Study on welding temperature distribution in thin welded plates through experimental measurements and finite element simulation

The welding temperature distributions in the HAZ were measured using K-type thermocouples in similar and dissimilar thin butt-welded joints which experienced one-pass GTAW welding process. Three dimensional finite element simulations were also implemented to predict the temperature distributions throughout the plates using ABAQUS software. Comparison between experimental and simulation results reveals very good agreement. The results provide good evidence for prediction of the HAZ microstructure considering the fact that the thermocouples have been attached very closely to the weld line, and provide objective cooling slopes. The absence of filler materials in the welded joints is helpful to observe the peak temperature and cooling slope differences in relation with material properties differences.