Linear Friction Welding Process Model for Carpenter Custom 465 Precipitation-Hardened Martensitic Stainless Steel

An Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian finite-element analysis is combined with thermo-mechanical material constitutive models for Carpenter Custom 465 precipitation-hardened martensitic stainless steel to develop a linear friction welding (LFW) process model for this material. The main effort was directed toward developing reliable material constitutive models for Carpenter Custom 465 and toward improving functional relations and parameterization of the workpiece/workpiece contact-interaction models. The LFW process model is then used to predict thermo-mechanical response of Carpenter Custom 465 during LFW. Specifically, temporal evolutions and spatial distribution of temperature within, and expulsion of the workpiece material from, the weld region are examined as a function of the basic LFW process parameters, i.e., (a) contact-pressure history, (b) reciprocation frequency, and (c) reciprocation amplitude. Examination of the results obtained clearly revealed the presence of three zones within the weld, i.e., (a) Contact-interface region, (b) Thermo-mechanically affected zone, and (c) heat-affected zone. While there are no publicly available reports related to Carpenter Custom 465 LFW behavior, to allow an experiment/computation comparison, these findings are consistent with the results of our ongoing companion experimental investigation.