Efficient simulation of shell forming by line heating

A simplified thermo-mechanical model for the prediction of angular deformations of metal plates due to line heating is presented. The model utilizes a semi-analytically determined temperature distribution, which incorporates the effects of heat loss and a distributed moving heat source, to find the dimensions of a critical heat-affected region. The dimensions of this region are used to find the angular deformation by an analytic solution method. Predicted values of angular deformation compare well with corresponding values from experimental results. This model is also compared with thermo-mechanical analysis based on the three-dimensional finite element method. The comparisons indicate that the simplified model is fairly accurate and much more efficient in comparison to the finite element solution.