Thermomechanical laser welding simulation of dissimilar steel-aluminum overlap joints

Mixing of steel and aluminum within the weld pool during keyhole laser welding results in a complex dissimilar microstructure, which in turn, initiates a shift in weld metal mechanical properties. In this study, a numerical model for computation of distortions in laser-welded dissimilar overlap joints (austenitic stainless steel 304 6082-T6 aluminum alloy), which considers properties of the mixed steel-aluminum weld metal was developed. The required yield strength, Young's modulus, and strain hardening exponent of the weld metal were experimentally determined using the indentation technique coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The designed material model calculates the weld elastic-plastic properties as a function of the aluminum concentration. The softening of the alloys in the heat-affected zone was determined by physical simulations and considered as a function of maximum temperature. Computed and measured distortions showed good agreement for various welding regimes with an average deviation of 18.4%. The sensitivity analyses indicated that the application of the developed weld material model significantly improves the accuracy of the thermomechanical simulations.