Numerical simulation of ultrasonic spot welding of superelastic NiTi alloys: Temperature distribution and deformation behavior

Ultrasonic spot welding (USW) has attracted increasing attention due to its high- throughput solid-state bonding mechanism, which shows great potential in the semiconductor and automotive industry for the joining of metal sheets. However, the short welding cycle makes it challenging to effectively monitor the temperature history and deformation of the workpieces during the USW process, especially for the materials with some special properties. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) finite element analysis model for USW of superelastic NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) with Cu interlayer was developed using ANSYS Workbench. The thermal-stress coupled phenomena including the heat generation and stress distribution during the welding process was simulated and analyzed. Firstly, the superelastic constitutive model of NiTi SMAs was constructed. The distribution of temperature and stress field was then obtained by thermal-stress analysis using the direct coupling method, and the superelasticity of SMAs was observed. The simulation results showed that the highest temperature occurred in the center of the welding area during USW, which is proportional to the welding time and inversely proportional to the clamping pressure. In addition, the maximum stress occurred at the center of the contact surface between upper NiTi and Cu interlayer. After that, the validity of the simulation results was verified by setting up a thermocouple temperature measurement platform to collect the temperature data, which exhibited a good agreement with the simulated results. The simulation procedure demonstrates its potential to predict temperature and stress distribution during USW process.

Thermo-mechanical modelling of the Friction Stir Spot Welding process: Effect of the friction models on the heat generation mechanisms

Friction Stir Spot Welding involves complex physical phenomena, which are very difficult to probe experimentally. In this regard, the numerical simulation may play a key role to gain insight into this complex thermo-mechanical process. It is often used to mimic specific experimental conditions to forecast outputs that may be substantial to analyse and elucidate the mechanisms behind the Friction Stir Spot Welding process. This welding technique uses frictional heat generated by a rotating tool to join materials. The heat generation mechanisms are governed by a combination of sliding and sticking contact conditions. In the numerical simulation, these contact conditions are thoroughly dependent on the used friction model. Hence, a successful prediction of the process relies on the appropriate selection of the contact model and parameters. This work aims to identify the pros and cons of different friction models in modelling combined sliding-sticking conditions. A three-dimensional coupled thermo-mechanical FE model, based on a Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian formulation, was developed. Different friction models are adopted to simulate the Friction Stir Spot Welding of the AA6082-T6 aluminium alloy. For these friction models, the temperature evolution, the heat generation, and the plastic deformation were analysed and compared with experimental results. It was realized that numerical analysis of Friction Stir Spot Welding can be effective and reliable as long as the interfacial friction characteristics are properly modelled. This approach may be used to guide the contact modelling strategy for the simulation of the Friction Stir Spot Welding process and its derivatives.