Thermo-mechanical analysis of laser beam welding of thin plate with complex boundary conditions

The gradual introduction of laser-beam welding in manufacturing aerospace structures has offered new challenges in terms of acquiring control over distortions and residual stresses. The aim of this work is to study the thermo-mechanical response of thin sheets made of an aluminium alloy 6056T4, which is used for fabrication of fuselage panels, to the laser-beam welding under the complex industrial boundary and loading conditions. A single pass fusion welding with laser-beam was performed on several test plates. Temperature histories were recorded using thermocouples. Weld bead geometry was examined by macrography while displacement fields were observed through 3D image correlation technique. An uncoupled thermo-mechanical analysis is then performed using Abaqus 6.6–1, and simulation results are compared with experimental results. Good accordance is found between the simulated and experimental results.