Experimental validation of finite element codes for welding deformations

A single pass metal inert gas welding on an austenitic steel plate has been presented for the purpose of providing controlled experimental data against which numerical codes quantifying welding stresses can be validated. It includes a moving heat source with material deposit, and completes thus existing validation data. The experiment has been addressed by a numerical code, WeldSimS, reproducing qualitatively the distortion during welding quite well. Quantitative differences between the numerical and experimental results, however, indicate the need for more accurate modelling tools than those presently available, which are all based on commonly accepted modelling principles and input data.