Abstract
In this work, thermo-mechanical behavior of an aluminum alloy during gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) is studied using a three-dimensional mathematical model. The model can be employed to determine residual stresses and their distribution after the welding operation. The effects of the strain hardening and the temperature dependency of material properties have also been considered in the calculations. Model validation has been performed using experimental measurements of residual stress by means of hole-drilling technique. The measurements have been carried out at the heat affected zone (HAZ) and base metal next to the welding line. In addition, microstructural observations have been made to evaluate the model predictions. The comparison between predicted results and experimental data shows a satisfactorily agreement. The specific feature of the model is the ability to compute the distortion of welded plate induced by GTAW.