A CAE-Based Model of Aluminium Alloys Welded T-Joints for TEP Analysis

Continuous innovation in the field of high-end motor vehicle chassis demands optimization of the weight/stiffness ratio and to achieve high quality standards. The use of light materials, such as aluminum alloys, is therefore increasingly common in the design of the chassis, whose assembly process represents a technological challenge. Welding joining processes, and in particular robot-based welding, are widely used in automotive field despite causing distortions. To predict these deformations, finite element analyzes are performed, in particular thermo-elasto-plastic simulations, which are able to satisfactorily replicate the behavior of residual stresses and strains after cooling. However, such analyzes are computationally expensive making their application difficult to complex structures. This work would investigate an alternative solution to predict distortions that effectively returns the behavior of welded assemblies. A CAE-based model for TEP analysis of welded joints is proposed. As a case study, the T-welded junction between two aluminum alloy plates (T-Joint) was considered. The model is validated by a preliminary experimental campaign.