (SMAW, GMAW [MIG], GTAW [TIG], SAW, …) are of the highest economic importance due to their flexible application and relatively low equipment costs for both robotic and/ or manually controlled joining. Due to a high melting rate and a high gap-bridging ability these processes are found most notably, in steel plants, power stations and shipbuilding.

Pressure Welding FEA Simulation: Friction welding, Resistance welding, Friction spot welding

Pressure welding is a group of diffrent joining processes which have all in common that the components are joined by applying heat and pressure. The heat can either be generated by an electrical current flow (resistance welding) or by friction (friction welding).

Finite Element Simulation of Brazing

Brazing is a thermal joining process which connects metal components with melted filler material. The filler usually has lower melting point compared to components. Main advantages of brazing lies in relatively low heat input and the capability to create a joint of considerable strength and durability.

Fatigue Analysis of Welded Structures

Enteknograte use advanced Numerical simulation software and methods to simulate the welding behavior in real service load condition and estimate its Durability and Fatigue Life with Ansys Ncode, Simulia FE-Safe, MSC CAEFatigue and FEMFAT. The Seam Weld and Spot Weld fatigue simulation enables the fatigue analysis of joints including different type of welding such as fillet, overlap, spot welds in thin sheets and laser welded joints.

Finite Element Simulation of Laser Beam / Electron Beam Welding

Laser Beam welding is a thermal joining process, in which a component is heated and welded by a laser beam. It is a high-end process for application cases requiring the highest degree of precision. A huge advantage of laser beam welding lies in the relatively narrow heat affected zone. Electron Beam welding is a thermal joining process, in which a component is heated and welded by electron beam.

Vibration Fatigue Finite Element Simulation: Time & Frequency Domain

Structural vibration can be a source for many product related problems; it can cause fatigue and durability problems as well as adverse reactions to the user or bystanders in the form of undesirable vibrations that can be felt or heard. As well, undesired structural vibrations can prevent products from operating as required and potentially becoming a safety concern. The Vibration Fatigue simulation predict fatigue in the frequency domain and it is more realistic and efficient than time-domain analysis for many applications with random loading such as wind and wave loads.

Heat Transfer and Thermal Analysis: Fluid-Structure Interaction with Coupled CFD and Finite Element Based Simulation

We analyze system-level thermal management of vehicle component, including underhood, underbody and brake systems, and design for heat shields, electronics cooling, HVAC, hybrid systems and human thermal comfort. Our Finite Element (LS-Dyna, Ansys, Abaqus) and CFD simulation (Siemens Start-ccm+, Ansys Fluent , Ansys CFX and OpenFoam) for heat transfer analysis, thermal management, and virtual test process can save time and money in the design and development process, while also improving the thermal comfort and overall quality of the final product.

Metal Forming Simulation

Sheet Metal Forming, Hot Forging, Cold Forming, Open Die Forging, Roll Forming, Extrusion and Heat Treatment with Ansys, Abaqus, LS-Dyna and Simufact

Using advanced Metal Forming Simulation methodology and FEA tools such as Ansys, Simufact Forming, Autoform, FTI Forming, Ls-dyna and Abaqus for any bulk material forming deformation, combining with experience and development have made Enteknograte the most reliable consultant partner for large material deformation simulation. Metal Forming Simulation include Springback Compensation, Surface Defects, Cost Estimation and Phase Transformation in Sheet Metal, Hot Forge, Rolling, Extrusion, Open Die Forging and Heat Treatment Finite Element Analysis.

Finite Element Simulation of Heat Treatment

In principle, there are two kinds of heat treatment processes: processes resulting in a thorough change of the microstructure and processes that result in merely changing regions close to the surface of the component. Examples of the former would be thermal processes, such as annealing and hardening. Examples of the latter, thermochemical processes, would be diffusion and coating processes, such as carburization, case hardening, nitrating, boriding.

Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing

FEA Based Design and Optimization with Simufact, Abaqus, ANSYS and MSC Apex for powder bed fusion (PBF), directed energy deposition (DED) and binder jetting processes

With additive manufacturing, the design is not constrained by traditional manufacturing requirements and specific number of design parameters. Nonparametric optimization with new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence in coupled with Finite Element method, can be used to produce functional designs with the least amount of material. Additive manufacturing simulations are key in assessing a finished part’s quality. Here at Eneteknograte, dependent of the problem detail, we use advanced tools such as MSC Apex Generative Design, Simufact Additive, Digimat, Abaqus and Ansys.

Integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning - Deep Learning with CFD & FEA Simulation

Machine learning is a method of data analysis that automates analytical model building. It is a branch of Artificial Intelligence based on the idea that systems can learn from data, identify patterns and make decisions with minimal human intervention. With Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in CAE, that is Mechanical Engineering and FEA and CFD Simulations as design tools, our CAE engineers evaluate the possible changes (and limits) coming from Machine learning, whether Deep Learning (DL), or Support vector machine (SVM) or even Genetic algorithms to specify definitive influence in some optimization problems and the solution of complex systems.

Finite Element Simulation of Crash Test and Crashworthiness with LS-Dyna, Abaqus and PAM-CRASH

Crashworthiness focuses on occupant protection to reduce the number of fatal and serious injuries. This research is responsible for developing and upgrading test procedures for evaluating motor vehicle safety. Crashworthiness research encompasses new and improved vehicle design, safety countermeasures and equipment to enhance occupant safety. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) has been the trend in virtual crash design over the last decade. The predictive capabilities of FEA allow engineers to fully understand a crash event in a virtual environment, thus limiting the number of physical tests that need to be executed and thus saving costs.

Acoustics and Vibration Simulation

AeroAcoustics, VibroAcoustics and NVH Analysis in Automotive, Aerospace, Shipbuilding and Consumer Product Manufacturers.

The need to reduce noise and vibration can arise because of government legislation, new lightweight constructions, use of lower cost materials, fatigue failure or increased competitive pressure. With deep knowledge in FEA, CFD and Acoustic simulation, advanced Acoustic solvers and numerical methods used by Enteknograte engineers to solve acoustics, vibro-acoustics, and aero-acoustics problems in automotive manufacturers and suppliers, aerospace companies, shipbuilding industries and consumer product manufacturers.