Simufact Welding Tutorial en

Simufact Welding 2023.
3
Application Tutorial
Introduction, Examples of all applications,

Simplified approaches, Meshing basics
and application, Postprocessing, Material
for welding simulation, Batch mode, User-
defined heat sources, Advanced welding
tutorial
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2023.3 Simufact Welding
Table of Contents
Simufact Welding Tutorial ........................................................................................... viii
1. Welding simulation .................................................................................................... 1
1.1. About welding simulation ................................................................................. 2
2. Introducing Simufact Welding ...................................................................................... 5
2.1. About Simufact Welding .................................................................................. 6
2.2. Understanding welding simulation ...................................................................... 6
2.3. Structural welding simulation ............................................................................ 8
2.4. Best welded strategy ........................................................................................ 9
2.5. Overview of the power tools ............................................................................ 10
2.6. GUI functions ............................................................................................... 12
2.6.1. User interface ..................................................................................... 12
2.6.2. Settings .............................................................................................. 13
2.6.3. Units ................................................................................................. 15
2.6.4. Object catalog ..................................................................................... 16
2.6.5. Process tree ........................................................................................ 18
2.6.6. Model view ........................................................................................ 23
2.6.7. Advanced functions and hints ................................................................ 24
2.7. Help section .................................................................................................. 24
2.7.1. Offline help ........................................................................................ 24
2.7.2. Online help ........................................................................................ 25
3. Arc Welding ............................................................................................................ 26
3.1. Creating a new project .................................................................................... 27
3.2. Importing components .................................................................................... 29
3.3. Defining materials .......................................................................................... 32
3.4. Defining temperature objects ........................................................................... 34
3.5. Defining the mechanical boundary conditions (tools) ............................................ 35
3.6. Creating a trajectory ....................................................................................... 42
3.7. Settings of a trajectory .................................................................................... 44
3.8. The welding parameters and heat source ............................................................ 44
3.9. Configuring robots and weld beads ................................................................... 49
3.10. Simulation settings ....................................................................................... 56
3.11. Running the model ....................................................................................... 58
4. Laser beam welding .................................................................................................. 63
4.1. Preface ......................................................................................................... 64
4.2. Creating a new project .................................................................................... 64
4.3. Importing components .................................................................................... 66
4.4. Defining materials .......................................................................................... 69
4.5. Defining temperature objects ........................................................................... 72
4.6. Defining the mechanical boundary conditions (tools or fixtures) ............................. 73
4.7. Creating welding trajectories and heat sources ..................................................... 80
4.7.1. Welding trajectories ............................................................................. 80
4.7.2. Creating heat sources ........................................................................... 84
4.8. Configuring the robot and defining the weld beads ............................................... 87
4.9. Simulation settings ......................................................................................... 91
5. Electron beam welding .............................................................................................. 96
5.1. Preface ......................................................................................................... 97
5.2. Selecting process type .................................................................................... 97
5.3. Additional remarks ......................................................................................... 99
6. Thermal cycle method (Meta-transient) ....................................................................... 100
6.1. Theory ....................................................................................................... 101
6.2. Creating a new project .................................................................................. 101
6.3. Importing components ................................................................................... 103
6.4. Defining materials ........................................................................................ 105
6.5. Defining the fixtures ..................................................................................... 107
ii
6.6. Creating trajectories ...................................................................................... 115

6.6.1. Defining the welding path ................................................................... 116
6.6.2. The welding parameters and heat source ................................................ 117
6.7. Configuring robots and weld beads ................................................................. 120
6.8. Process parameters ....................................................................................... 126
7. Brazing ................................................................................................................. 133
7.1. Creating a new project .................................................................................. 134
7.2. Importing components ................................................................................... 136
7.3. Defining materials ........................................................................................ 138
7.4. Defining the fixtures ..................................................................................... 140
7.4.1. Defining the bearings ......................................................................... 141
7.4.2. Defining the clampings ....................................................................... 145
7.4.3. Defining the fixing ............................................................................. 147
7.5. Configuring robots and weld beads ................................................................. 148
7.5.1. Importing the geometry of the filler ...................................................... 148
7.5.2. Defining the trajectory ........................................................................ 149
7.5.3. Defining the welding parameters and heat source ..................................... 152
7.5.4. Configuring the robot ......................................................................... 155
7.6. Simulation settings ....................................................................................... 159
8. Direct Energy Deposition (DED) ............................................................................... 164
8.1. Overview and classification of the DED simulation ............................................ 165
8.2. Main elements of DED module and its workflow ............................................... 166
8.2.1. G-Code/APT-file Import ..................................................................... 166
8.2.2. Flexible definition and handling of trajectories ........................................ 168
8.2.3. 'Single body' deposit approach and element sets ...................................... 168
8.3. Creation of a DED model .............................................................................. 169
8.3.1. Baseplate and boundary conditions ....................................................... 169
8.3.2. Path definition without G-Code (manual creation of trajectories) ................. 170
8.3.3. Path definition with G-Code (automatic creation of trajectories) .................. 173
8.3.4. Deposit geometry ............................................................................... 174
8.3.5. Simulation settings (transient) .............................................................. 176
8.3.6. Simulation settings (advanced thermal cycle) .......................................... 180
9. Resistance spot welding ........................................................................................... 182
9.1. Introduction and basics ................................................................................. 183
9.2. Electrical resistance ...................................................................................... 184
9.3. Spot gun kinematics and electrode library ......................................................... 187
9.4. Sequences of a RSW process ......................................................................... 190
9.5. Model description and model set up ................................................................ 191
9.6. Analysis modes ............................................................................................ 192
9.6.1. Normal mode vs. Precision mode ......................................................... 192
9.6.2. Fast mode ........................................................................................ 193
9.7. Overview of the available simulation approaches ............................................... 193
9.8. Process definition in Simufact Welding - Thermomechanical with Joule heating
(RSW) .............................................................................................................. 197
9.8.1. Creation of a new project .................................................................... 198
9.8.2. Importing geometries .......................................................................... 200
9.8.3. Defining materials ............................................................................. 204
9.8.4. Initial and boundary conditions ............................................................ 206
9.8.5. Spot weld gun ................................................................................... 210
9.8.6. Process parameters ............................................................................. 218
9.8.7. Running the model ............................................................................. 221
9.9. Simplified approaches ................................................................................... 222
9.9.1. Thermomechanical with Thermal Cycle (RSW) ....................................... 222
9.9.2. Mechanical solution - Electrodes (Volume mesh) ..................................... 227
9.9.3. Simple mechanical solution - Simplified spot (Shell Mesh) ........................ 229
9.9.4. Single-shot solution (RSW) ................................................................. 235
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9.10. Postprocessing ........................................................................................... 238

9.10.1. Electrical potential ........................................................................... 238
9.10.2. Electric current density ..................................................................... 240
9.10.3. Electric-thermal energy density ........................................................... 241
9.10.4. Electrical contact conductivity ............................................................ 241
9.11. Modeling hints and rare used functions .......................................................... 242
9.12. Known limitations ...................................................................................... 243
9.13. Exercise .................................................................................................... 243
9.14. Further reading and information .................................................................... 243
10. Stress relief heat treatment ...................................................................................... 244
10.1. Creation of a stress relief process .................................................................. 245
10.2. Configuring the process ............................................................................... 245
10.3. Defining process settings ............................................................................. 247
11. Assembly Simulation ............................................................................................. 249
11.1. Requirements of input data ........................................................................... 250
11.2. Metrology basics and measuring system ......................................................... 251
11.3. Setting up the process ................................................................................. 252
11.4. Simulation results ....................................................................................... 257
12. Simplified approaches ............................................................................................ 260
12.1. Shrinkage method for thermal joining ............................................................ 261
12.2. Single-shot solution for thermal joining .......................................................... 263
13. Meshing basics and application ............................................................................... 265
13.1. Introduction and Basics ............................................................................... 266
13.2. Meshers in Simufact Welding ....................................................................... 269
13.2.1. Hexmesh ........................................................................................ 269
13.2.2. Sheetmesh ....................................................................................... 270
13.2.3. Ringmesh ....................................................................................... 273
13.2.4. Tetmesh ......................................................................................... 275
13.2.5. Meshing in resistance spot welding ..................................................... 276
13.3. Refinement boxes ....................................................................................... 278
13.4. Evaluation of the mesh quality ...................................................................... 279
13.5. Exercise - Sample meshing .......................................................................... 281
13.6. Further reading and information .................................................................... 287
14. Solid shells .......................................................................................................... 288
14.1. Preface ..................................................................................................... 289
14.2. Creating a new project ................................................................................ 290
14.3. Importing components ................................................................................. 292
14.4. Defining materials ...................................................................................... 296
14.5. Defining temperature objects ........................................................................ 299
14.6. Defining the mechanical boundary conditions (tools or fixtures) .......................... 300
14.7. Creating welding trajectories and defining a welding process .............................. 304
14.7.1. Definition of a trajectory ................................................................... 304
14.8. Configuring the robot and defining the weld beads ........................................... 311
14.9. Simulation settings ...................................................................................... 311
14.10. Running the model .................................................................................... 312
15. Laser Metal Deposition as multilayer simulation ......................................................... 314
15.1. Process definition in Simufact Welding .......................................................... 315
15.2. Post processing .......................................................................................... 333
16. Postprocessing ...................................................................................................... 334
16.1. Result view ............................................................................................... 335
16.1.1. Main tool bar .................................................................................. 337
16.1.2. Color legend & Process information .................................................... 339
16.1.3. Miscellaneous buttons ....................................................................... 344
16.1.4. Result values ................................................................................... 345
16.2. Particle tracking ......................................................................................... 378
16.2.1. Adding particles to model .................................................................. 378
16.2.2. Validation of particles (THS plot) ....................................................... 380
16.3. Miscellaneous topics ................................................................................... 383
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16.3.1. Result transformation ........................................................................ 383

16.3.2. Shape comparison ............................................................................ 384
16.3.3. Welding monitor .............................................................................. 388
16.3.4. THS plot for boundary conditions (BCs) .............................................. 391
16.3.5. Result management .......................................................................... 392
16.3.6. Import/Export results in Simufact Welding ........................................... 394
17. Material for welding simulation ............................................................................... 401
17.1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 402
17.2. Selecting the correct material from the data base .............................................. 402
17.3. Modifying existing materials and entering your own data ................................... 404
17.4. How a material data should be defined ........................................................... 409
17.5. Creating and importing material data with JMatPro ........................................... 412
17.6. Hardening model ........................................................................................ 415
18. Batch mode and python interpreter ........................................................................... 417
18.1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 418
18.2. Batch Mode ............................................................................................... 418
18.2.1. Available options ............................................................................. 418
18.2.2. Examples ........................................................................................ 419
18.3. Python interpreter in Simufact Welding .......................................................... 420
18.3.1. Python Terminal .............................................................................. 420
18.3.2. Python Script Example 1: 'WebOnPlate' ............................................... 421
18.3.3. Python script example 2: 'Four-Robots' ................................................ 422
18.3.4. Python script example 3: Set up 'WebOnPlate' from scratch ...................... 426
19. Data exchange with heat source simulation software and databases ................................. 431
19.1. Choosing a heat source to be exported ........................................................... 432
19.2. General heat source properties ...................................................................... 432
19.3. Welding parameters .................................................................................... 433
19.4. Heat source data ......................................................................................... 435
20. User defined heat sources ....................................................................................... 438
20.1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 439
20.2. Prerequisites .............................................................................................. 439
20.3. Editing the DAT-file for subroutine implementation .......................................... 439
20.4. Editing the FORTRAN file .......................................................................... 440
20.5. Header of the FORTRAN file ....................................................................... 441
20.6. Output of the FORTRAN file ....................................................................... 442
20.7. Calculation of heat flux distribution ............................................................... 442
20.8. Compiling the solver ................................................................................... 443
20.9. Quick result comparison .............................................................................. 443
21. Advanced welding tutorial ...................................................................................... 445
21.1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 446
21.2. Material data ............................................................................................. 447
21.2.1. Mechanical properties (isotropic materials) ........................................... 447
21.2.2. Thermal properties (isotropic materials) ............................................... 448
21.2.3. Multiphase materials ......................................................................... 448
21.3. Discretization methods ................................................................................ 450
21.3.1. Spatial discretization ......................................................................... 450
21.3.2. Discretization features for welding analysis ........................................... 456
21.3.3. Time stepping schemes ..................................................................... 457
21.4. Thermal analysis ........................................................................................ 459
21.4.1. Finite element discretization of heat transfer equations ............................ 459
21.4.2. Thermal boundary conditions ............................................................. 460
21.4.3. Control parameters of thermal calculation ............................................. 464
21.4.4. Output results from thermal calculations ............................................... 465
21.5. Mechanical analysis .................................................................................... 465
21.5.1. Governing equation .......................................................................... 465
21.5.2. Contact ........................................................................................... 466
21.5.3. Boundary conditions for welding simulations ........................................ 468
21.6. Metallurgical model .................................................................................... 469
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21.6.1. Heating: austenitization ..................................................................... 470

21.6.2. Cooling .......................................................................................... 471
21.6.3. Output results from metallurgical calculation ......................................... 475
21.6.4. Benchmark simulations for phase transition models ................................ 477
21.7. Bibliography .............................................................................................. 481
vi
List of Equations
9.1. Heat flux for a stationary electrical current ............................................................... 184
9.2. Calculation of the electrical contact resistivity according to [2] ..................................... 185
16.1. Stress vector ...................................................................................................... 360
16.2. Stress tensor ...................................................................................................... 360
16.3. Equation for principal stresses .............................................................................. 361
16.4. Stress state in the deformation zone ....................................................................... 364
16.5. Triaxiality ......................................................................................................... 364
16.6. Relative magnetic permeability ............................................................................. 371
16.7. Lode angle parameter .......................................................................................... 372
vii
2023.3 Simufact Welding Tutorial
Simufact Welding Tutorial
Simufact Welding is a high performance finite-element-based software with state-of-the-art solver

technology. As one of the most important tasks, the software succeeds in realistically predicting the
distortions and residual stresses that occur during welding and after unclamping, while considering
phase transformations and controlling these in the component. By considering the phase transforma-
tion in the heat-affected zone, Simufact Welding accurately estimate properties of the weld seam like
its strength. The user gains valuable clues to identify welding defects such as hot cracks in the sim-
ulation and to avoid them in practice. The software assists in finding the optimal clamping devices
for the welding process and delivers results to determine the best welding sequence. Simufact Weld-
ing predicts the final contour of the component and aims to the manufacturing of parts with precise,
controllable, tolerance.
viii
2023.3
1 Welding simulation
2023.3 Welding simulation About welding simulation
1.1. About welding simulation

Most manufacturing companies rely on empirical data and experience when designing and welding components. Goal-
oriented improvements and the adjustment of manufacturing processes often require a considerable amount of time
and effort. Typically, for example, welding distortions can only be found and corrected in downstream fabrication
steps. However, the process accompanying the use of welding simulation enables a detailed examination of the entire
manufacturing process and the design of improved welding processes by, for example, the goal-oriented development
of clamping concepts. Software solutions like Simufact Welding enable the reliable simulation of welding structures
for companies applying industrial welding processes in (serial) production. Economical and high quality manufactur-
ing of products in the metalworking industry is unthinkable without the use of modern joining processes. Globally
competitive high quality production nowadays calls for the professional and cost-effective application of different
manufacturing processes, utilising respective component properties when adjusting different production steps. Here,
welding technology is crucial. In comparison to other joining processes, welding is beneficial for form and force
closure. Allowing a maximum force transmission with minimum weld thickness to reduce component weight and
usability for repairs. The disadvantages of welding include thermal distortion at the weld and in the welding assembly,
structural changes in the weld zone and (sometimes) quality assurance. Weld defects are only detectable using expen-
sive and time-consuming methods like X-ray or ultrasonic analysis. Thereupon, process reliability and robustness are
extremely important.
Figure 1.1. Structural welding simulation results: Deformations, Stresses, Temperatures
The goal of welding is to create a reproducible, reliable product with minimal distortions, while maintaining low
production costs without the need of expensive rework and quality control. Expertise and experience in the design
and application of welding are required. Until now, welding processes have been primarily designed using empirical
studies and relying on the experience of welding experts. Welding is a complex manufacturing process incorporating a
number of different factors such as the welding metallurgy, sequence, power source, energy, speed, filler materials as
well as the material combination and thickness (geometry), requiring all of them to be adjusted. The clamping concept,
the start and end of the clamping, the gripping points, their geometry and acting forces also have a significant effect
on the final result in terms of possible distortions.
2
Figure 1.2. Effective stress contour of a welding simulation for a ground vehicle component
For a long time, welding simulation has only been used by academics and in research facilities, because the modelling
and calculation required for experts were too complicated in application. Real-world production using simulation
software was out of the question. However, in 2005/2006, the German automotive industry initiated the development
of a new welding simulation program. The goal was to provide a production tool for welding experts, giving them a
better understanding of the processes and enabling the virtual design and improvement of the process. The development
contract was awarded to us. Based on our long experience in metal working Simufact Welding was developed over
the past years as an easy-to-use industrial application, tailored to the specific demands of the manufacturing industry
without requiring additional simulation expertise. For all calculations, a MSC Marc based solver is used (MSC Marc
has been a commercial software for over fifty years). Welding-specific extensions and adjustments were made in the
solver.
The key to this production program is the graphical user interface (GUI). It was designed for welding experts so that the
input is consistent with production guidelines. Clamping concepts, weld paths, input energy and welding sequence with
its velocity and pause time are all taken into account, as well as adequate time management provision. No additional
abstractions or simplifications are required from the user; instead, the simulation process can be set up like the real
manufacturing process. For all processes except for resistance welding, a calibration of the heat source needs to be done
which leads to the weld pool. However, a calibration is always necessary because the simulation uses a heat source
model for heat input. Several models, depending upon welding principles and materials, are available for selection.
Process optimization, the weld sequence, paths and clamping concepts can easily be exchanged, calculated, analyzed
and compared. This allows targeted comparison with factors in influencing total distortion, temperature distribution,
residual stresses and structural changes.
With the aid of Simufact Welding simulation software, it is possible to design reliable welding processes based upon
manufacturing data. However, as each component has a previous history, the welded component group will be further
processed or is subject to specific loads. Because of the open data structure, it is now possible to use the simulated
joints in further stress analyses maintaining local structural changes, mechanical resistance and residual stresses as
well as distortions. Simufact Welding also enables users to carry over the data from previous manufacturing processes
as the basis of the welding simulation. The calculated distortion e.g. can change by a factor of three, depending on
whether or not the history was taken into account or just the CAD geometry was used.
Accurate assessments of the conditions after welding can be made in this way. The inclusion of data from up- and
downstream manufacturing steps contributes to process optimization and enables a correct adjustment of the processes.
For example, temperature during a forming process can be used in a simultaneous welding process or to control the
introduced residual stress of the forming also to produce a weld with minimal distortion, or even to pre-composite the
distortion in the pre-stage (namely pre-bending). The virtual linking and examination of welding processes offers a
wide range of benefits for economical and reliable design of the manufacturing steps. The newly developed Simufact
Welding simulation program is a sustainable solution to modernise welding simulation and apply it to real-world
production. The code is continually improving and tailored to the dynamic requirements of the industry. Simufact
3
Welding allows a deeper and more detailed understanding of the welding outcomes helping to design in advance more
reliable, economic manufacturing processes with less distortion.
4
2023.3
2 Introducing Simufact Welding

2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding About Simufact Welding
2.1. About Simufact Welding

Simufact Welding is a finite element-based software for welding simulations. Finite element calculations are suitable
for modelling the elastic-plastic and hardening material behaviour and, thus, also for simulating welding structures.
Latest solver technology and a user-friendly overall concept allow to calculate welding sequences efficiently and to
predict distortions of the component realistically. In addition to that, phase transformation can also be considered.
The software assists in finding the optimal clamping devices for the welding process and aids manufacturing engineers
to determine the best welding sequence. Simufact Welding predicts the final contour of the component and helps to
produce parts in series with precise tolerance.
Allowing the calibration of combined alternative heat sources in less than 15 minutes, it provides useful tools to that
end.
• Mathematical heat sources (so-called equivalent heat sources) are state-of-the-art to simulate welded structures
faster;
• The question Which welding processes are compatible with your software? becomes secondary, since almost all
common fusion welding methods can be depicted by means of an equivalent heat source geometry.
2.2. Understanding welding simulation

Over the last 35 years, the research field in the area of welding simulation has converged to three main areas with
different requirements to the computationally implemented mathematical and physical models.
Radaj has classified the approach in three interconnected domains:
Figure 2.1. Research fields of welding simulation according to Radaj (2002)
6
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Understanding welding simulation
The melt pool flow and the resulting seam configuration are not the outcome of welding structure simulations and
are considered as input parameters. The main objective of the process simulation is the prediction of parameters to
be adjusted at the welding equipment. For process simulations it is vital to have a higher resolution which results in
more complex and time consuming calculations. So, this kind of simulations except of resistance spot welding are
usually studied decoupled.
The welding structure simulation calculates the outcomes of heat effect from the welding process on the structure.
Thus the prior knowledge of production factors in different manufacturing processes (laser type, focusing position,
submerged branch, and so on) is not critical. It is more important to model the heat flow out of the melt pool via
mathematical heat sources (e.g. 'equivalent heat sources'). Those will be ideally calibrated according to the weld pool
dimensions which can be observed in a micrography. If necessary, Simufact Welding is capable of working with
combined heat sources, which can be usually calibrated in less than 15 minutes.
Figure 2.2. Side-by-side view of a simple model setup and resulting peak temperature
Simufact Welding is especially designed to predict the welding distortions. Through the standard implementation of
predefined materials and material models, the software can calculate structural components and material states and
the resulting local (property) conditions. Phase transformation models consider the transformation strains, plasticity
and martensitic and bainitic hardening.
Distortion itself is not a problem for manufacturing; after all, it is the natural material behavior. When distortions in
welding exert a negative influence on a specific characteristic of a component, then one might get problems. These
distortions have the potential to cause a costly drawback. The technical requirements related to dimensional accuracy
and tolerances for welded components are directly related to the function of the component (suspension arm, chassis,
subframes, wheels, etc.).
The following table gives an overview on these influenced characteristics which could deeply be investigated making
use of Simufact Welding.
7
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Structural welding simulation
Figure 2.3. Undesirable impacts caused by distortion
2.3. Structural welding simulation

Once the technical requirements are defined, the mesh quality and the adequate post-processing can be defined. The
major inconvenience caused by welding distortion is the challenge to assemble welded components. This task can be
found in all industry sectors. So, the distortion calculation has to focus on the distance of points or on the rotation of
the surfaces to be connected. When gap tolerances are in the focus of the welding simulation, the results need to be
transferable reference positioning systems (RPS). If buckles on the surface have a negative influence on the reflected
light of the coated component, then a high-resolution rendering can help.
The calculation of distortions is neither a solution nor an improvement. But it can help to find useful counteractions
in order to minimize the negative influence of welding distortion by a virtual try-out of clamping concepts, welding
sequence, etc.. Welding simulation can be used at all stages during and after the development process. In early design
phases it can be used to compare different welding processes and strategies with regard to distortions before any
investments for welding equipment has been made. This approach saves a lot of money designing appropriate fixture
system right from the beginning.
8
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Best welded strategy
Figure 2.4. Comparison of the distortion between

a non-heated and pre-heated welding process
2.4. Best welded strategy

After going through the previous sections, it is clear that the purpose and advantages of Simufact Welding are:
• To calculate the global temperature field
• Show the structural behavior of components
• Present the distortion during and resulting from the welding process
• Visualize the residual stress due to structural changes
• Deliver in details the ongoing process to the user
With Simufact Welding the user is able to:
• Efficiently simulate the important aspects: Using the most realistic representation of components and necessary
real fixture conditions
• Calculate precise results: Configure the optimal welding parameters, knowing in advance where the distortion
will occur and keep stress under control
• Obtain faster solutions: Unleash the power of parallel processing, making use of distributed calculation for rapid
achievements
9
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Overview of the power tools
• Ease of use and flexible changes: Starting from simple models, then highly complex processes considering a
chained analysis of previous results
• Immediate available tools: All features are readily at hand in a single interface, no command-line interaction is
necessary, just copy-paste and drag-n-drop
2.5. Overview of the power tools

Presenting the interface of Simufact Welding:
Figure 2.5. Simufact Welding main screen - user

friendly interface at the core of development
Here is what you can perform with Simufact Welding:
• All arc welding processes: MIG, MAG, TIG, Submerged arc etc. and combined methods like plasma-keyhole and
LASER-hybrid
• All beam processes: LASER, Electron etc.
• All brazing processes
• Resistance spot welding processes
• Direct energy deposition processes
• Stress relief heat treatment processes
• Simple cooling & clamping process
• Multi-layer welding: Root pass and overlapped joints
• Cladding and deposition processes
• Tack welds with or without filler material
10
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Overview of the power tools
• Quick definition of welding paths using mouse clicks
• Quick definition of heat source orientation: Customized torch angle
• Quick thermal-only calculation with all metallurgical phase transformation
• Decoupled mode for thermal-mechanical pass independence
• Weld monitor to look at the cross section along trajectories to see penetration depth
• Any combination of welding sequences, direction or time periods
• Easy copy-paste functions to analyse different scenarios, also based on previous calculation steps
• Multiple or single robots/operators simultaneously with time managed separately
• Easiest tool/fixture/clamp definition, simple geometry can be generated inside Simufact Welding
• All types of fixtures can be deactivated during the process to study their interference
• Fully automatic contact calculation between all bodies
• Virtual welding of components with adaptive local contact condition
• Gap formation is calculated intrinsically regarding fixture concept
• Non-conformal mesh is fully supported, there is no need to match or merge nodes
• Friction is automatically applied through included models
• Automatic mesh refinement according to specified criteria
• Filler material creation is fully parametrized and generated inside Simufact Welding
• Weight due to gravity can be part of the simulation
• Phase transformation is calculated using multiphase materials based on CCT and TTT diagrams or based on
Leblond/ Koistinen-Marburger
• Material database with more than 30 materials that could be expanded by the user
• Direct interface with JMatPro for customized material
• Distortion, effective stress, phase transformation and many other results are part of post-processing
• Particles over the structure to be welded serve as comparison with real process in MS Excel format compatible
• Possibility to export results and distorted geometries (STL) at every calculated step
• Universal file format available to import/export results from/to third-party applications
• Multithreading and multiprocessor distributed architecture available at a mouse click
• Flat learning curve, the interface is very user friendly
• And a lot more...
11
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding GUI functions
Figure 2.6. Temperature, distortion and effective stress

are some of the available post-processing variables
2.6. GUI functions

2.6.1. User interface
The image below shows the main screen of a project in Simufact Welding.
12
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Settings
Figure 2.7. Main screen - overview of the available interaction areas
One can divide this window in six different areas of user interaction:
1. Main tool bar - This is the link for general and user preferences. The most used functions (Save/Open/Show model)
are available as icons.
2. Process tree - Here are all the definitions of the process. It shows in a tree-like definition all the configured processes
for the current project (more than 1 process normally coexist within the same process tree). To change the process
order in the process tree, drag-n-drop a process up or downwards.
3. Object catalog - All the data defined and imported is first stored here. Geometries, materials, weld paths and
temperatures can be found in this part. Despite being stored with the project, the data available here is only part
of the process if it is used in the process tree, if not it will be represented in italic form. To use an object in the
process just drag-n-drop it into the suitable component.
4. Model view - Outstanding graphic view of the current model with shaded edges enables the user to pan, zoom and
rotate using the mouse. Many views can stay opened at the same time, showing models and results side by side.
5. Properties of process (or another selected component) - A resumed version of the process represented using num-
bers and parameters. Shows the solver configuration, simulation time and mesh properties like the number of nodes,
elements and components in use.
6. Control and status bar - Through this bar the user controls the simulation. Start/Stop buttons and further insights
are readily available calling log files and simulation monitor.
2.6.2. Settings
To call the Settings window, click Extras then Settings.
13
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Settings
Figure 2.8. Settings - The global settings are available through the settings menu
A new window will open and there you can modify all the options to fit your project's needs.
Figure 2.9. Settings window - Customize Simufact Welding to operate your way
• General - Settings - Here you have the option to change language, external text editor and some memory manage-
ment.
• General - Setup options - Under this section you can choose where all the Simufact Welding shortcuts shall be
placed and whether file extension can be assigned.
• General - Environment - This dialog page allows you to configure the general Simufact Welding environment.
• General - Messages/ dialog positions - Here window positions and geometries (size) can be reset and deactivated
messages can be reactivated.
14
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Units
• General - Directories - This part of the settings is where you give directory's to locate System libraries, User
libraries, documentation, examples and User-defined mesh templates.
• Result values - Color legends - This dialog page lets you organize the color legends of the program environment.
• Result values - Legend assignment - This dialog page lets you define the assignment of color legends to result
values.
• Result values - User-defined results - This page allows you to manage user-defined result values. User-defined
result values are values that are defined by a formula provided by the user. This enables you to derive new result
values from the ones written by the solver.
• View - Graphics - This dialog page lets you define general display settings of the program environment, such as
the display settings of nodes or the color settings.
• View - Result vectors - This dialog page lets you define the representation of arrows.
• View - Movie capturing - In this section you change the movie capturing configuration.
• Units/Unit system - Here lies the coherence of the entire project as Simufact Welding is able to handle different
unit systems regardless of input method. Make sure you read the next section to get acquaintance with Units before
working.
• Licenses - This dialog page gives an overview of the license settings.
2.6.3. Units
The coherence and conciseness of a simulation project lies on the capability of handling different unit systems and
still make all them talk to each other. When using Simufact Welding the user does not have to worry about this as
the software can work with multiple unit systems simultaneously.
15
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Object catalog
Figure 2.10. Unit system and Units - Simufact Welding is

capable of handling multiple unit systems simultaneously
There are five standard configurations and one customizable set available. Choose your preferable unit system or
change only the units you're used to:
• Simufact default
• International system of units (SI system)
• SI-mm unit system (using millimeters instead of meters)
• Imperial unit system
• United States Customary System
• User-defined unit system
2.6.4. Object catalog

To define a process in Simufact Welding, the project can contain six main catalogs which are listed as:
16
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Object catalog
Figure 2.11. Object catalog window- Here is

where all data is made available for the project
• Geometries - All imported meshes for components, boundary conditions and geometries directly generated for
boundary conditions are placed here. It is possible to import:
• Meshes of the formats *.bdf, *.feb, *.fem, *sfc, *stl for deformable bodies (components and fillers)
• CAD-geometries of the formats *.iges, *.igs, *.stl, *.stp, *.step, *.jt, etc. for rigid bodies (boundary conditions)
• *.unv-files with results and meshes for deformable bodies (components and fillers)
• *.spr- and *.arc-files from Simufact Forming and *arc-files from FTI FormingSuite with results and meshes for
deformable bodies (components and fillers)
• Reference geometries (*.stl) can be used for the result transformation
Multiple geometry objects can be added to a assembly for easier and faster positioning of these objects at once.
• Materials - Material data and models are stored in this catalog.
• Temperatures - Initial temperature for components and fillers, settings for contact heat transfer, radiation and emis-
sivity stays in this catalog.
• Trajectories - Definition of weld paths based on picked nodes or from an external file.
• Welding-parameters - Welding process information, parametrization and heat source specification.
• Stress relief - Information about stress relief heat treatment processes.
• Filter - Filter the objects in the object catalog for processes or categories.
A button to show/hide the filter is at the top right of the object catalog area ( ).When this button is activated, the filter
at the bottom of the objects catalog can be used to filter the objects in the objects catalog for processes or main catalogs.
17
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Process tree
It is possible to rename an object on a catalog either by using the F2 key or from inside the object's properties.
2.6.5. Process tree

In each project in Simufact Welding several objects have to be defined in the process tree to setup a welding model.
The main objects of the process tree are listed below:
Figure 2.12. Process tree window - All the objects participating

on a welding simulation are listed under the process name
• Process - Tree-like view, describing and organizing the welding process for analysis. A single project may include
many processes. The order of processes can be changed by dragging and dropping a process up or downwards. The
button beside the components in the process tree shows and hides the corresponding geometries in the Model
view. If you right click on any geometry in the Model view you will find this button, too. If you right click in the
model view, you might find this button in the Display mode, because some of the model geometries are hidden.
• Context menu of the process - When right-clicking on the process name the following options are available:
• Model view - Open a model view of the selected process.
• Result view - Only available if results are existing. Open a result view of the selected process.
• Resume - Only available if results are existing. Allow to continue or restart the simulation if the process has
crashed for some reason.
• Add symmetry plane - Add a symmetry plane to the selected process.
• New components - Add new components to the selected process.
• New boundary conditions - Add new boundary conditions (bearing, fixing, clamping, local joints) to the selected
process.
• New robots - Add new robots to the selected process.
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• Add contact table - Add a contact table to the selected process.
• Update timings - Trigger the calculation of timings as well as calculation of element sets for thermal cycle
simulations.
• Model check - Check if there are warnings and/or errors in the selected process.
• Open process folder - Open the process folder in the windows explorer.
• Import results - Import results from another welding simulation.
• Define durable value - Only available if results are existing. Allow to create a user-defined result value that
outputs the duration that an element has been in a certain condition.
• Copy/ Rename/ Delete - Allow to copy, rename or delete a process in respectively from the process tree.
• Configure - Open the settings dialog of the selected process.
• Sort - Sort the components within the selected process alphabetically or reversely.
• Expand/Collapse - Allow to expand respectively collapse the selected process or the complete process tree. This
can also be done via the button in the header of the process tree.
• Symmetry plane - Mechanical and thermal boundary plane for symmetric processes.
• Component - Meshed geometry of the structure to be welded. A single process may include a number of components
as needed. Each component is treated as deformable body passive of heat transfer within themselves and with each
other. Every component has to have defined the geometry and mesh, temperature settings and material. Optional
is initial data of phase composition.
• Boundary condition - These are bodies to constrain the structure to be welded. They can be bearings (with planar
movement allowed), fixings (all 6 DOF are restrained) and clamps (bearings that can apply a force). Every boundary
condition has to have defined the geometry (mesh) but they don't participate on heat transfer; in case the user wants
to calculate that, the boundary conditions should be modeled and interpreted as components.
• Context menu of the Boundary condition - When right-clicking on the bearings, fixings or clamps the following
options are available:
• View - Open a view of the selected boundary condition.
• Positioning - Open the built-in positioning tool to position the geometry of the selected boundary condition.
• Advanced positioning - Once the geometry of selected boundary condition is changed in position, the transfor-
mation matrix can be saved by Save current positioning or be applied to another body by Apply displacement
to....
• Change geometry color - Change the geometry color of the selected boundary condition in the model view.
• Reset transformation - Only available if a transformation matrix is applied to the selected boundary condition
geometry.
• Parameter transfer - Transfer the parameter of a reference boundary condition in the project to other boundary
conditions of the process.
• Generate geometry - Generate geometry for the selected boundary condition by giving the basic geometry in-
formation like the position, shape and direction etc.
• Convert into ... - Allow the conversion of the boundary conditions between each other (bearings, fixings and
clamps).
• Convert to fixed nodes - Only available for bearings, fixings and clamps, this can not be reverted.
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• Automatic direction preview - Only available for clamps. Calculate the clamping direction based on the initial
contact status and show it in the model view automatically.
• Copy/ Rename/ Delete - Allow to copy, rename or delete a boundary condition in respectively from a process.
• Add to Group - Add group in the process tree and assign the selected boundary condition into a new or an
existing group. Objects can also be added to an existing group via drag and drop. A group can contain several
objects but only of the same type (bearings, fixings, clamps and also components). For this reason the option
"Convert into..." can also be applied to the entire groups.
Figure 2.13. Grouping of objects in the process tree
• Export - Export the geometries of the selected boundary condition as surface or volume.
• Configure - Open the settings dialog of the selected boundary condition.
• Local-joint - This feature mimics the existence of tack welds and spot welds for holding specific areas without
the need of two boundary conditions. The user can either pick these points in the model view or import external
reference files. These local joints behave like nodes connected between two (or more) different meshes.
• Robot - Welding robots (or welder) are represented here. A single process may include many robots as needed.
Each robot contains its weld paths, trajectory configuration, sequences and geometry (mesh) for filler. Weld paths
and torch angles can be adjusted here. Every robot has to have weld paths, initial temperature settings and material
for filler (if applicable). Optional is the weld filler geometry (mesh), which can either be generated by Simufact
Welding or imported from an external mesh.
• Context menu of the Robot - When right-clicking on the robot the following options are available:
• View - Open a view of the selected robot.
• Positioning - Open the built-in positioning tool to position the selected robot including all of its trajectories, fillet
geometries and heat sources.
• Hide/ Show in view - Hide or show the selected robot in the opening view.
• Parameter transfer - Transfer the start time of a reference robot in the project to other robots of the process.
• New weld line - Create a new trajectory for the selected robot by entering data points coordinates or by selecting
data points in the model view.
• Import trajectories - Import an existing trajectory in .csv or .bdf format to the selected robot.
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• Import G-code - Import and examine G-Code with subsequent possibility to create a trajectory automatically.
• Weld bead creation - Create fillet geometry (mesh) for the selected robot by manual selection of cross-sections
in the model view.
• Export heat source movement - Export all the trajectories of the selected robot with the time component of
the assigned heat source.
• Copy/ Rename/ Delete - Allow to copy, rename or delete a robot in respectively from a process.
• Export - Export the fillet geometries of the selected robot as surface or volume.
• Configure - Open the settings dialog of the selected robot.
• Trajectory under Robot - Welding trajectories are represented here. A single robot may include many trajectories
as needed. Trajectories can be moved within robot, between robots and even between processes via drag and drop
for a highly flexible definition.
• Context menu of the Trajectory under Robot - When right-clicking on the trajectoy the following options are
available:
• Change model attributes - Configure the visual attributes of the selected trajectory.
• Positioning - Open the built-in positioning tool to position the selected trajectory including its fillet geometries
and heat source.
• Reset transformation - Only available if a transformation matrix is applied to the selected trajectory.
• Copy and replace - Copy and replace the selected trajectory.
• Copy and translate - Create trajectories with a certain distance from the selected trajectory in the defined di-
rection automatically.
• Weld bead creation - Create fillet geometry (mesh) for the selected trajectory by manual selection of cross-
sections in the model view.
• Export - Export the the selected trajectory as .csv file. It is also possible to export re-positioned trajectories with
the transformed coordinates, in this case the trajectories are exported with all projections, offsets or positioning
applied on them.
• Rename/ Remove - Allow to rename or remove a trajectory in respectively from a robot.
• Show properties - Open the settings dialog of the selected trajectory.
• Particles - Define pre particles before the simulation is started respectively post particles after the simulation has
finished.
• Process parameters - Define the analysis methodology for resolving the model. Here the user has access to addi-
tional settings like total analysis time, time step configuration, parallelization, automatic mesh refinement, friction
model and more.
• Context menu of the process parameters - When right-clicking on the process parameters object the advanced
process parameters can be exported to respectively imported from a xml file.
• Results - This section appears as soon as the solution of a model begins. During the calculation it is updated
accordingly to the actual progress. The user does not have to wait until the calculation has finished to see the results.
In addition to this, the welding monitor is available to show the cross section normal to the weld seam. Optional
tracking points charts are available when configured before running the simulation. There is also an option for
exporting results as universal file (SDRC) (*.UNV), a format which contains all relevant data (selectable).
• Context menu of the Results - When right-clicking on the result the following options are available:
21
• View - Load the available results onto the visualization workspace. The results view can be opened by right
clicking on the Results icon and selecting View, by double-clicking on the Results icon or by right clicking on
the process name and selecting Show results. The result value can be changed by clicking on the result value in
the results view. It is possible to open multiple result views of the same or different processes by repeating the
described actions. Multiple views can be synchronized by clicking on in the view.
• History plot - Display result values for components and particles (pre and post) as curves (in a x-y-diagram).
• Welding monitor - Access temperature information at the cross section normal to the weld bead. Very useful
for checking the penetration depth on components according to melting temperature.
• Result transformation - Transform the results to a user-defined coordinate system.
• Shape comparison - Allows to analyze the shape deviation between the final surface mesh of the part and the
initial or another reference surface mesh.
• UNV export - Export results into a universal file format.
• Delete - Delete the results.
• Manage results - Manage results at time step level.
Figure 2.14. Assessing results - Right-clicking on the

results object makes a new set of options available
The new color schema that shows all objects of the same object type (components, fixings, bearings, etc.) in the same
color makes the model view more clearly.
For a more detailed explanation on each object or catalog, please visit the Help section.
22
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Model view
2.6.6. Model view

The model view enables the user to pan, zoom and rotate using the mouse. Right clicking on any component in the
model view opens a context menu with additional tools for displaying or manipulating the component. Analogously
the user can open and manipulate a result view. Many views can be opened at the same time, showing models and
results side by side.
Figure 2.15. Model view
Figure 2.16. View control
• First one: Select the orientation of the view (home view, Z-X view, bird view, etc.).
• Second one: Store and select user defined views.
• Third one: Reset zoom or zoom to a region.
• Fourth one: View rotation.
23
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Advanced functions and hints
• Fifth one: Show and hide view elements (legend, triad, process information and global coordinate system).
• Sixth one: View synchronisation. "Synchronize all the time" in the context menu of this tool will synchronise the
view and all other selected items in the menu all the time for all opened views. This tool only appears in the view
if more than one view is opened.
In the color legend in the model view a number is shown in ☺brackets behind the object types, that shows how many
objects of this type are in the process respectively are currently shown in the view (if some are hidden).
Figure 2.17. Color legend in model view
2.6.7. Advanced functions and hints

• Model check: In Simufact Welding it is possible to perform a model check to see what errors or warnings are
present in the model. Simply click on the process name with the right mouse button and select Model check.
• Window management: In case there are many views open in Simufact Welding it is possible to close all views but
remain the active view open. This function can be found in the Window menu.
• File management: It is possible to save a project under a new name with or without results. This can be found in the
File menu. Furthermore it is possible to save a project under a new name without results but with _Run_ directory.
This can be found when using Save project as - With input data....
• Reset zoom: Double-clicking on the middle mouse wheel will easily reset the zoom and center the model.
• Multi-selection of geometries in the object catalog: This allows multiple assignments of geometries to reference
geometries and assemblies in the object catalog. Additionally it allows multiple assignments to a process. For vol-
ume meshes components will be created and bearings for surface meshes. Additionally, multiple volume meshes
can be assigned to a robot.
• Resume: In case the simulation has crashed for some reason or it should be restarted at a specific time point, it is
possible to resume the process. Click on the process name with the right mouse button and select Resume to trigger
this. To access the results before resuming the process, wait until the simulation is finished and retrigger the "Import
results". This functionality needs to be activated in the section "General - Environment" of the settings of Simufact
Welding. Compare with the relevant Infosheets.
2.7. Help section

2.7.1. Offline help
When installing Simufact Welding by choosing to install the accompanying documentation, you will be able to count
on a comprehensive set of help files. These files are the offline help you get instantly by accessing the Help section:
24
2023.3 Introducing Simufact Welding Online help
Figure 2.18. Offline help - Available documents for consulting
• What's new document - This is related to the improvements since the last release.
• Release notes document - Listing all important features added to current version.
• Installation instruction document - Gives an overview on how to install Simufact Welding and start it for the
first time.
• InfoSheets folder - Here the user gets a more detailed explanation on important features of Simufact Welding.
• sfMarc folder - Extensive documentation of the solver.
• Tutorial folder - Documentation and tutorial for different process types as well as model setup and post processing.
These files are stored under <installation path>\simufact\welding\<version>\doc
2.7.2. Online help

In case you cannot find a solution for the issue you are experiencing, need support or check for available training
courses, please contact by phone or email your local reseller or the MSC Software office. Local resellers can be found
on our website:
hexagonmi.com/simufact
We are ready to help you within a small time frame!
25
2023.3
3 Arc Welding
2023.3 Arc Welding Creating a new project
Keywords
Arc Welding, 3D
Educational basics
This chapter will teach you the basic usage of the Simufact Welding GUI and especially the setup of an arc welding
process. An calibration example of a welding simulation is demonstrated beginning with chapter Section 3.8
Prerequisites
Basic welding process knowledge, Basic knowledge of Simufact Welding.
3.1. Creating a new project

After launching Simufact Welding successfully, you will be able to create a new project by clicking on File > New
project, clicking left on or simply by using Ctrl+N shortcut.
Figure 3.1. Creating a new project - This is the

first step to follow with the Arc Welding tutorial
Give the new project the name ArcWelding, then choose a folder path to save and click OK . You need to have
sufficient rights (read & write) in this folder. Remember the location for future reference.
Figure 3.2. Name and location - Choose a name

for the project and locate the folder to save it.
The next screen allows you to initially configure the model. Here you can specify the number of components, bearings,
fixings, clamps, robots and meet some other settings.
27
2023.3 Arc Welding Creating a new project
At first, select the proper process type for your welding process, in our case "Arc welding" (1). Afterwards you can
define the ambient temperature, a global value applied to the whole model and governing heat losses to the surround-
ings (2). You can additionally define the direction of gravity (3) and preselect the numbers of components, robots and
boundary conditions in your model (4). It might also be useful to add some meaningful description to the process (5).
Please note that all those settings can be changed afterwards, so it is not a problem if it turns out that you need some
more clamping tools or robots than defined here.
In the text field (6) at the bottom of the window you get additional information shown, if you hover with the mouse
pointer over some input fields. This text field is present in most dialog windows of the GUI.
Figure 3.3. Configuring the simulation - Choosing what will compose the simulation
Please make sure you have the configuration as shown in figure above, before clicking OK :
• Process type - Arc welding
• Ambient temperature - 20 °C
• Gravity - checked, 9.80665 m/s², z = -1
• Use symmetry plane - Unchecked
• Components - 2
• Bearings - 1
• Fixed geometries - 0
• Fixed nodes - 0
• Clampings - 2
28
2023.3 Arc Welding Importing components
• Local joints - 0
• Robots - 1
You may enter a description of this project inside the Description dialog. This however has no effect on simulations.
Then we get into the main screen of the project. All configured parameters will be loaded automatically to create the
process tree. Following, an overview of the GUI is presented.
Figure 3.4. Main screen - Overview of available interaction areas

For demonstration purpose, the GUI is sub-divided into 6 areas:
1. Main menu/ Toolbar - Most of general actions (save/open/close) are available through this menu
2. Process tree - All participating objects in the current project (may contain more than one process)
3. Object catalog - All available data from different sources
4. Model view - 3D-model / results view window, you can pan, rotate, zoom, pick, etc. from here
5. Properties window - Display selected item's properties
6. Status/ Control bar - See current status of the simulation and control using start/ stop buttons
3.2. Importing components

Importing meshes of components is the next step after defining the initial configuration of the project. Components
are the basis of the simulation and serve as guidance for clamp positioning and trajectory generation.
29
To import any number of components, in the Object catalog, right click on Geometries, select Import and navigate to
the corresponding directory. For this tutorial we will make use of Plate.bdf and Tube.bdf. Those files are located
in the example folder <installation path>\simufact\welding\2023.3\examples\Tutorial\ArcWelding\CAD-Data\.
Figure 3.5. Importing components - How to

import geometries (mesh) for welding simulation
Currently, the following formats are supported:
• *.stl - General triangulated geometries that might be used for clamps
• *.bdf - NASTRAN bulk data file (general)
• *.arc - Simufact proprietary format for geometries
• *.fem, *.feb, *.sfc - Mesh formats written by Simufact Forming and Simufact Mesh
• *.spr - Simufact proprietary format for output results with geometry reference
• *.unv - Universal file format that may also contain some result values
More information about the mesh requirements can be found under: <installation path>\simufact\weld-
ing\2023.3\doc\infosheets\Meshing_en.pdf
As an alternative to import of meshes via the import dialog of the GUI you can also just drag and drop the corresponding
files directly into the object catalog of the GUI.
After the import the following window will appear:
Figure 3.6. Importing with correct length unit - The unit

system originally selected should be used with this option.
30
It is important to notice that the unit to be chosen should match the system in which the geometry was originally
created (i. e. on the CAD system or from the mesher software). If for some reason the wrong unit is selected, then
Simufact Welding will scale it wrongly and interpret incorrectly. Mark the check-box Use units for all meshes when
all selected geometries use the same unit system. As the mesh is purely numbers, there will be no imported information
regarding unit, material or load type. For this tutorial the geometries were prepared in meters, please select Meter
in the list (1). Afterwards click on OK (2).
This window also has some additional functionalities. If you import surface meshes, the check-box Import geometries
as surface meshes is available. If the box is checked, all surface meshes you selected for the import are being imported
as they are and can be used for tools (clamps, fixings and bearings). If the box is not checked, it is possible to expand
2D-meshes into a 3D-structure. This works especially for sheets. In this case, buttons under Surface mesh options
are not available. If you import surface meshes the thickness of the sheet in millimeters and the number of layers in
the extrusion direction can be entered here. It is also possible to define if the solid mesh is to be created from mid
surface or from top or bottom surface.
Be careful: Even if the mesh is not suitable for the extrusion it is possible to activate this settings. How-
ever, the resulting 3D-mesh might not be useful in the simulation.
Furthermore, Import as single body is enabled when importing assembly of volume meshes. Activating this option
imports all selected meshes as only one mesh even if they do not share nodes or are not connected.
The imported components will appear under Geometries in the Object catalog area. To assign these geometries to
a process, drag and drop each one to a Component in the process tree. Doing so, the Model view will update and
show the participating components:
Figure 3.7. Model view - Updated with just imported and assigned components
The following actions / gestures are available to manipulate the model:
• + click - Selection
• + hold - Pans the model
• + click - Opens the context menu
31
2023.3 Arc Welding Defining materials
• + hold - Rotates the model
• - Zooms in and out the model
It is important to understand all the mouse interactions, they will be needed when defining weld paths. It is advisable
to spend some time practicing the mentioned gestures.
3.3. Defining materials

The material library, and therefore material properties, is where all important mechanical, thermal and electrical prop-
erties of materials are loaded from. Simufact Welding has an extensive material library readily available. In case of a
need for special material type or a customized input by the user, there is fully graphical support for doing so.
More information about the materials can be found in the tutorial chapter Material as well as in further material
documentation in the corresponding infosheets.
To access the material library, on Materials in the Object catalog, then select Library:
Figure 3.8. Material library - Simufact Welding has an extensive material library available
In the Simufact Material GUI you can use powerful filters (1) to e.g. filter for a material group or start to type the
material name directly (2). Then you can select the material in the resulting filtered list (3).
Please note: It is not recommended to use any material in a welding simulation that does not belong to
the area of application Welding.
For this tutorial, we will use STKM13A-SPM_sw for the components and for filler material (weld bead). Please select
it and click OK. After importing all required data, the materials will appear under Materials in the Object catalog.
32
2023.3 Arc Welding Defining materials
Figure 3.9. Available materials - The material library

contains the most diverse and commonly employed materials
Drag and drop STKM13A-SPM_sw on each component (Tube, Plate and Robot) or on the process name to assign it
to all components and to the robot at once.
At this point, make sure your Process tree and Object catalog look exactly the same as the image below:
Figure 3.10. Assigning the material - Components and Robots require

to have an assigned material data for mechanical / thermal calculation
33
2023.3 Arc Welding Defining temperature objects
Alternatively, the assignment can be done via on Process -> New components -> Assignment assistant. The
assistant checks for 3D-meshes in the object catalog and helps you to create components in a particular process out
of them.
In the assignment assistant you can at first select if you want to create new components or assign some properties to
already existing ones (1). Additionally, you can choose what happens, if some properties already exist. With the filter
(2) you can choose which meshes are to be seen, you can filter for meshes not assigned in the current process (but may
be used in other processes in the same project) or for meshes not used in the project at all. If there are materials present
in the project you can assign the materials to created components (3). Additionally, you can assign temperature objects
(4). In the list (5) you can select components you want meshes and properties to be assigned to.
Figure 3.11. Creation and assignment wizard for components
3.4. Defining temperature objects

You might have noticed during the definition of components that they already have a temperature object assigned. A
temperature object in Simufact Welding describes thermal initial and boundary conditions. There is a default object
present, but you also might want to change settings or to create new objects. For demonstration purpose, open the
existing temperature object in the Object catalog via double click on 20C or with on 20C and select Configure:
34
2023.3 Arc Welding Defining the mechanical boundary
conditions (tools)
Figure 3.12. Temperature object
Within this temperature object, you can set the initial temperature (1) of a component or robot the object is assigned
to. Furthermore, you can define the convective heat transfer coefficient to the environment (2) via a constant value or
via predefined table. Same can be done to contact heat transfer coefficient between different bodies in the model (3).
For this value it is also possible to use a automatic calculation. The emission coefficient (4) is to be set as a constant
value, governing the radiation heat losses.
For our example, leave the initial settings in the temperature object.
3.5. Defining the mechanical boundary condi-

tions (tools)
Every model needs mechanical boundary conditions to be considered to be set up properly. On the one hand, a boundary
condition of any kind is needed to prevent rigid body motion of components, so to make sure that those stay in place
during simulation. On the other hand, during welding the single components are usually lying on tables, fixed at some
positions or are clamped with tools.
In Simufact Welding we consider three main types of boundary conditions: Bearings, Fixings and Clampings. Addi-
tionally, we consider Local joints which are not really a boundary condition but connect components with each other.
35
conditions (tools)
Figure 3.13. Types of boundary conditions - There are four

types available: Bearings, Fixings, Clampings and Local joints
• Bearings - When using this type of fixture, the bodies in contact with it are able to move on the same plane of
contact. It does not restrain movement within the same plane/ face of contact. If the component tries to detach (move
away) from it there is a minimum threshold of 200 kPa (configurable) that it should overcome to separate. This
parameter has some impact on the computational time as contact is dynamically checked and calculated every time
step by the solver. Bearings are usually utilized as counterparts for clamps or are used as tables. A bearing can be
defined as a geometrical body and can be deactivated at some point during the process.
• Fixed geometries - Bodies in contact with this type of fixture have all 6 degrees of freedom restrained. This bound-
ary condition does not allow any type of movement and the separation threshold is infinite. As it restrains all move-
ments, it might likely cause some increase in stress within the contact area (strain is zero). A fixing as described
above can be defined as a geometrical body and can be deactivated at some point during the process.
• Fixed nodes - Additionally, one can define a fixing by means of fixed nodes, selecting a node set and adding it to
a fixing. In this case it is possible to constrain the nodes in question for each spatial direction separately. It is also
possible not only to define the deactivation time but also an activation time.
• Clampings - This type of fixture is used when there is a need for applying force on the component. It can have
a defined stiffness and can prevent dislocation during the simulation as it dynamically responds to the welded
structure distortions. Additionally a force vector can be defined working on a clamp. Usually, it appears in pairs
with bearings. It is also possible to handle a clamping as a rigid body with movement by definition of a start and end
time of movement as well as start and end position relative to where the clamp is defined initially (moving clamp).
It is also possible to define a clamp to be glued to the component in contact, so, combined with the moving clamp,
it gives a possibility to model displacement controlled tensile tests, while in combination with forces it makes force
controlled tensile tests possible.
• Local joints - When there is a need for local connection of components, local joints will act to keep the referred
nodes and defined sphere of influence neighborhood tied. With prior knowledge of the assembly state, the user
can select nodes on the component's mesh to have this behavior. Intentionally, tack welds or spot welds can be
simplified as local joints when the resistance welding itself is not the aim of the current welding process.
36
conditions (tools)
Except for Local joints, all other types of boundary conditions can be imported from previously meshed structures or
created inside Simufact Welding. To create them using Simufact Welding tools, on the fixture name in the Process
tree and select Generate geometry:
Figure 3.14. Creating fixtures - Fixtures can be created

inside Simufact Welding or imported from external meshes
After doing so, the following window will appear and you may choose between two types of predefined geometry:
cuboid or cylinder. Each one has its properties to be configured in order to best match the purpose. Use the
Select location button to pick a region on the model over which the geometry should be placed (click and drag).
Figure 3.15. Generating geometry - Creating

simple geometries to act as boundary condition
For this tutorial purpose, we will create three boundary conditions: one bearing-type acting as a table and two clamp-
ing-type to act as holders. Following the steps below will create the necessary geometries for defining the model.
Before starting with the creation of the boundary conditions, close the dialog and follow the following steps:
• Bearing - Change the current view to Bottom view by using the View tool bar and zoom out a bit to see the entire
bottom plate. Then on Bearing in the Process tree and select Generate geometry. Make sure Cuboid type is
selected, then click on Select location button. Go back to the model view, click and drag on the center of the plate
to create the geometry:
37
conditions (tools)
Figure 3.16. Selecting reference faces - It is important to

have a clean view of the location to place the geometry
After creating the cuboid, going to the Details tab, change the Height value to 5 mm. Change Width and Depth to
150 mm each. Position the bearing in the middle of the component (50mm, 50mm, -2mm). If needed, you can
also adjust the surface mesh going back to the Basic shape tab of geometry creation dialog. Click OK and the new
geometry will be created and assigned to the Bearing boundary condition, the newly created geometry also appears
under the Geometries section in the Object catalog.
Figure 3.17. Configuring the bearing geometry
It is also possible if you want to exchange the geometry assigned to the component or boundary condition later.
To get the work flow smoother, Simufact Welding offers the possibility to replace the assigned geometry with
the geometries from the Object catalog directly. For demonstration purpose, copy the geometry Bearing in the
Object catalog, the new copied geometry will be automatically named as Bearing-2. To replace Bearing in
the process tree with Bearing-2, drag and drop Bearing-2 onto the boundary condition name in the process
tree while holding the Shift key. By default the boundary condition is renamed with the name of the new geometry
that is assigned to it. To prevent the boundary condition to be renamed, hold the Ctrl key additionally. The following
figure shows the different between two options:
38
conditions (tools)
Figure 3.18. Replace the assigned geometry
Then you can replace the Bearing-2 with the original geometry with the same procedure and delete it. If by
any reason the geometry is not on the right position, you can move it around using the built-in positioning tool.
To access it, on the component to be moved directly in the Model view, point to Positioning on the sub-menu,
then select Translation or Rotation.
Figure 3.19. Moving components - Using the

Positioning tool to move components in the Model view
The dialog has four main options: Translate, Rotate, Gravity positioner and Bounding box alignment.
The Translate option allows movement of components along a principal axis. This can be either done by selecting
the direction and the distance of the movement directly in the dialog or by dragging the arrows at the edges of
selected components in the desired direction.
39
conditions (tools)
The Rotate options allows rotation around selected axis by a given angle or directly by dragging the arrows around
the selected components.
Using the Gravity positioner it is possible, by on shown arrows, to start gravity-based positioning, translational
or translational + rotational movement in the clicked direction. The movement stops after contact was achieved.
The Bounding box alignment uses the geometrical bounding box as well as characteristic points on this box to
allow a fast and comfortable positioning.
Figure 3.20. Translational positioning - Moving components using

an increment-driven mode or click-n-drag using the axis system
Figure 3.21. Rotational positioning - Rotating components using

Please note: The context menu of a geometry in the model also contains menu items concerning as-
semblies. You can add components or boundary conditions to assemblies. If done so, you can manip-
ulate (translate or rotate) the complete assembly (all geometries belonging to it) at once.
• Clamping - To create the two clamps, follow the same procedure but using cylinders and set Radius and Height to
5 mm each. Change to top view before picking the region. The position of one clamp has to be set at x1 = 35
mm, y1 = z1 = 40 mm, of the second clamp to x2 = 75 mm, y2 = z2 = 40 mm. After doing it properly
the result should be very similar to the following picture.
40
conditions (tools)
Figure 3.22. Placing fixtures - Reference for positioning the just created geometries
The clamps will exert a force on the rounded component against the bearing so to keep the two components together
during the welding. To configure the force, double-click on Clamping in the Process tree and the configuration
window will appear. Set the end time to 50 s. Change the clamping definition to Stiffness & Force, then set the
force to 0.1 kN and click OK.
The stiffness can also be entered as a table as a function of elongation.
Figure 3.23. Clamping force - Configuring clamps to use holding force
A window will pop up, that asks if the analysis end time should be changed from 0.0s to 50.0s. Please click on
Yes to apply this change.
Please do the same for the second boundary condition, Clamping-2, and the clamp setup for this project is com-
pleted.
41
2023.3 Arc Welding Creating a trajectory
At this point, you should notice that in the Process tree the name of the process is in red, and the Robot is also
written in red. This indicates some missing definition in order to get the process running. The next steps will cover
the steps for defining robots actions.
3.6. Creating a trajectory

Within Simufact Welding terminology, a trajectory represents the line along which the heat source is moving through
the model. A trajectory contains an ordered list of point coordinates that can either be entered manually, imported
from a file or picked directly in the model. To create a trajectory, on Trajectories in the Object catalog, select
New weld line. From here the user can pick nodes on the geometries in the Model view to build the set.
Figure 3.24. Trajectory creation
In order to make the node selectable, open the trajectory settings window and click on Select nodes button . A new
window opens, allowing direct node selection in the model and also showing a list of selected nodes.
If other geometries in the model are interfering so you are not able to select the desired nodes, you can deactivate them
in view by a on a geometry in question and deactivating Visible .
Figure 3.25. Picking nodes for trajectories

Select nodes in the view by clicking on the icon (1) and activate the pathing option in the following dialogue (2). With
this option the user can define a starting point (3) for the trajectory and an ending point (4) and all nodes in between
42
2023.3 Arc Welding Creating a trajectory
will be collected as sampling point for the trajectory. Please make sure that both points are on the same body. After
the selection window is closed, the selected nodes appear in the trajectory settings window.
The 20 picked nodes do not need to be the same as in figure above, but these nodes shall be picked on
the bottom of the tube.
43
2023.3 Arc Welding Settings of a trajectory
3.7. Settings of a trajectory

Points inside a trajectory can be resorted, deactivated, deleted, exported and also imported. Closing the settings window
updates the object in the object catalog.
Figure 3.26. Trajectory settings
3.8. The welding parameters and heat source

The welding parameters and heat source geometries are configured as a separate object, including the velocity and the
welding heat input. This object is later assigned to any number of trajectories. Any changes by modifying the origin
object in the Object catalog are applied to all trajectories. This can be understood as the user is making use of the
same welding process for different trajectories.
In Simufact Welding the heat sources are mathematical descriptions of the introduced energy and its distribution inside
of the melt pool. In order to account for heat loss in the process and the heat source has to be calibrated carefully to
match the real welding process. A weld macrograph or a temperature measurement of the welding process can be used
for the calibration. This can be done with a thermal simulation neglecting stresses and strains to evaluate different
parameters with a short calculation time. In this chapter the aim is to demonstrate the calibration to the following weld
macrograph, matching the fusion zones.
44
2023.3 Arc Welding The welding parameters and heat
source
Figure 3.27. Weld macrograph - picture source: https://www.blechtechnik-online.com/

bericht/migmag-schweismaschinen/leistungserweiterung_bei_cmt-2013-11-26
To create a new welding parameter object, on Welding-parameters in the Object catalog then select New heat
source parameter.
Additionally, you can import already existing welding parameters or access the welding parameter library, if you
previously added any welding parameters to it.
Figure 3.28. Welding parameter - Creating a new welding parameter object

A new window will open where the user can input the necessary data.
• Welding parameters - This tab is used for defining the welding parameters and calculation method. The user has
the option to choose between Transient (indirect power), Transient (direct power) and Thermal cycle. For this
tutorial we will use the Transient (indirect power) method and for that one should provide Current and Voltage
values. Input the following parameters:
• Velocity: 30 cm/min
• Current: 100 A
• Voltage: 16 V
• Efficiency: 0.8
45
source
Figure 3.29. Welding parameters - Configuring

the welding parameters for a given process
Make sure you have entered the correct parameters as described above or the heat input might differ and alter the
results.
• Heat source - This tab is the connection to the real process. The user has the option to choose between a conventional
(arc welding) or a highly focused laser heat source. For the purpose of this tutorial we select Conventional, which
is a Goldak's double ellipsoid model, a good approach for most arc welding processes. The process efficiency is
the main parameter to calibrate the heat energy input to the real process. It is advised to investigate different values
for calibration.
Figure 3.30. Conventional heat source - Goldak's model for arc welding processes
The parameters (dimension) of the heat source are configured so to match the real heat source geometry of a
welding process which can be obtained from a macrographic test of a weld bead cross-section, like the one
provided in Figure 3.27. Nonetheless, Simufact Welding provides approximation formulas for designing new
welding processes based on expected weld bead formation. These formulas are to be found in the infosheet
WeldingParameters_en.pdf that is linked in this dialog window.
For this tutorial, these are the values to be defined, with the aim to match the fusion zones of the weld macrograph:
46
source
• Front length a_f : 1.96 mm
• Rear length a_r: 7.20 mm
• Width b: 2.77 mm
• Depth d: 3.77 mm
• Gaussian parameter M: 3
Figure 3.31. Heat source geometry - The heat source geometry has to be
configured correctly or the power density will produce incorrect or no results at all
Inside this heat source geometry the heat is distributed to the integration points according to the Gaussian parameter.
It doesn't have to match the dimensions of the fusion zones in the weld macrograph, but this parameters are a good
start of the calibration process.
47
source
Figure 3.32. Heat source geometry energy distribution - The heat source geometry has
to be configured correctly or the power density will produce incorrect or no results at all
• Secondary heat source- In this tab a secondary heat source can be defined. As this is optional we leave the type
as None.
Figure 3.33. Optional secondary heat source
• General properties- This section is used for describing the process from which the welding parameters are origi-
nated. This is for information only and has no influence on simulations. You can give a process description in (1),
add some images in (2) and add a comment in (3). Some of this information is then usable as filter in the welding
parameter library.
48
2023.3 Arc Welding Configuring robots and weld beads
Figure 3.34. General properties - Textual description of the welding process
After configuring the welding parameter object as described above, just click OK and the new object will appear under
Welding-parameters in the Object catalog.
3.9. Configuring robots and weld beads

Robots are objects that will in fact perform the welding process simulation. They should have four kind of objects
assigned: temperature, material, trajectory and welding parameter. It is inside the robot configuration window that
weld beads are generated or assigned from externally imported meshes.
To start with, drag and drop the created trajectory onto the Robot object in the Process tree, then drag and drop the
welding parameter onto the trajectory. After doing so, notice how the Visualization area will update showing the
trajectory and heat source.
If you have more than one trajectory assigned to a robot you can also drag and drop the welding parameter
to a robot itself. In this case you can choose if you want to assign the welding parameter to all trajectories
besides those that already have a welding parameter assigned or completely overwrite all assignments
and assign the welding parameter to all trajectories.
49
Figure 3.35. Assigning trajectories - Trajectories are objects

that define the weld path and carry the welding parameters
Double click on the Robot object and its configuration window will appear.
In the first tab the user will see all trajectories assigned to the robot and their order. In this case, there is only one
trajectory. The Welding sequence area shows all the trajectories assigned, the user can change the order by dragging
and dropping them or reverse them by clicking on the buttons on the right.
This tab has also three sections with some configurable parameters:
50
Figure 3.36. Robot general configuration - Many

parameters for configuring the robot are available
• General information (1) - All general information as well as the additional robot information are listed in this area.
• Robot timings (2) - Start time manually defined for the robot, this has direct impact on delaying all trajectories.
• Selected trajectory (3) - The trajectory timings of the selected trajectory can be edit directly in this area:
• Pause (start): Within this time interval, there is no heat input despite already initiated the trajectory (similar to
pre-gas timing).
• Lead time: During the lead time, the robot has arc opened, heat input starts but there is no movement (similar
to keyhole opening procedure).
• Follow-up time: During the follow-up time, the robot has still an open arc but ceases the movement (similar to
crater-filling).
• Pause (end): Within this time frame there is no heat input and no movement and is the last step of a welding
trajectory (similar to post-gas timing).
All non-open arc time frames will mainly act like as a small 'cooling phase' and depending on the number of trajectories
can have a major impact on the final result.
Within this window it is also possible to export the welding sequence into a CSV file, change the se-
quence, pause or lead times and re-import the sequence.
For this tutorial please configure the parameters as:
• Start time: 0.0 s
51
• Pause (start): 0.3 s
• Lead time: 0.0 s
• Welding time: grayed out (not directly configurable)
• Follow-up time: 0.0 s
• Pause (end): 0.3 s
Figure 3.37. Robot configuration - Welding sequence
In the second tab is where 'torch' alignment is configured and trajectory reversal can be performed by using the icons on
the right side. All angular position is done in this area and heavily rely on the quality of underlying meshed components.
If by any reason the normal vector of a given component is misaligned, then it will impact on the orientation of the
trajectory. For this tutorial the meshes were carefully generated and quality was then double checked.
Please note the Connect trajectory to surface nodes option. This is useful if you expect a lot of deforma-
tion in the model so that the heat source (which is defined in global coordinates) might miss the defined
path. However, in order to use it, you should define the trajectory directly on nodes in question, otherwise
the GUI maps the trajectory as defined on nearest surface nodes, which might result in wrong path. The
more sampling points you have, the better, in this case.
52
Figure 3.38. Trajectory orientation - Configuring angular

alignment of the trajectory path regarding local axis
For this tutorial it is enough to check Projection on surface and Orientation. Simufact Welding has a robust engine and
will try to find the best suitable configuration as soon as the orientation check box is marked. However, for the reasons
mentioned above, there will be cases that a manual configuration of the orientation will take place for individual nodes.
In such case, use the Repair single points option.
The Schematic view - Trajectory window provides helpful insight for the currently selected data point regarding
its orientation with respect to other components. Use this window as a local reference when aligning or correcting
the orientation.
53
Figure 3.39. Schematic view - This window shows a

preview of the alignment with current parameters
Now the third tab is where weld bead geometry creation for processes with filler metal (non-autogenous processes)
can be done. The weld bead can be either imported and assigned to a given trajectory via drag&drop on the trajectory
or generated in this tab following the components mesh. In this tab there is a set of parameters that should be throughly
understood to match the welding macrograph (Figure 3.27) and have good results of welding simulation. Again, the
weld bead generation is affected by the underlying geometry/mesh of the components. For this tutorial we will generate
the weld bead instead of importing it.
54
Figure 3.40. Fillet geometry assignment - The user has the option to
import an existing mesh or generate the fillet inside Simufact Welding
When generating fillets inside Simufact Welding the dimensioning parameters are:
Figure 3.41. Fillet description - Parameters for fillet generation

• Throat a: The 'height' of the cross-section
• Bow b: The concavity of the fillet
• Leg z1: Leg of the fillet
• Toe z2: Toe of the fillet
To generate a fillet for the trajectory, select Generate weld bead from the Weld bead menu and change Quality to
medium, then type in the other values:
• a: 1.75 mm
• b: -0.5 mm
55
2023.3 Arc Welding Simulation settings
• z1: (automatic)
• z2: (automatic)
Then click Preview and you should get the following:
Figure 3.42. Resulting fillet - The user can preview the

resulting fillet on the model before accepting the configuration
Please note, in some cases you might need to go back to the trajectories setting page after the weld bead
is generated and to readjust the settings with respect to the generated weld bead.
Very well! At this point we have all parameters and objects set for starting the simulation.
3.10. Simulation settings

There are some settings the user can configure in order to change the way the simulation will be handled. To access
these parameters, double click on Process parameters in the Process tree.
56
2023.3 Arc Welding Simulation settings
Figure 3.43. Solver settings - It is possible to configure

the solver to run specific tasks according to user needs
The aim is to quickly get results to compare them to the weld macrograph. Make sure that thermal solution
and normal mode is selected.
The thermal solutions mode is designed to deliver results to calibrate the heat sources and to be able
to quickly compare different parameters for example different heat source efficiencies. The thermome-
chanical solutions mode takes into account stresses and distortions, but has longer calculation times.
The normal mode uses usual solver settings for a comparably fast analysis with a good result quality. The
precision mode activates several non-default settings that improve the result quality, but the calculation
time may significantly increase. The fast mode allows selection of a fast approach like single-shot or
shrinkage approach. For more detailed information please have a look into the tutorial chapter Simplified
approaches.
The user has the option to turn on multiprocessing capabilities and a technology called Domain Decomposition Method
(DDM). These options will help to speed-up the simulation therefore reducing wall-time getting results faster.
Besides that, each core has to have a license to run the solver thread.
Go to the tab Parallelization, activate the check-box and configure as:
• Number of domains: 1
• Number of cores: 4
The number of cores is per domain and each core has to have a license to run. For instance, here we are using 1
domain and each domain has 4 cores associated, 4 licenses are therefore needed. The licensing is per core.
57
2023.3 Arc Welding Running the model
Figure 3.44. Configuring parallelization - Simufact Welding comes with

two flavors of parallelization: domain decomposition and shared memory
Next tab is Time control, where the user configures the amount of time the simulation will run.
Figure 3.45. Configuring run time - Set enough run time in

order to capture also the cool down of the welded structures
Set End time to 300 s and result output frequency to 1 and click OK. Leave the rest of the parameters untouched,
for a more detailed explanation please visit the advanced section and the linked infosheets.
3.11. Running the model

Click on the green arrow on the analysis control tool bar to start the simulation. You might get a warning message
about too many domains being used. The model is indeed rather small, but the warning can be ignored here anyway.
After pressing the green arrow you get the possibility to edit the input file before running the simulation. In our case
just press the big green arrow. You can turn this window off in the Simufact settings.
58
Figure 3.46. Simulation start - Running a process
After some time the simulation will finish and reach the following state:
Figure 3.47. Successful completion - After a successful completion of calculation, the

control tool bar shows 100% done and the message 'job is finished based on time'
Congratulations, you have built and ran your first arc welding simulation!
The next step is to do postprocessing, the aim was to calibrate the heat source with the weld macrograph (Figure 3.27).
A tool to compare the fusion zone in the simulation to the real one is the welding monitor. In the postprocessing section
you learn more about reading, analyzing and exporting results.
59
Figure 3.48. welding monitor - The welding monitor can be opened by right-click
on the results, then selection welding monitor and the robot you want to investigate
It is necessary to know what is the welding time or trajectory distance matching to the weld macrograph. In this case
the weld is evaluated after 2.8 s or 14 mm.
Figure 3.49. welding monitor - The fusion zone is displayed

based on liquidus and solidus temperature of the material
The aim was to compare the fusion zone of the weld macrograph to the simulation result. As demonstrated on this
picture it is a good match.
60
Figure 3.50. comparison of fusion zones welding monitor and weld macrograph.
The heat source parameters are calibrated now and can be used in a thermomechanical simulation, to investigate weld
distortions and other parameters. You can copy the process by right-click on the process.
Figure 3.51. copy the process
In the new process you can change the process parameters to thermomechanical simulation.
61
Figure 3.52. Select thermomechanical simulation

The last step would be to do postprocessing, of the thermomechanical simulation. Please go to the postprocessing
section to learn more about reading, analyzing and exporting results and the different reslut values in simufact welding.
Congratulations, you have built, calibrated and ran your first thermal arc welding simulation and ran your
first thermomechanical simulation based on your calibration! These two steps are necessary in any type of
welding simulation! You have to use calibrated heat sources in laser welding, brazing, DED and resistance spot
welding processes!
62
2023.3
4 Laser beam welding

2023.3 Laser beam welding Preface
Keywords
Laser beam welding, tack weld, autogenous, 3D
Educational basics
This chapter will teach you the basic usage of the Simufact Welding GUI and especially the setup of beam welding
processes.
Prerequisites
Basic process knowledge, Basic knowledge of Simufact Welding.
4.1. Preface
This tutorial chapter will show the setup of a laser beam welding process. The demo will show two sheets being joined.
Two initial tack welds will be done before the final seam will be welded. You can find the finished model in Help >
Demos & Examples > Tutorial > Laser beam welding. The following figure shows the model view in its final state:
Figure 4.1. Model view of the Laser beam welding tutorial model

After launching Simufact Welding successfully, you will be able to create a new project by clicking the New project
icon in the tool bar or simply by using the Ctrl+N keyboard shortcut.
Give the new project the name LaserBeamWelding, then choose a folder path to save and click OK . Remember
the location for future reference.
64
2023.3 Laser beam welding Creating a new project

for the project and locate the folder to save it
The next screen is where you initially configure your simulation. There you can specify the number of components,
bearings, fixings, clampings, robots and other settings.
All this can be modified when getting into the main screen of the project. In addition to this, it is advisable to give the
project a description for future understanding of what the aim of the project is. At the bottom of the process settings
window you will find the interactive help: whenever the mouse pointer hovers over some command or parameter, the
text inside this box will change to help the user get more information about it.
Figure 4.3. Configuring the simulation- Choosing what will compose the simulation
Please make sure you have the following configuration before clicking OK:
• Process type - Laser beam welding
• Ambient temperature - 20°C
• Gravity - Checked box, negative z direction
• Use symmetry plane - Not used, leave unmarked
• Components - 2 components
• Bearings - 2 bearings
65
2023.3 Laser beam welding Importing components
• Fixed geometries - 0 fixings
• Fixed nodes - 0 fixings
• Clamping - 2 clampings
• Local joints - 0 local joints
• Robots - 1 robot
You may enter a description of this project inside the Description dialog. This however has no effect on simulations.
Figure 4.4. Main screen - overview of available interaction areas

This screen is sub-divided into 6 areas:
1. Main menus/toolbar - Most of the general actions (save/open/close) are available through this menu
2. Process tree - All participating objects in the current project (may contain more than one process)
3. Object catalog - All available data from different sources
4. Model view - 3D-model / results view window, you can pan, rotate, zoom, pick, etc.
5. Properties window - Display selected item's properties
6. Status/Control bar - See current status of the simulation and control using start/stop buttons

are the basis of the simulation and serve as guidance for clamp positioning and trajectory generation.
To import any number of components, in the Object catalog area, do a over Geometries, select Import and
navigate to the corresponding directory:
66

Currently the following formats are supported:
• *.stl - general triangulated geometries that might be used for clamps
• *.fem, *.feb, *.sfc - Mesh formats written by simufact.forming and simufact.mesh
• *.unv - Universal file format
More information about the mesh requirements can be found in the respective infosheet
AdaptiveRefinement_en.pdf which is linked in the Process parameters > Refinement tab.
For this tutorial we will make use of UpperPlate.bdf and LowerPlate.bdf. Those files are located in the example
folder <installation path>\simufact\welding\2023.3\examples\Tutorial\LaserBeamWelding\CAD-Daten\.
As an alternative to importing meshes via the import dialog of the GUI you can also just drag and drop the correspond-
ing files directly into the object catalog of the GUI.
Figure 4.6. Importing with correct length unit- The unit

system originally selected should be used with this option
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created (i.e. on the CAD system or from the mesher software). If for some reason the wrong unit is selected, then
Simufact Welding will scale it in a wrong way and interpret incorrectly. Mark the relevant check-box Use units for
all meshes when all selected geometries use the same unit system. As the mesh is purely numbers, there will be no
imported information regarding unit, material or load type. For this tutorial the geometries were prepared in meters,
please select Meter from the Length (unit) list and check the Use units for all meshes box.
This window also has some additional functionalities. If you import surface meshes, the check-box Import geometries
as surface meshes is available. If the box is checked, all surface meshes you selected for the import are being imported
as they are and can be used for tools (clamps, fixings and bearings). If the box is not checked, it is possible to expand
2D-meshes into a 3D-structure. This works especially for sheets. In this case fields under Surface mesh options are
not activated. If you import surface meshes the thickness of the sheet in millimeters and the number of layers in the
extrusion direction can be entered here. It is also possible to define if the solid mesh is to be created from mid surface
or from top or bottom surface. Be careful: even if the mesh is not suitable for the extrusion it is possible to activate
this settings. However, the resulting 3D-mesh might be not useful in the simulation.
a process, drag and drop each one to a Component in the process tree. Doing so, the Model view will update and
show the participating components:
Figure 4.7. Visualization window - Updated with just imported components

The following actions/gestures are available to manipulate the model:
• Left mouse button click - Select
• Left mouse button hold - Pan
• Right mouse button click - Context menu
• Right mouse button hold - Rotate
• Scroll wheel - Zoom in/out
to spend some time practicing the mentioned gestures.
A Clipping plane can be used to cut through the model in the model view as well as in the results view if results are
present. The dialog window can be opened by clicking on in the tool bar or by doing a in the model view or
results view and selecting in the context menu. The dialog window is shown in the figure below:
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2023.3 Laser beam welding Defining materials
Figure 4.8. Clipping plane - dialog window

The material library, and therefore material properties, is where all important mechanical and thermal properties of
materials are loaded from. Simufact Welding has an extensive material library, Simufact Material, readily available. In
case of need for a special material type or a customized input by the user, there is fully graphical support for doing so.
More information about the materials can be found in the tutorial chapter Material as well as in further material doc-
umentation in the corresponding infosheets. For the usage of Simufact Material please refer to the relevant documen-
tation which is linked directly in Simufact Material.
To access the material library, do a over Materials in the Object catalog area, then select Library:
Figure 4.9. Material library - Opening Simufact Material

In the Simufact Material GUI you can use powerful filters (1) to e.g. filter for a material group or start to type the
material name directly (2). Then you can select the material in the resulting filtered list (3). Please note: it is not
recommended to use any material in a welding simulation that does not belong to the Welding area of application
(easily recognizable by the _sw suffix).
For this tutorial, we will use S355J2G3-MPM for the components. This tutorial is for an autogenous laser welding,
therefore no filler material is needed. The definition of fillets is independent from the heat source. Please, select the
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correct material and click OK. After importing all required data, the material will appear under Materials in the
Object catalog area.

Drag and drop S355J2G3-MPM onto each component (Lower and Upper Plate). Do the same and assign it to
the Robot. The robot will use the assigned material for any assigned or automatically generated fillets and to calculate
the temperature which is needed to establish a "glue" contact.
Simufact Welding allows you to use single-phase and multi-phase material models for phase transfor-
mation calculations of steels. All materials having the MPM suffix are multi-phase models, their coun-
terpart are SPM which are single-phase models.
It is important to know the process you are going to simulate well. Phase transformations can have sig-
nificant impacts on the results. Be aware that selecting a multi-phase material model will reflect on the
calculation during and after the welding process (cooling), it is not just a final output result. More details
can be found in the respective infosheet Phasentrans_en.pdf which is linked in the Process para-
meters > Process definition > Advanced material model right next to the Use phase transformation
based on: checkbox.
Alternatively the assignment can be done via right mouse click on Process > New components > Assignment assis-
tant. The assistant checks for 3D-meshes in the object catalog and helps you to create components in a particular
process out of them. Compare the figure below.
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(4). In the list (5) you can select components you want meshes and properties to be assigned to.
Because we want to calculate phase transformations for this simulation you will need to define an initial phase fraction
for the start of the simulation. Please do a on the UpperPlate component and select Configure. A dialog will
show which offers the possibility to do some advanced settings. Please check the box Use phase fractions and make
sure that a phase fraction of 100% ferrite is defined (default setting). Repeat this step for the LowerPlate component.
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2023.3 Laser beam welding Defining temperature objects
Figure 4.12. Defining the initial phase fraction

At this point, make sure your Process tree looks exactly the same as the image below:
Figure 4.13. Current state of the process tree

Don't rush, if you miss something up to here, please take a breath and follow the steps again. It is important to under-
stand and get used to this workflow in order to avoid rework.

present but you also might want to change settings or to create new objects.
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2023.3 Laser beam welding Defining the mechanical boundary
conditions (tools or fixtures)
Within this object you can set the initial temperature of a component or robot the object is assigned to (1). Furthermore,
you can define the convective heat transfer coefficient to the environment (2) via a constant value or via predefined
table. Same can be done to the contact heat transfer coefficient (3). In this case it is also possible to use an automatic
calculation of the contact heat transfer coefficient. The emission coefficient (4) is to be set as a constant value, gov-
erning the radiation heat losses.
For this tutorial we set the contact heat transfer coefficient to a value of 20.0.
A material can optionally be assigned to bearings, fixings and clampings. The properties of the assigned
material will be used to determine the contact heat transfer coefficient for the fixation if you use the
automatic calculation. For resistance spot welding processes it will influence the stiffness of the elec-
trodes as well. If no material is assigned to the fixations the material H-13 will be used by default. This
material is a tool steel with a simplified data set of constant thermal and mechanical properties.

tions (tools or fixtures)
In Simufact Welding we consider three main types of boundary conditions: bearings, fixings (subdivided in fixed
geometries and fixed nodes) and clamps. Additionally we consider local joints which are not really a boundary con-
dition but connect components with each other. The placement and parameters of these boundary conditions are im-
portant optimization parameters for real welding processes.
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Figure 4.15. Types of fixtures - There are four types of

fixture available: Bearing, Fixing, Clamping and Local joints
contact. It does not restrain movement within the same plane/face of contact. If the component tries to detach (move
away) from it there is a minimum threshold of 200kPa (configurable) that it should overcome to separate. This
• Clamping -This type of fixture is used when there is a need for applying force on the component. It can have a
defined stiffness and can prevent dislocation during the simulation as it dynamically responds to the welded structure
distortions. Additionally a force vector can be defined working on a clamp. Usually it appears in pairs with bearings.
It is also possible to handle a clamping as a rigid body with movement by definition of a start and end time of
movement as well as start and end position relative to where the clamp is defined initially (moving clamp). It is
also possible to define a clamp to be glued to the component in contact, so, combined with the moving clamp, it
gives a possibility to model displacement controlled tensile tests, while in combination with forces it makes force
• Local joints - When there is a need for local 'gluing' of components, local joints will act to keep the referred nodes
and defined sphere of influence neighborhood tied. With prior knowledge of the assembly state, the user can select
nodes on the component's mesh to have this behavior. Intentionally, spot or tack welds can be simplified as local
joints when the spot welding itself is not the aim of the current welding process.
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Except for Local joints, all other types of fixture can be imported from previously meshed structures or created inside
Simufact Welding.
For this tutorial, we will create four fixtures: two bearings and two clampings to act as holders. Following the steps
below will create the necessary geometries for defining the model.
• Bearing - At first change the current view to Bottom view. To rotate the model in the view, you can click on an axis
in the compass rotating the view around the clicked axis or click on the axis label, which would position the view
normal to the selected label. Here change the view by clicking on the -Z-label.
Figure 4.16. Changing views to display selected areas
Then do a on Bearing in the Process tree and select Generate geometry.
Figure 4.17. Generate a geometry for the first bearing
Make sure Cylinder type is selected, then click on Select location button. Go back to the model view area, click
and drag on the center of the plate to create the geometry.
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Figure 4.18. Selecting reference faces - It is important to

have a clean view of the location to place the geometry
After creating the cylinder, go to the Details tab, change the Radius to 8 mm and the Height value to 3 mm. Also
set the position to x = 10 mm and y = 32 mm. Click OK and the new geometry will be created and assigned
to the Bearing boundary condition, the newly created geometry also appears under the Geometries section in the
Object catalog area.
Figure 4.19. Configuring the geometry - Many

parameters are available to build the geometry
If by any reason the geometry is not on the right position, you can move it around using the built-in positioning
tool. To access it, do a on the component to be moved directly in the model view area and activate Positioning
in the context menu.
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Figure 4.20. Moving components- Using the Positioning

tool to move components in the model view area
With either Translation or Rotation tool the user has the option to move the component in a certain direction using
defined increments or by dragging the axis system that is shown up.
In the translation dialog you can either set the direction and increment of translation manually or directly drag
the arrows at the edges of selected components in the desired direction. For more control you can also enter the
translation increment and check the "Stepping" checkbox.
Figure 4.21. Translating position - Moving components using

Rotation works similar to translation. The center of rotation can be picked with the selection button at the bottom of
the window, positioned automatically to the geometry center or entered manually. The rotation can be either done
incrementally or by rotating the geometry directly in the model view.
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Figure 4.22. Rotating position - Rotating components using an

increment-driven mode or click-n-drag using the axis system
Please note: the context menu of a geometry in the model also contains menu items concerning assemblies. You
can add components or boundary conditions to assemblies. If done so you can manipulate (translate or rotate) the
complete assembly (all geometries belonging to it) at once.
Additionally, Simufact Welding supports Gravity positioner and Bounding box alignment. More details about
them can be found in the linked infosheet in the positioning dialog.
Perform the same steps and create the second bearing touching the second plate. Change the Radius to 8 mm and
the Height value to 3 mm. Also set the position to x = 10 mm and y = -32 mm.
After that, you should have a similar view:
Figure 4.23. Generating geometries - Creating the two bearings
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• Clamping - To create the two clampings, follow the same procedure but using Cuboids. First, change to the Top
view, then create the geometries for the clampings the same way you created them for the bearings. Position them
opposite to the bearings and define the following measurements:
• Width: 10.0 mm
• Height: 5.0 mm
• Depth: 10.0 mm
Figure 4.24. Placing fixtures - Reference for positioning the just created geometries
The clampings will exert some forces on the component against the bearings so to prevent it from moving during the
welding. To configure the forces, double-click on the Clamping in the Process tree and the configuration window
will appear. Change the behavior to Stiffness & Force, then set the Force to 100.0N and the End time to 20.0
seconds, then click OK. Confirm the appearing window asking about the adjustment of calculation time.
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2023.3 Laser beam welding Creating welding trajectories and heat
sources
Figure 4.25. Clamping force - Configuring clamps to use holding force
Please do the same for the second boundary condition Clamping-2 and the clamping setup for this project is
completed.
Please note: it is possible to assign temperatures and materials to tools. Temperature assigned to tools describe their
temperature, constant during the simulation. Material describes the heat transfer.
At this point, you should notice that in the Process tree the name of the process is in red, and the Robot is also
written in red. This indicates that there are some missing definitions in order to get the process running. The next
we will cover the steps for defining the robots actions.
4.7. Creating welding trajectories and heat

sources
In this tutorial we will define multiple welding trajectories.
4.7.1. Welding trajectories

Within Simufact Welding terminology, a trajectory described the path the heat source is moving along during welding.
A trajectory is basically a list of coordinates of points or nodes. This list can be created directly in the GUI by picking
nodes in the model or imported from a CSV-file.
To create a trajectory do a on Trajectory (in the object catalog) and select New weld line . From here the user can
pick nodes in the model on the screen to build the set.
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2023.3 Laser beam welding Welding trajectories
Figure 4.26. Trajectory creation - Creating a list

of coordinates via direct selection on the screen
For this tutorial it is necessary to create three trajectories. After calling the function, a weld line settings window opens.
Figure 4.27. Trajectory settings window

The window contains of three areas. Area (1) describes the orientation of the trajectory (thus, the direction of the heat
source "depth". At the moment nothing is to be set here. If a trajectory is already assigned to a process (so being not
only a list of coordinates but also having geometry underneath it) additional buttons appear allowing reorientation
of trajectory directly from this window instead of robot settings window. Area (2) contains a (now empty) list of
coordinates. In the third area there are following trajectory control buttons (from top to bottom):
• Import of existing CSV file
• Trajectory export to a CSV file
• Picking tool (allowing the picking of nodes or points directly in the model)
• Add point (adds an additional coordinate line to the table which can be edited manually at the end of the list)
• Insert point (adds an additional line after the selected one)
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• Remove identical follow up data points (remove all identical consecutive data points that are highlighted)
• Remove data points (removes selected points from the list)
• Clear (removes all data points from the list)
• Reverse (reverse data points order)
• Activate, Deactivate, Invert activation state of all data points
Click on the picking tool. A picking window opens, allowing to pick nodes directly from the model view.
Figure 4.28. Picking window

While this window is open, you can directly select nodes on the surface of the model. Note the top button on the right
side of the window. This button can be used to select all nodes between two selected nodes automatically. This is not
needed here, but helps if you are creating trajectories on curved surfaces.
Select 2 nodes as shown on the figure below and confirm with OK. Also confirm the trajectory settings window. You
might notice, that the object catalog now contains a trajectory called "Trajectory".
Figure 4.29. First trajectory - Selecting nodes for the first tack weld
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Now create a second trajectory by selecting 2 similar nodes on the other side of the component. This creates a new
trajectory Trajectory-2.
Figure 4.30. Second trajectory
Third trajectory will define the final weld path of the laser beam. Create a new trajectory and open the picking window.
Now use the path selection button. Select a node on the upper plate on the interface between the two plates in the
inner corner, one node away from the edge. Select the second node on the other side of the joint. Note, that all nodes
in between are also selected.
Figure 4.31. Node sequence for the welding path
83
2023.3 Laser beam welding Creating heat sources
Now rename the created trajectories to "Tack-Weld-1", "Tack-Weld-2" and "Weldline".
Figure 4.32. Giving trajectories meaningful names
4.7.2. Creating heat sources

After the paths are described by means of weld lines or trajectories, we need to define the heat source geometry and
heat input, called Welding parameter.
For this Laser beam welding tutorial we will fill-up the information as to be consistent with a real laser welding process.
To create and define a welding parameter, do a on Welding-parameters in the object catalog and a context menu
will show the following options:
Figure 4.33. Creating welding parameters
4.7.2.1. Welding parameters definition

In this model we need two welding parameters, one for the tack weld and one for the joining process. Create a new heat
source parameters out of the context menu shown above. A heat source settings dialog opens, containing four tabs.
Welding parameters tab contains information about the welding velocity, power and efficiency of the process. Enter
the velocity at 3.2 m/min, switch to Transient (direct power) specification, enter the power to be 5000
W. Under the option Use up- and downramping switch up- and downramping off and assume the efficiency to be
0.7. The definition should look like shown below. Normally a calibration should be performed as demonstrated in
the chapter arc welding to determine the efficiency.
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Figure 4.34. Welding parameters tab
Heat source tab contains information about geometrical shape of the heat source and the intensity distribution inside
the heat source. Select Laser as Welding process. A laser heat source is usually defined as a conical one with upper
and lower radius as well as a depth. Set the upper radius to 1.0 mm, the lower to 0.75 mm and the depth to 2.0 mm.
Gaussian parameter describes the concentration factor of heat flux inside the heat source. Set it to 0, meaning that the
intensity is evenly distributed inside the heat source. Set volume fraction to 0.9, meaning that there is also a surface
heat flux present in the model. The surface heat flux is described as a circle, with a given radius (here 2.0 mm), depth
(0.1 mm) and an own Gaussian parameter, being 3.0. The settings are shown in the picture below.
Figure 4.35. Heat source tab
In the Secondary heat source tab a secondary heat source can be defined. In this tutorial we leave the type as None.
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Figure 4.36. Secondary heat source tab
General properties tab contains overall information about the process, for instance material combination, process
type, welding position, used equipment as well as metallographic cross-sections. This page is purely informative and
can be used in order to link the real process to the modeled heat source. The welding parameter library can be sorted
and filtered according to the input data in this tab. At this point, there is no need to change anything here.
Figure 4.37. General properties tab
Rename the created welding parameter to "Tackweld" and create a second heat source for the joining process itself.
The settings are shown below. Rename the created welding parameter to "Welding".
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2023.3 Laser beam welding Configuring the robot and defining the
weld beads
Figure 4.38. Welding parameters for joining
Figure 4.39. Heat source for joining
4.8. Configuring the robot and defining the

weld beads
Robots are objects that will perform the welding process. They should have at least four kinds of objects assigned:
temperature, material, trajectory and welding parameter. It is inside the robot configuration window that weld beads
(filler material) are generated or assigned from externally imported meshes if needed.
87
weld beads
To start with, drag and drop the three trajectories in the Object catalog onto the Robot in the Process tree, then
drag and drop the Welding parameters onto the appropriate Trajectory (Tackweld onto Tack-Weld-1 and Tack-
Weld-2, Welding onto Weldline). After doing so, notice how the model view area will update showing the
trajectories.
If you have more than one trajectory assigned to a robot you can also drag and drop the welding parameter to the robot
itself. In this case you can choose if you want to assign the welding parameter to all trajectories besides those that
already have a welding parameter assigned or completely overwrite all assignments and assign the welding parameter
to all of trajectories.
Figure 4.40. Assigning trajectories - Trajectories are objects

that define the weld path and carry the welding parameters
Double-click on the Robot and its configuration window will appear:
Figure 4.41. Robot configuration - All robot configurations are performed on this window
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weld beads
In the first tab the user will see all trajectories assigned to the robot and their order. In this case, there should be three
trajectories. The Welding sequence area shows all the trajectories assigned, the user can change the order by dragging
and dropping them or reverse all at once by clicking on the buttons on the right.
• General information - Robot type, Welding parameters, Total trajectory length;
• Robot timings - Start time, end time and total working time;
• Selected trajectory
• Pause (start): Within this time interval, there is no heat input despite already having initiated the trajectory
(similar to pre-gas timing);
• Lead time: During the lead time, the robot has the arc opened, heat input starts but there is no movement (similar
to keyhole opening procedure);
crater-filling);
trajectory (similar to post-gas timing);
All non-welding time will mainly act as a small 'cooling phase' and depending on the number of trajectories can have
a major impact on the final result.
For this tutorial please leave the parameters on their default values as shown in the figure above (everything on 0s):
In the second tab called Trajectories is where the 'beam' alignment is configured and trajectory reversal can be per-
formed by using the icons on the right side. All angular positioning is done in this area and heavily relies on the quality
of the underlying meshed components. If by any reason the normal vector of a given component is misaligned, then
it will impact on the orientation of the trajectory. For this tutorial the meshes were carefully generated and quality
was then double checked.
Please note the "Connect trajectory to surface nodes" option. This is useful if you expect a lot of deformation in the
model so that the heat source (which is defined in global coordinates) might miss the defined path. However, in order to
use it, you should define the trajectory directly on nodes in question, otherwise the GUI maps the trajectory as defined
on nearest surface nodes, which might result in wrong path. The more sampling points you have, the better, in this case.
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weld beads
Figure 4.42. Trajectory orientation - Configuring angular

alignment of the trajectory path regarding local axis
For this tutorial it is enough to check Projection on surface and Orientation for each trajectory. Additionally, for the
Weldline trajectory, set the Offset to -0.3 mm, this moves the sampling point a bit away from the component.
Simufact Welding has a robust engine and will try to find the best suitable configuration as soon as the orientation
check box is marked. However, for the reasons mentioned above, there will be cases that a manual configuration of
the orientation will take place for individual nodes. In such case, use the Repair single points option.
The Schematic view window provides helpful insight for the currently selected data point regarding its orientation
with respect to other components. Use this window as a local reference when aligning or correcting the orientation.
Figure 4.43. Schematic view - This window shows a

preview of the alignment with current parameters
Now the third tab Weld bead generation is where the fillet geometry assignment occurs for processes with filler metal
(non-autogenous processes). The weld bead can be either imported and assigned to a given trajectory or generated on
this tab following the components mesh. In this tab there is a set of parameters that should be thoroughly understood
to achieve good results with a welding simulation. Again, the weld bead generation is affected by the underlying
90
2023.3 Laser beam welding Simulation settings
geometry/mesh of the components. For this tutorial we will not need to generate any weld bead as the process is
autogenous. Therefore you do not have to do any settings in this dialog. For an example of an automatic weld bead
generation please see Chapter Arc Welding of this tutorial.
Figure 4.44. Fillet geometry assignment - The user has the option to
import an existing mesh or generate the fillet inside Simufact Welding
Close the dialog with a click on the OK button.

There are some settings the user should configure in order to change the way the simulation will be handled. To access
these parameters, double-click on the Process parameters in the Process tree.
Figure 4.45. Solver settings - It is possible to configure

the solver to run specific tasks according to user needs
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For Laser welding we will consider the material phase transformation that occurs during the process. To activate phase
transformations, check the Use phase transformation based on: box in the Process definition tab. Leave the rest
unchanged.
Make sure that if you want to use phase transformation calculations, your material model contains the
necessary information. For more information about Phase transformation please consult the infosheet
Phasentrans_en.pdf which is linked in this tab right next to the Use phase transformation based
on: checkbox.
The user has the option to turn on multiprocessing capabilities and a technology called Domain Decomposition Method
(DDM). These options will help to speed-up the simulation therefore reducing wall-time getting results faster. Besides
that, each core has to have a license to run the solver thread.
Figure 4.46. Configuring parallelization - Simufact Welding comes with

two flavors of parallelization: domain decomposition and shared memory
Mark the Parallelization checkbox and configure as follows:
• Method: Recursive coordinate bisection
The number of cores is per domain and each core has to have a license to run. For instance, here we are using 4 domains
and each domain has 2 cores associated, therefore 8 licenses are needed. The licensing is per core. If you do not have
enough licenses available please adjust these settings accordingly.
The next tab is the Time control, where the user configures the time settings for the simulation.
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Figure 4.47. Configuring run time - Set enough run time in

order to capture also the cool down of the welded structures
Set the Analysis end time to 50.0 s to have a cool-down phase after the robot has finished the welding. Change the
configuration of the Time steps during welding to the Method Adaptive. This will ensure an automatic adaptation
of the time steps to achieve the best possible results. Furthermore you can change the frequencies with which the
mechanical solution will be calculated and with which the results will be written. For this example we will keep the
default settings. For further information on this topic please refer to the linked infosheet in the dialog.
Simufact Welding comes with an advanced feature called Refinement. It is capable of refining localized portions of
the mesh to capture the physics happening there better.
As Laser welding is usually an extremely fast process due to the power density being high, we will activate the
refinement option to have smoother gradients.
Figure 4.48. Auto refinement - Enabling cutting-edge technology to better solve the physics
In the Refinement tab, change the Global refinement level to 1. There are quite some more advanced settings available
which are described in the linked infosheet in the dialog.
Under Advanced, go to Contact tab and deactivate the option High-end contact separation. This will increase
the calculation speed since separation will be calculated more simplified and will, hence, save computation time.
Separation is not the focus of this simulation. Please also change the Search order for component contact to Based
on body ID.
93
2023.3 Laser beam welding Running the model
Figure 4.49. Contact settings

Now we have everything set to run our first laser beam welding simulation. Please save the project and then click on
the green arrow on the analysis control tool bar to start the simulation.
Figure 4.50. Save and start the simulation!
94
2023.3 Laser beam welding Running the model

You can double-click on Results in the process tree to open the post-processing mode. Usually in welding simulations
you want to do a purely thermal simulation first just for the calibration of your heat source. You can use view cuts or
the welding monitor to analyze the geometry of it. You should configure your heat source so that its geometry is as
close as possible to the real one which should be obtained from experiments.
For more information about post-processing and the calibration of your heat source, please go to the post-processing
chapter of this tutorial to learn more about reading, analyzing and exporting results.
Congratulations, you have built and ran your first beam welding simulation!
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2023.3
5 Electron beam welding

2023.3 Electron beam welding Preface
Keywords
Electron beam welding, tack weld, autogenous, 3D
Educational basics
This chapter will teach you the basic usage of the Simufact Welding GUI and especially the setup of electron beam
welding processes.
Prerequisites
5.1. Preface
This tutorial chapter will show the setup of an electron beam welding process. The demo will show two sheets being
joined. Two initial tack welds will be done before the final seam will be welded. You can find the finished model in
Help > Demos & Examples > Tutorial > Electron beam welding.
The model build-up is basically the same as for a laser beam welding process. This chapter only shows differences
between the two processes, for detailed step-by-step model setup please refer to the chapter Laser Beam Welding
in this tutorial.
The following figure shows the model view in its final state:
Figure 5.1. Model view of the Laser beam welding tutorial model
5.2. Selecting process type

Instead of the process type Laser beam welding we select Electron beam welding while creating the new process:
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2023.3 Electron beam welding Selecting process type
Figure 5.2. Electron beam welding process type

The main difference between electron and laser beam welding processes are the following:
• In electron beam welding, no filler can be added to robots.
• In electron beam welding it is required to define a vacuum chamber opening time. Before opening, the process
happens in vacuum without any convective heat transfer. After opening, the usual convective heat losses defined
in the temperature object are applied.
To define vacuum chamber opening time, double-click on Process parameters in the process tree and open the Tab
Time control. It has now an additional line for the time definition. The defined time has to be some positive value.
Figure 5.3. Definition of vacuum chamber opening time
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2023.3 Electron beam welding Additional remarks
5.3. Additional remarks

In any other way the process definition is identical to laser beam welding. The process type laser beam welding can
also be used, if you want to simulate electron beam welding processes without vacuum chamber or using filler material.
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2023.3
Thermal cycle method (Meta-tran-

6 sient)
2023.3 Thermal cycle method Theory
(Meta-transient)
Keywords
Thermal cycle, 3D
Educational basics
This chapter will teach you the basic usage of the Simufact Welding GUI and especially the setup of processes using
the thermal cycle method.
Prerequisites
6.1. Theory
The main goal of the thermal cycle method is to reduce the simulation time using a meta transient simulation. This
means that a temperature boundary condition is applied to (in the simplest case) the entire length of the weld seam.
Thus the local effects of heat over time and their consequences for the total structure are calculated. The model setup
of thermal cycle simulations is according to full transient simulations. But instead of defining an energy input, a time-
temperature table is defined.
Figure 6.1. Default thermal cycle table

The origin of the time axis (X) is the time when the heat source reaches the mid position of the weld path in a transient
process. Therefore also negative values have to be defined. The temperature axis (Y) describes a relative temperature
and does not have a unit. The value 0 defines room temperature and 1 is the melting temperature of the robot. Values
up to 2 can be defined. The thermal cycle table should always start at room temperature, this means by a relative
temperature of 0.
The option Use full thermal cycle adds an additional point at the end of the welding time with room temperature.
Without this option a free colling will be calculated.
The option Subdivision can be used to divide a single weld seam into a defined number of thermal cycles that will
be calculated one by one. A very high subdivision will increase the simulation time rapidly as a transient simulation
will be approximated.

After launching Simufact Welding successfully, you will be able to create a new project by clicking File - New project
or simply by using the shortcut Ctrl+N.
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2023.3 Thermal cycle method Creating a new project
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Figure 6.2. Creating a new project

Give the new project the name TC-Tutorial, then choose a folder path to save and click OK. Remember the location
for future reference.
Figure 6.3. Choose a name for the project and locate the folder to save it
bearings, fixed geometries, fixed nodes, clamps, robots and other settings.
project a description for future understanding of what is the aim of the project. At the bottom part of the process settings
window you will find the interactive help: Whenever the mouse pointer goes over some command or parameter, the
text inside this box will change to help the user to get more information about it.
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2023.3 Thermal cycle method Importing components
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Figure 6.4. Configuring the simulation

• Process type: Arc welding
• Ambient temperature: 20 °C
• Use gravity: Unchecked box
• Use symmetry plane: Not used, leave unchecked
• Components: 2
• Bearings: 1
• Fixed geometries: 0
• Clampings: 1
• Local joints: 1
• Robots: 1
You may enter a description of this project inside the Description dialog. This however has no effect on the simulation.
But you should re-name the process and select a proper process name. In this tutorial we will name the process TC.

Importing components is the next step after defining the initial configuration of the project. Components are the basis
of the simulation and serve as guidance for clamp positioning and trajectory generation.
To import any number of components, RMC (right-mouse-click) in the object catalog area on Geometries, select
Import and navigate to the corresponding directory:
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2023.3 Thermal cycle method Importing components
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Figure 6.5. Importing components

• *.stl - Standard Tesselation Language
• *.fem, *.feb, *.sfc - Simufact mesh files
• *.unv - Universal file format
• *.dat - MARC input file
For this tutorial we will make use of T-vert.bdf and T-hor.bdf. Please select both files from the folder <installation
path>\simufact\welding\<version>\examples\Tutorial\ThermalCycles\CAD-Data.
The following window will appear:
Figure 6.6. Importing with correct length unit

Simufact Welding will scale it wrongly and interpret incorrectly. Mark the check-box when all selected geometries use
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2023.3 Thermal cycle method Defining materials
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the same unit system. As the mesh is purely numbers, there will be no imported information regarding unit, material
or load type. For this tutorial the geometries were prepared in millimeter, please select Millimeter and check the Use
units for all meshes box.
The imported components will appear under Geometries in the catalog area. To assign these geometries to the process,
drag and drop them successively on the Components in the process tree. Doing so, the Visualization area will update
and show the participating components.
Figure 6.7. Visualization window
• Left mouse button click - Select
• Left mouse button hold - Pan
• Right mouse button click - Context menu
• Right mouse button hold - Rotate
• Scroll wheel - Zoom in/out
to spend some time practicing these gestures.

The material library, and therefore material properties, is where all important mechanical, thermal and electromagnet-
ical properties of materials are loaded from. Simufact Welding has an extensive material library readily available. In
case of a need for special material type or a customized input by the user, there is fully graphical support for doing so.
To access the material library, RMC on Materials on the Object catalog area and select Library:
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2023.3 Thermal cycle method Defining materials
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Figure 6.8. Open the material library
For this tutorial, we will use S235-JMP-MPM_sw for the components and SG1-JMP-MPM_sw for the filler material
(weld bead). Please select both and click OK . After importing all required data, both materials will appear under
Materials in the Object catalog area.
Figure 6.9. Available materials
Drag and drop S235-JMP-MPM_sw on both components (T-vert and T-hor) and SG1-JMP-MPM_sw on the Robot
(yes, the robot).
At this point, make sure your process tree and catalog look as on the image below:
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2023.3 Thermal cycle method Defining the fixtures
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Figure 6.10. Process tree and object catalog after assigning the material
stand and get used to this workflow in order to avoid rework.
All materials with the suffix MPM have multiphase models available. This means, all phase transfor-
mation that occurs during the process will be taken into account.
6.5. Defining the fixtures

Clamps are assumed to be the boundary conditions of any welding simulation. From start to the end of a simulation
at least one boundary condition should remain active. They represent the constraints on which movement is locked
at specific directions. They can be either defined when starting a new project or added later to the process tree. Four
types of fixtures can be imported or generated inside Simufact Welding:
step by the solver. Bearings are usually utilized as counterparts for clampings (see below) following the behavior
of real fixture devices.
• Fixed geometry - Bodies in contact with this type of fixture have all 6 degrees of freedom restrained. This boundary
condition does not allow any type of movement and the separation threshold is infinite. As it restrains all movements,
it might likely cause some increase in stress within the contact area (strain is zero).
• Fixed nodes - This type of fixture behaves identical to the fixed geometry besides the fact that it constrains nodes
and does not use any geometry.
• Clamping - This type of fixture is used when there is a need for applying force on the component. It has a defined
stiffness and can present dislocation during the simulation as it dynamically responds to the welded structure dis-
tortions. Usually it appears in pairs with bearings.
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nodes on the component's mesh to have this behavior. Intentionally, spot welds can be simplified as local joints
when the resistance welding itself is not the aim of the current welding process.
Except by local joints, all other types of fixtures can be imported from previously meshed structures or created inside
Simufact Welding. To create them using Simufact Welding tools, RMC on the fixture name in the Process tree and
select Generate geometry:
Figure 6.11. Creating fixtures

After doing so, the following window will appear and you may choose between two types of predefined geometries:
cuboid or cylinder. Each one has its properties to be configured in order to best match the purpose. Use the Select
location button to pick a region on the model over which the geometry should be placed (click and drag).
Figure 6.12. Creating simple geometries to act as fixtures

For this tutorial purpose, we will create three fixtures: one bearing acting as a table, one clamping to act as holder and
one local joint being the tacks. Following the steps bellow will create the necessary geometries for defining the model.
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• Bearing - Change the current view to bottom view by clicking on the z of the coordinate system and rotating the
view by clicking on the x-axis. Possibly zoom out a bit to see the entire bottom plate. Then RMC on Bearing in
the Process tree and select Generate geometry. Make sure that the type Cuboid is selected, then click on Select
location button and click and drag on the center of the plate in the model view to create the geometry.
Figure 6.13. Selecting reference faces
After creating the cuboid, going to the Details tab, change the Width to 200mm, Height to 5mm and Depth to
150mm.
Click OK and the new geometry will be created. Besides being assigned to the Bearing boundary condition, the
newly created geometry also appears in the Geometries section in the object catalog.
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Figure 6.14. Configuring the geometry
If by any reason the geometry is not on the right position, you can move it around using the built-in positioning tool.
To access it, RMC on the component to be moved directly in the model view, point to Positioning on the menu,
then select Translation, Rotation or Bounding box alignment.
Figure 6.15. Moving components
On either Translation or Rotation tool the user has the option to move at a given direction using increments or by
dragging the manipulators that will show up. Additionally a rotation center can be selected in the Rotation tool.
Alternatively the Bounding box alignment can be used to position the component correctly.
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Figure 6.16. Manual positioning - Translate
Figure 6.17. Manual positioning - Rotate
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Figure 6.18. Manual positioning - Bounding box alignment
• Clamping - To create the clamp, follow the same procedure but using a cylinder and set the Radius to 15mm and
Height to 5mm respectively. Change to top view before picking the region. After doing it properly the result should
be very similar to the following picture.
Figure 6.19. Location of the clamping
The clamps will exert a force on the rounded component against the bearing to keep the two components together
during welding. To configure the force, double-click on the Clamping in the process tree and the configuration
window will appear. Change the behavior to Stiffness & force, then set the Force to 1.0 kN and click OK .
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Figure 6.20. Configuring the clamping with Stiffness & force
• Local Joints - As the name speaks for itself, this type of boundary condition affects the nodes around the specified
joints. The joints can be defined by eighter picking the nodes directly in the view or by importing them from a
CSV file.
In this tutorial we will pick the nodes directly in the model view for specifying the local nodes to be tied together.
Double-click on Local-joints in the process tree to open the settings dialog window and then click on add nodes:
Figure 6.21. Activate the selection mode
To select nodes on the screen click directly on nodes in the model view to pick the desired nodes. Please select 16
nodes, four nodes on each touching corner of the vertical structure.
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Figure 6.22. Picking nodes for the local joints
It is possible to change the contact tolerance by which the local joint will have effect. In this case we will use the
default settings as shown below. Please make sure, that the body of origin is T-vert and as Contact bodies T-
hor is selected for all data points.
Figure 6.23. Defining the contact tolerance and contact bodies for local joints
After finishing the definition of the local joints, they are displayed in the model view by spheres as shown below.
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2023.3 Thermal cycle method Creating trajectories
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Figure 6.24. Visualization of local joints

At this point, you should notice that the name of the process is in red in the process tree, and the Robot is also
written in red. This indicates that there are some missing definitions in order to get the process running. In the next
steps we will cover the necessary data for defining robots actions.
6.6. Creating trajectories

Trajectories are paths with additional information to become weld beads. Regardless of the welding process to be
simulated, the steps up to this point are the same.
For this thermal cycle welding tutorial we will fill-up the information as to be concise with a meta-transient welding
process. To create and define a trajectory, RMC on Trajectories and a context menu will show the options.
Figure 6.25. Creating trajectories
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2023.3 Thermal cycle method Defining the welding path
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6.6.1. Defining the welding path

There are many options to create a trajectory path:
• New weld line - A new, blank trajectory configuration dialog without any information of path;
• New point sequence - A new, blank point sequence configuration dialog without any information of path (this is
used for resistance spot welding);
• Import - This option will create a trajectory and import the path from a CSV file;
• Library - This option will point to a directory configured as the project's library. Works very similar to importing
from a CSV file;
• Export all - This will export the trajectory into a CSV file format;
Please RMC on Trajectories and select New weld line in the context menu. Create two weld lines (inner trajectory
and outer trajectory) and select the nodes as shown below using the selection mode. Keep in mind that when picking
on the screen, the procedure is limited by the mesh resolution (element size) and might lead to a distorted path when
the mesh is too coarse. Between two points Simufact Welding will linearly interpolate the path, so make sure enough
points are selected to create a smooth transition. Use the option Path selection for easier picking of the nodes. With
this option just pick the first and the last node on a line and all nodes in between will be selected automatically.
Figure 6.26. Creating a new weld line
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2023.3 Thermal cycle method The welding parameters and heat
(Meta-transient) source
Figure 6.27. Select nodes for the inner trajectory
Figure 6.28. Select nodes for the outer trajectory

Rename the two created trajectories to Inner-Trajectory and Outer-Trajectory.
6.6.2. The welding parameters and heat source

The welding parameters and the heat source geometry are configured in a separate object. This object is later assigned
to any number of trajectories so to reflect any changes by modifying the father object on the catalog. This can be
understood as the user is making use of the same welding process for different trajectories.
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To create a new welding parameter object, RMC on Welding-parameters in the object catalog and select New heat
source parameter.
Figure 6.29. Creating a new welding parameter

• General properties - This section is used for describing the process from which the welding parameters are origi-
nated; this is for information only and has no influence on the simulation.
Figure 6.30. Description of the welding process

the option to choose between Transient (Indirect power), Transient (Direct power) and Thermal cycle. In this
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tutorial we will use the thermal cycle method and for that one should provide a temperature table input. For most
arc welding processes, the default values for this table are suitable for the thermal cycle simulation. Please type in
and select the following values:
• Velocity: 5 mm/s
• Mode: Thermal cycle
• Table: tcpt-default
• Use full thermal cycle: unchecked
• Subdivision mode: No subdivision
Figure 6.31. Configuring the welding parameters for a given process
To load a table simply select the table in the drop down menu and click on Import user library file . Now the
selected table is loaded and can be changed if wanted. If the changes should be saved in the user database, simply
click on Add to user library . A new table will be created which can be selected in the drop down menu. If a
user table should be deleted because it is not needed anymore, simply click on Remove user library file .
When using the thermal cycle method, the entire weld bead will be heated at once according to the temperature
table provided. If by any reason you want to split the weld bead into smaller segments, please use the Subdivision
option. It is worth to notice that the more subdivision on a given weld bead, the more the thermal cycle simulation
will be similar to a full-transient method.
results.
• Heat source - This tab is the connection to the real process. The user has the option to choose between a Conven-
tional heat source (arc welding) or a highly focused Laser heat source. For the purpose of this tutorial we select
Conventional, which is a Goldak's double ellipsoid model, a good approach for most arc welding processes.
Figure 6.32. Goldak's model for arc welding processes 119

2023.3 Thermal cycle method Configuring robots and weld beads
(Meta-transient)
The parameters (dimension) of the heat source are configured to match the real heat source geometry of a weld-
ing process, which can be obtained from a macrographic test of a weld bead cross-section. Nonetheless, Simufact
Welding provides approximation formulas for designing new welding processes based on expected weld bead for-
mation. These formulas are to be found in the infosheet (accompanying documentation).
For this tutorial please insert the following values:
• Front length af : 3.12 mm
• Rear length ar: 11.44 mm
• Width b: 4.70 mm
• Depth d: 5.70 mm
• Gaussian parameter: 3
Figure 6.33. Defining the heat source geometry
• Secondary heat source - In this tab a secondary heat source can be defined. As this is optional we leave the type
as None.
After configuring the welding parameter object as described above, just click OK and the new object will appear
under Welding-parameters in the object catalog.

assigned to it : temperature, material, trajectory and welding parameter. It is inside the robot configuration window
that weld beads are generated or assigned from externally imported meshes.
To start with, drag and drop the two created trajectories to the Robot in the process tree, then drag and drop the
welding parameter Heat-source on each of the trajectories. You can also drag the welding parameter to the robot
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to assign it to all present trajectories. After doing so, notice how the model view will update showing the trajectories
and heat source.
Figure 6.35. Process tree and model view after

assigning the trajectories and welding parameter
Double-click on the Robot object to open its configuration window:
Figure 6.36. Robot configuration
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In the first tab the user will see all trajectories assigned to the robot and their order. The Welding sequence area
shows all the trajectories assigned, the user can change the order by drag and drop them or reverse them by clicking
on the buttons on the right.
Additionally this tab has three sections with some configurable parameters:
Figure 6.37. Robot - Welding sequence

• General information - Robot type, Welding parameters, Total length of weld seam;
• Robot timings - Start time, end time and total working time.
• Selected trajectory
pre-gas timing);
• Lead time: During the lead time the robot has arc opened, heat input starts but there is no movement (similar to
keyhole opening procedure);
• Welding time: During the welding time the robot has arc opened and moves;
crater-filling);
trajectory (similar to post-gas timing)
For this tutorial we will not change anything in this section.
On the second tab the 'torch' alignment is configured and trajectory reversal can be performed by using the icons on the
right side. All angular position is done in this area and heavily rely on the quality of underlying meshed components.
If by any reason the normal vector of a given component is misaligned, then it will impact the orientation of the
trajectory. For this tutorial the meshes were carefully generated and quality was then double checked.
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Figure 6.38. Robot - Trajectories

For this tutorial it is enough to check the box Projection on surface and Orientation for each trajectory
and enter an Offset of -0.5 mm. Simufact Welding has a robust engine and will try to find the best suitable con-
figuration as soon as the orientation check box is marked. However, for the reasons mentioned above, there will be
cases that a manual configuration of the orientation will take place for individual nodes. In such case, use the Repair
single points option.
the orientation.
Figure 6.39. Schematic view of the trajectory
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The third tab is where fillet geometry assignment occurs for processes with filler metal (non-autogenous processes).
The weld bead can be either imported and assigned to a given trajectory or generated on this tab following the compo-
nents mesh. In this tab there is a set of parameters that should be throughly understood to have good results of welding
simulation. Again, the weld bead generation is affected by the underlying geometry/mesh of the components. For this
tutorial we will generate the weld bead instead of importing it.
Figure 6.40. Robot - Weld bead generation

When generating fillets inside Simufact Welding the dimensioning parameters are:
Figure 6.41. Parameters for fillet generation

• Throat a: The 'height' of the cross-section;
• Bow b: The concavity of the fillet;
• Leg z1: Leg of the fillet;
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• Toe z2: Toe of the fillet;
To generate a fillet for the selected trajectory, select Generate weld bead from the Weld bead menu and change
Quality to medium, then input the other values:
• a: (automatic)
• b: -1.0 mm
• z1: 5.0 mm
• z2: 5.0 mm
Then click on Preview and you should get the following:
Figure 6.42. Preview of the generated fillet

Even though the robot window is open, the visualization area is still accessible so you can pan, zoom and rotate your
model. When previewing the weld bead, it is advisable to be looking at that area to see what kind of weld bead is
being generated before clicking OK.
Repeat the same procedure for the remaining trajectory to generate its weld bead and click OK . A window will pop
up that asks to adapt the analysis end time in the process parameters to the calculated end time of the robot. Click Yes
to close the window and have a look on the generated weld beads in the model view:
Figure 6.43. Automatically adapt the analysis end time
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2023.3 Thermal cycle method Process parameters
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Figure 6.44. Generated weld beads

Very well! At this point we nearly have all parameters and objects defined for starting the simulation. The last thing
that is missing, is the initial phase fraction for both components as we are using a multiphase material. Double-click
on one of the components. A new dialog will appear. Check Use phase fractions and select an initial phase
fraction of 100% ferrite as shown below:
Figure 6.45. Setting the initial phase fraction

Repeat the same for the second component and we are ready to set the process parameters and start the simulation.
6.8. Process parameters

these parameters, double-click on Process parameters in the process tree.
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Figure 6.46. Process parameters - Process definition
In this first tab Process definition, the user can choose to run a thermal-only simulation (Thermal solution) or a full
coupled thermo-mechanical simulation (Thermomechanical solution). Please select Thermomechanical solu-
tion, make sure that Normal mode is selected and check the box Phase transformation to activate the
calculation of the phases.
The normal mode uses usual solver settings for a comparably fast analysis with a good result quality. The
precision mode activates several non-default settings that improve the result quality, but the calculation
time may significantly increase. The fast mode allows selection of a fast approach like single-shot or
shrinkage approach.
The second tab Parallelization provides the option to turn on multiprocessing capabilities and a technology called
Domain Decomposition Method (DDM).
These options will help to speed-up the simulation therefore reducing simulation time and getting the results faster.
Besides that, each core has to have a license to run the solver thread.
Check the check box Parallelization and configure as:
The number of cores is per domain and each core has to have a license to run. For instance, here we are
using 1 domain with 4 cores associated, four licenses are therefore needed. The licensing is per core.
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Figure 6.47. Process parameters - Parallelization

Next tab is Time control, where the user configures the amount of time the simulation will run.
Figure 6.48. Process parameters - Time control

Set the Analysis end time to 200.0 s.
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2023.3 Thermal cycle method Running the model
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Now, go to the tab Advanced - Contact. For the latter case, it is advisable to keep the High-end contact
separation and Prevent chattering options checked for a more stable solution. So, there is no need to
change something on this tab:
Figure 6.49. Process parameters - Advanced - Contact
Leave the rest of the parameters untouched and click OK to apply the changes and to close the window. For a more
detailed explanation on the settings please visit the advanced section.

Now we have everything defined to run the first thermal cycle simulation. Click on the green arrow on the analysis
control tool bar to start the simulation. Before the actual simulation will be started, a model check is performed and
informs the user about warnings and errors in the model. The model check can also be called from the context menu
of the process.
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Figure 6.50. Calling the model check
In this tutorial the model check should show only 1 warning. The local joints are slightly over-defined. However, in
the current case, this warning can be ignored.
Figure 6.51. Model check without warnings and errors
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Figure 6.52. Start the simulation
Figure 6.53. Successful completion of the simulation
The next step is to do post-processing, please go to the post-processing section to learn more about reading, analyzing
and exporting results.
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Figure 6.54. Evaluation of the peak temperature

Congratulations, you have built and ran your first thermal cycle welding simulation!
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2023.3
7 Brazing
2023.3 Brazing Creating a new project
Keywords
Brazing, 3D
Educational basics
This chapter will teach you the basic usage of the Simufact Welding GUI and especially the setup of brazing processes.
Prerequisites

After launching Simufact Welding successfully you will be able to create a new project by selecting the icon New
project or simply by using the shortcut Ctrl+N.
Give the new project the name Brazing, then choose a folder path to save and click OK . You need to have the
according rights (read and write) in this folder. Remember the location for future reference.
Figure 7.2. Choose a name and location for the project
All this first configurations can be modified when getting into the main screen of the project. In addition to this, it is
advisable to give the project a description for future understanding of what is the aim of the project. At the bottom
part of the process settings window you will find the interactive help: whenever the mouse pointer goes over some
command or parameter, the text inside this box will change to help the user to get more information about it.
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2023.3 Brazing Creating a new project
Figure 7.3. Configuring the simulation
Please make sure you have the following configuration before clicking OK :
• Process type - Brazing
• Ambient temperature: - 20 °C
• Use gravity - Unchecked box
• Use symmetry plane - Unchecked box
• Components: 2
• Bearings: 2
• Fixed nodes: 0
• Clampings: 2
• Local joints: 0
• Robots: 1
• Apply heat source only to filler material- Checked box
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2023.3 Brazing Importing components
You may enter a description of this project inside the Description dialog. This however has no effect on the simulation.
Figure 7.4. Main screen - overview of available interaction areas

This screen is sub-divided into 6 areas:
1. Main menus/toolbar: Most of general actions (save/open/close) are available through this menu
2. Process tree: All participating objects in the current project (may contain more than one process)
3. Object catalog: All available data from different sources
4. Model view - 3D-model / results view window, you can pan, rotate, zoom, pick, etc.
5. Properties window: Display properties of the selected item
6. Status/Control bar: See current status of the simulation and control using start/stop buttons

The import of components is the next step after defining the initial configuration of the project. Components are the
basis of the simulation and serve as guidance for clamp positioning and trajectory generation.
To import any number of components, in the Object catalog, right click on Geometries, select Import
and navigate to the corresponding directory. For this tutorial we will make use of Sheet_straight.bdf
and Sheet_curved.bdf. Those files are located in the example folder <installation path>\simufact\weld-
ing\2023.3\examples\Tutorial\Brazing\CAD-Daten.
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2023.3 Brazing Importing components
Figure 7.5. Importing components

• *.stl - General triangulated geometries that might be used for clamps
• *.fem, *.feb, *.sfc - Mesh formats written by Simufact Forming and Simufact Mesh
• *.unv - Universal file format that may also contain some result values
More information about the mesh requirements can be found under: <installation path>\simufact\welding\2023.3\doc
\infosheets\Meshing_en.pdf
As an alternative to import of meshes via the import dialog of the GUI you can also just drag and drop the corresponding
files directly into the object catalog of the GUI. After selecting this two files the following window will appear:
Figure 7.6. Importing with correct length unit
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2023.3 Brazing Defining materials
It is important to select the correct unit. It must be the unit in which the geometries were created in (i.e. on the CAD
system or from the mesher software). If for some reason the wrong unit is selected, Simufact Welding will scale it
wrongly and interpret incorrectly. In this example all geometries were created in millimeter. Select Millimeter in
the list of Length (unit), click Apply & Next to adjust the unit for the other geometry, in case all geometry units are
Millimeter you can click on OK, then all geometries will be imported in Millimeter.
the process, drag and drop Sheet-straight to Component and Sheet-curved to Component-2 in the process
tree. Doing so, the Model view will update and show the participating components:
Figure 7.7. Updated model view

• + click - Selection
• + hold - Pans the model
• + click - Opens the context menu
• + hold - Rotates the model
• - Zooms in and out the model
to spend some time practicing these gestures.

The material library, and therefore material properties, is where all important mechanical, thermal and electrical prop-
erties of materials are loaded from. Simufact Welding has an extensive material library readily available. In case of a
need for special material type or a customized input by the user, there is fully graphical support for doing so.
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2023.3 Brazing Defining materials
More information about the materials can be found in the tutorial chapter Material as well as in further material
documentation in the corresponding infosheets.
To access the material library, on Materials in the object catalog, then select Library:
Figure 7.8. Open the material library
For this tutorial, we will use S235-SPM_sw for the components and Cu_sw as the filler material (weld bead). Please
select both and click OK . After importing all required data, both materials will appear under Materials in the object
catalog.
Figure 7.9. Select materials of the material library
Drag and drop S235-SPM_sw on each component (Sheet-straight and Sheet-curved) and Cu_sw on the
Robot.
At this point, make sure your process tree looks exactly the same as the image below:
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2023.3 Brazing Defining the fixtures
Figure 7.10. Assigning the materials to the components and the robot
stand and get used to this work flow in order to avoid rework.
Alternatively the assignment can be done via on Process > New components > Assignment assistant.
7.4. Defining the fixtures

Clamps are assumed to be the boundary conditions of any welding simulation. From start to the end of a simulation
at least one boundary condition should remain active. They represent the constraints on which movement is locked
at specific directions. They can be either defined when starting a new project or added later to the process tree. Five
types of fixtures can be imported or generated inside Simufact Welding:
Figure 7.11. Select the types of fixtures
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2023.3 Brazing Defining the bearings
• Bearings - When using this type of fixture, the bodies in contact with it are able to move on the same plane of contact.
It does not restrain the movement within the same plane/face of contact. If the component tries to detach (move
step by the solver. Bearings are usually utilized as counterparts for clampings (see below) following the behavior
of real fixture devices. A bearing can be defined as a geometrical body and can be deactivated at some point during
the process.
• Clampings - This type of fixture is used when there is a need for applying force on the component. It can have a
distortions. Additionally a force vector can be defined working on a clamp. Usually, it appears in pairs with bearings.
nodes on the component's mesh to have this behavior. Intentionally, tack welds or spot welds can be simplified as
local joints when the resistance welding itself is not the aim of the current welding process.
Except for Local joints, all other types of boundary conditions can be imported from previously meshed structures or
created inside Simufact Welding. In this example we have to create two bearings, two clampings and one fixing.
7.4.1. Defining the bearings

To create the first bearing change the current view to bottom view and create the first bearing by on Bearing in
the process tree and select Generate geometry:
Figure 7.12. Creating boundary conditions

After doing so, the following window will appear and you may choose between two types of predefined geometry
types: Cuboid or Cylinder. Each one has its properties to be configured in order to best match the purpose.
Select Type Cuboid and click on Select location to pick a region on the model over which the geometry should be
placed. Therefore go to the model view area, click and drag on the center of the plate to create the geometry.
In the dialog please configure the mesh size with the following parameters:
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Proportional to shape: unchecked box
Slices x: 10
Slices y: 1
Slices z: 15
Figure 7.13. Generating simple geometry for the fixture
After creating the cuboid, going to the Details tab, and change the entries for shape and position to:
Width: 35 mm
Height: 3 mm
Depth: 70 mm
x: 100 mm
y: 90 mm
z: -37 mm
Click OK and the new geometry will be created and assigned to the bearing boundary condition, the newly created
geometry also appears under the Geometries section in the object catalog area.
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Figure 7.14. Configuring the geometry
If by any reason the geometry is not on the right position, you can move it around using the built-in positioning tool.
To access it, on the component to be moved directly in the Model view, point to Positioning on the sub-menu,
then select Translation or Rotation.
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Figure 7.15. Moving components - Using the

Positioning tool to move components in the Model view
On either translation or rotation tool the user has the option to move at a given direction using increments or by
dragging the axis system that will show up.
Change the view to right view by clicking once on and then clicking twice on in the view widget and create
the second bearing in the same way as the first one. Configure the size and position of the second bearing as follows:
Slices x: 10
Slices y: 1
Slices z: 10
Width: 35 mm
Height: 3 mm
Depth: 30 mm
x: 100 mm
y: 10 mm
z: -95 mm
After that, you should have a similar view:
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2023.3 Brazing Defining the clampings
Figure 7.16. Creating the two bearings
7.4.2. Defining the clampings

The two clampings are created in the same way as the two bearings have been. The input values for the first one are:
Slices x: 10
Slices y: 5
Slices z: 10
Width: 15 mm
Height: 10 mm
Depth: 15 mm
x: 100 mm
y: 95 mm
z: -35 mm
Create the second clamping with the following parameter:
Slices x: 10
Slices y: 5
Slices z: 10
Width: 15 mm
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2023.3 Brazing Defining the clampings
Height: 10 mm
Depth: 15 mm
x: 100 mm
y: 8 mm
z: -92 mm
The following picture shows the created bearings and clampings.
Figure 7.17. Generated bearings and clampings

The clampings will exert a force on the attached component against the bearing so to keep the two components to-
gether during the brazing process. To configure the force, double-click on the Clamping in the process tree and the
configuration window will appear. Make sure the following configurations are made:
End time: 50.0 s
Clamping definition: Stiffness & force
Translational stiffness: Constant, 1000.0 N/mm
Force: 100.0 N
Direction: Manual, x:0, y:0, z:-1
After closing the configuration window of the clamping, a window with the question about the duration of the process
is opened. The reason is that we have now defined a certain time period of the process, but the process duration is still
not set. Confirm the question by clicking Yes. Also set the end time for the first bearing to 50.0 s by double-clicking
on Bearing in the process tree. Configure the force for the second clamping using the same procedure, but set the
direction to: x: 0, y: 1, z: 0.
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2023.3 Brazing Defining the fixing
Figure 7.18. Settings for the first clamping
Figure 7.19. Process time update
7.4.3. Defining the fixing

The last fixture to be defined is the fixing. Change the view to bottom view and on FixedGeometry and select
Generate geometry, in the opening dialog type in the following parameters:
Slices x: 10
Slices y: 1
Slices z: 3
Width: 35 mm
Height: 3 mm
Depth: 6 mm
x: 100 mm
y: 9 mm
z: -105 mm
Dx: 0 mm
Dy: 0 mm
Dz: -1000 mm
Now, all fixtures for this example are created. The model view and the process tree should be like in the following
picture:
147
2023.3 Brazing Configuring robots and weld beads
Figure 7.20. Model view and process tree after defining all fixings
At this point, you should notice that in the process tree the name of the process is in red, and the robot is also written
in red. This indicates that there are some missing definitions in order to get the process running.

assigned: temperature, material, trajectory and welding parameter. The weld beads for the robot can be generated or
assigned from externally imported meshes. The temperature and the material have already been defined for the robot,
so the next steps are to define the trajectory and welding parameters.
7.5.1. Importing the geometry of the filler

The geometry and mesh of the filler has been generated and can be imported by on Geometries in the object catalog,
select Import and select the file Filler.bdf. In the next window choose the Length (unit) Millimeter and
click OK .
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2023.3 Brazing Defining the trajectory
Figure 7.21. Import geometry of the filler
7.5.2. Defining the trajectory

Trajectories are paths with additional information to become weld beads. Regardless of the welding process to be
simulated, the steps up to this point are the same.
To create a trajectory, right-click on Trajectories in the Object catalog, select New weld line. With the marked button
"Select nodes" you can select the nodes for trajectory definition, but now close the trajectory without selecting nodes.
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Figure 7.22. Trajectory settings window
After closing this window, we have an empty trajectory object generated in the object catalog. This trajectory can be
assigned to a robot using drag&drop. After the trajectory is assigned you can also assign the filler from Geometries in
the object catalog to the trajectory. The process should now look like the following figure:
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Figure 7.23. Process after assignment of trajectory and filler
Double-click on the trajectory in the process tree and activate the "Select nodes" button. This opens the selection
window. During this window is open, you can select nodes for the trajectory from the model view. Select the nodes
as shown in the figure below and confirm the selection by clicking on OK.
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2023.3 Brazing Defining the welding parameters and
heat source
Figure 7.24. Selecting nodes
Then the trajectory settings window opens again which also can be closed with OK. The trajectory settings window
should look like shown below.
Figure 7.25. Trajectory settings window after selecting two points for the trajectory
7.5.3. Defining the welding parameters and heat source

The welding parameters and heat source geometries are configured in a separate object. This object is later assigned
to any number of trajectories so to reflect any changes by modifying the origin object in the Object catalog. This can
be understood as the user is making use of the same welding process for different trajectories.
To create a new welding parameter object, on Welding-parameters in the Object catalog then select New heat
source parameter.
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heat source
Figure 7.26. Welding parameter - Creating a new welding parameter object

the option to choose between Transient (indirect power), Transient (direct power) and Thermal cycle. For this
tutorial we will use the Transient (direct power) and input the following parameters:
• Velocity: 0.025 m/s
• Power value: 3000.0 W
• Efficiency: 0.65
The two boxes Activate upramping and Activate downramping shall be unchecked.
Figure 7.27. Heat source - Configuring the welding parameters

results.
heat source or a highly focused laser heat source. For the purpose of this tutorial please select Laser.
The parameters (dimension) of the heat source are configured so to match the real heat source geometry of
a welding process which can be obtained from a macrographic test of a weld bead cross-section described in
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heat source
the chapter arc welding. Nonetheless, Simufact Welding provides approximation formulas for designing new
welding processes based on expected weld bead formation. These formulas are to be found in the infosheet
WeldingParameters_en.pdf that is linked in this dialog window.
For this tutorial please put in the following values:
• Conical heat source upper radius ru: 2.0 mm
• Conical heat source lower radius rl: 1.0 mm
• Conical heat source depth d: 2.2 mm
• Gaussian parameter M: 2.0
• Volume heat fraction: 0.9
• Disc radius r: 2.2 mm
• Surface depth: 0.4 mm
Figure 7.28. Configuring the heat source geometry
as None.
nated. This is for information only and has no influence on the simulations. 154
2023.3 Brazing Configuring the robot
Figure 7.30. Heat source - General properties
After configuring the welding parameter object as described above, just click OK and the new object will appear
under Welding-parameters in the object catalog.
7.5.4. Configuring the robot

The welding parameters has been defined and can be assigned to the robot. Therefore drag and drop the Heat-
source in the object catalog to the Trajectory under the Robot in the process tree.
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Figure 7.31. Model after assignment of heat source data to the robot
Double-click on the Robot and its configuration window will appear:
Figure 7.32. Configuring the robot

In the first tab Welding sequence the user will see all trajectories assigned to the robot and their order. In this case,
there is only one trajectory. The Welding sequence area shows all the trajectories assigned, the user can change the
order by drag and drop them or reverse them by clicking on the buttons on the right.
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Figure 7.33. Configuration of the robot - Welding sequence
• General information (1) - All general information as well as the additional robot information are listed in this area.
• Robot timings (2) - Start time manually defined for the robot, this has direct impact on delaying all trajectories.
• Selected trajectory (3) - The trajectory timings of the selected trajectory can be edit directly in this area:
pre-gas timing).
• Lead time: During the lead time, the robot has arc opened, heat input starts but there is no movement (similar
to keyhole opening procedure).
crater-filling).
trajectory (similar to post-gas timing).
For this tutorial we do not have to configure the given values.
The second tab Trajectories is where 'torch' alignment is configured and trajectory reversal can be performed by
using the icons on the right side. All angular position is done on this area and heavily rely on the quality of underlying
meshed components. If by any reason the normal vector of a given component is misaligned, then it will impact the
orientation of the trajectory. For this tutorial the meshes were carefully generated and quality was then double checked.
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Figure 7.34. Configuration of the robot - Trajectories

In this tutorial we have to configure the given orientation of the trajectory. Therefore select the Trajectory, check the
box Projection on surface and Orientation and select Global (z-axis).
Simufact Welding has a robust engine and will try to find the best suitable configuration as soon as the orientation
check box is marked. However, for the reasons mentioned above, there will be cases that a manual configuration of
the orientation will take place for individual nodes. In such case, use the Repair single points option.
the orientation.
Figure 7.35. Schematic view of the trajectory alignment

The third tab is where fillet geometry creation for processes with filler metal (non-autogenous processes) can be
done. The weld bead can be either imported and assigned to a given trajectory via drag and drop on the trajectory or
generated on this tab following the components mesh. In this tab there is a set of parameters that should be throughly
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2023.3 Brazing Simulation settings
understood to have good results of welding simulation. Again, the weld bead generation is affected by the underlying
geometry/mesh of the components. In this tutorial we have already imported a geometry for the fillet. So, we do not
have to change anything on this tab and just click OK .
Figure 7.36. Configuration of the robot - Fillet geometries

Very well! At this point we have all parameters and objects set to adapt the simulation settings and afterwards to start
the simulation.

Figure 7.37. Solver settings - General settings
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2023.3 Brazing Simulation settings
Make sure that thermomechanical solution and normal mode is selected.
In the second tab Parallelization the user has the option to turn on multiprocessing capabilities and a technology
called Domain Decomposition Method (DDM). These options will help to speed-up the simulation therefore reducing
wall-time getting results faster. Besides that, each core has to have a license to run the solver thread.
Check the box Parallelization and configure as:
• Method: Vector
• Axis: X
• Shared memory parallelization - Number of cores: 2
The number of cores is per domain and each core has to have a license to run. For instance, here we
are using 4 domains and each domain has 2 core associated, 8 licenses are therefore needed.
The licensing is per core.
Figure 7.38. Solver settings - Parallelization
The next tab is Time control, where the user configures the amount of time the simulation will run.
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2023.3 Brazing Running the model
Figure 7.39. Solver settings - Time control
Set End time to 300.0 s to allow cooling. Switch the Time steps during welding method to Adaptive and close
the process parameters settings window with OK.
Using the in the context menu of the process you can now open the Process control center and have an overview
over timings of the process. Here we can see that after a brief welding period we deactivate two clampings and a
bearing after 50 seconds and let the process run until 300 seconds are reached to allow full cooling.
Figure 7.40. Process timings

After closing the process control center, click on on the analysis control tool bar to start the simulation.
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Figure 7.41. Start the simulation

A window will pop up, where you have the chance to edit the DAT-file before starting the simulation. In this tutorial
we will leave the DAT-file unchanged and just click Start analysis .
Figure 7.42. Possibility to edit the DAT-file

After successful completion of the simulation the control bar shows 100% and the message job is finished based
on time is printed.
Figure 7.43. Successful completion of the simulation

The next step is to do postprocessing, this will not be shown in this section.
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Congratulations, you have built and ran your first brazing simulation!
163
2023.3
8 Direct Energy Deposition (DED)

2023.3 Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Overview and classification of the
DED simulation
Figure 8.1. DED module
Keywords
Direct Energy Deposition, DED, Additive manufacturing, NC-Code, Trajectory, ATC
Educational basics
This chapter will teach you the fundamental methodology implemented to perform DED simulations in Simufact
Welding. It will focus on the specific workflow to create reliable simulations using a 'single body' approach. Contrary to
the LMD example given earlier (which describes metal deposition basically as a multilayer simulation), the dedicated
DED module employs additional functionalities and features together with a different workflow to optimize both result
quality and solving performance. In addition this examples shows how to speed up the simualtion using the ATC.
Prerequisites
8.1. Overview and classification of the DED

simulation
This chapter will give an overview of the features and functionalities of the DED module (some of these functions
are exclusively for the DED module). The dedicated DED module has been designed to optimize the set up of DED
simulations both in terms of GUI handling (less manual work, more automation) as well as state-of-the-art deposit
handling and solving methodology (solver input deck).
The workflow in the DED module follows the idea that modern 'Additive Manufacturing' processes are typically highly
digitalized. Planning takes place in a CAD/CAM environment where the central component is a path planning tool that
creates optimized robot data which are then passed on to the welding and gantry system to execute the actual job. Path
planning tools use certain algorithms to optimize the build strategy. However, it is still difficult to take into account
the complex thermal and metallurgical effects of the local welding process, which can lead to heat accumulation,
deformations and undesirable residual stresses in the generated parts.
The DED simulation in Simufact Welding provides a further optional optimization step in the planning of DED
processes, which offers the possibility to virtually test the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the manufacturing process
based on the path planning data.
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2023.3 Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Main elements of DED module and its
workflow
Figure 8.2. DED simulation in a digitalized 'Additive Manufacturing' production cycle
A central tool of the DED module is, hence, a NC-code import (currently for G-Code or APT-files) with which the
individual robot positions can be converted into trajectories for the DED welding simulation. By importing actual
robot data, the time-consuming manual creation of trajectories is avoided. This saves a lot of time in the pre-processing
procedure.
However, manual creation of trajectories as well as subsequent modification of the imported trajectories is also possible
providing maximum flexibility. For that, the GUI provides a variety of functions to move, manipulate, split and merge
trajectories if needed.
8.2. Main elements of DED module and its

workflow
The most important and central elements of the DED module in Simufact Welding are:
• G-Code import
• APT-file import
• Trajectory handling and manipulation
• 'single body' deposit approach and element set creation
Those tools and procedures are the core workflow to set up state-of-the-art thermo-mechanical DED simulations. Its
important to understand the purpose of each element to get a better understanding of the modelling methodology.
In the next sections they will be described in more detail.
8.2.1. G-Code/APT-file Import

Simufact Welding provides a G-Code and a APT-file parser that interprets the position data of the robot commands
and converts it into trajectories for welding simulations. It can be called via the context menu of a robot object. When
imported the interpreted trajectories will directly be attached to the robot and copied to the object catalogue as well.
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2023.3 Direct Energy Deposition (DED) G-Code/APT-file Import
Figure 8.3. G-Code Import via robot object or object catalogue

Although there is an ISO format for G-codes, these files are usually highly individual and not standardized. Therefore,
not all G-Code formats may be processed optimally. The import interface is therefore under constant development.
The current parser basically recognizes the coordinates and movement commands X, Y, Z as well as G0, G1, G4. G0
is interpreted as 'rapid movement' for positioning purposes (e.g. to the starting position of the next layer) without any
actual deposition happening. Therefore no trajectory is created for G0 movements. If no general movement mode
(G90 or G91) is given, an absolute movement mode G90 is assumed. In addition, the speed command F (assuming
a unit of mm/min) is read out and interpreted. All units can then be adjusted manually by double clicking on the just
created individual trajectories. The division into different trajectories is carried out according to the following rules:
• When movement command G1, G0, G4 is changed
• When changing the speed F
FOR, WHILE, IF loops as well as variables (e.g. for speed) are also detected and iterated. All uninterpreted and
therefore ignored commands are stored in a .log file that is saved in the project's sub folder '_gcode'. The interpreted
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2023.3 Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Flexible definition and handling of
trajectories
movements and trajectory informations are also stored in a specific .sfgcode-file in the same folder. Since the velocity
F is also read out, a heat source object, carrying this information, is automatically attached to each trajectory.
The APT file format is more standardized. Hence, the parser can interpret most of the know commands which are:
• GOTO: movement to a specified coordinate
• FEDRAT: welding velocity
• DELAY/DWELL: pause time
Figure 8.4. Interpreted G-Code and Log-file
8.2.2. Flexible definition and handling of trajectories

For cases where the user has no G-code available or wants to adapt imported trajectories, the GUI offers different
manipulation possibilities for already existing trajectories. These include:
• Translation and rotation
• Copying and moving
• Splitting
• Merging
For translation and rotation, the corresponding trajectory must already be assigned to the robot in order to be linked
to the reference system of the model. Splitting can also be done in the object catalogue without being attached to the
model. The same applies to merging of two separate trajectories. This provides maximum flexibility for trajectory
handling.
For more details, e.g. how to use these manipulation functions, please consult the Infosheet <installation
path>\simufact\welding\<version>\doc\infosheets\Trajectories_en.pdf
8.2.3. 'Single body' deposit approach and element sets

An important innovation and a differentiation to the other simulation modes is the possibility to use the 'single body
approach'. It is also highly recommended, although not mandatory. The idea behind this is that the entire deposit
geometry consists of a single congruent mesh. In contrast to earlier approaches (e.g. the one described in the chapter
LMD), only one single deformable body represents the entirety of the weld lines.
In order to guarantee a transient simulation and a piecewise construction of the deposit in the sense of a time-dependent
activation of the geometry, the single body must be divided into element sets. With these sets only those elements can
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2023.3 Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Creation of a DED model
be activated that are touched by the heat source at a given time. They are therefore a numerical necessity for the single
body approach, which is not fully automated in the current module. Investigations have shown that the single body
approach provides more realistic results as well as a significantly better computing performance. The DED module uses
an innovative 'advanced activation technology' which is only used for DED processes in the single body approach. The
definition of element sets is currently still up to the user and is managed by a tool developed especially for the module.
For more details about the definition and usage of element sets, please consult the Infosheet <installation
path>\simufact\welding\<version>\doc\infosheets\ElementSets_en.pdf
8.3. Creation of a DED model

This chapter will describe how to set up a simple transient DED simulation for a wall that is build with 10 layers. It
will describe the procedure with and without having a G-Code.
Respective data (meshes, G-Code file) for this example can be found in the tutorial folder <installation path>\simu-
fact\welding\<version>\examples\Tutorial\DirectEnergyDeposition\CAD-Daten.
8.3.1. Baseplate and boundary conditions

Create a new model and choose the 'Direct energy deposition' process type from the drop down menu.
Create one 'Components' and one 'Fixed nodes' object. The number of robots is limited to one in the DED module
and, hence, can not be changed. The robot object will manage the entire deposit. You may rename the just created
process to 'DED-Wall' (optional).
Figure 8.5. Create model for DED simulation
As explained in previous tutorial chapters, please import the following item into the object catalogue:
• from the tutorial folder: 'Baseplate_Wall.bdf' and 'Wall_Deposit.bdf' (Unit: 'Meter')
• from the Material library: '316LNSPH-sw'
Attach the 'Baseplate_Wall.bdf' mesh to the component object and the material to the process object (this will attach
it to both the component and the robot object)
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2023.3 Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Path definition without G-Code (man-
ual creation of trajectories)
Figure 8.6. Import and attach baseplate and material

Define 'fixed nodes' boundary conditions by selecting a set of 4 nodes on the bottom side of the baseplate (surface
directing in -y direction) according to the figure below. Nodes shall be fixed in all directions (x,y,z).
More information on how to define fixed nodes see Infosheet: <installation path>\simufact\weld-
ing\<version>\doc\infosheets\BoundaryConditionsFixing_en.pdf
Figure 8.7. Fixed nodes boundary condition for the wall model
The basis for the deposition simulation is now set. We can proceed with the creation of the deposit itself. Here we will
start with the workflow without having a G-Code at hand.
8.3.2. Path definition without G-Code (manual creation of

trajectories)
Assume, we want to create a 10 layer wall along the mid of the baseplate. Not having a G-Code, the trajectories need
to be defined manually. This can be done either by collecting a set of nodes (similar to the weld seam definition for
170
welding simulation), importing a CSV-file or manually defining coordinates for the trajectory points. In this example
we will look at the latter method.
Create a new weld line in the object catalogue. Choose the 'Length (unit)' to be 'mm'. In the 'Trajectory - Settings'
please set the 'Orientation' to 'Global vector' directing into positive y-direction (x = 0.0, y = 1.0, z = 0.0). Further,
create two new data points by clicking on the +-button. Input to following coordinates for the two points:
• -30.0 / 10.0 / 14.025
• 35.0 / 10.0 / 14.025
Create the trajectory by clicking 'OK' and attach them to the robot via drag'n'drop.
The trajectory of the first layer is now created and attached to the model. If the trajectory is not exactly at the desired
location, it can be positioned by using the 'Positioning' tool available in the context menu of the attached trajectory. It
works similar to the positioning capabilities for components and boundary bodies.
In the given case, the trajectory is located at the correct position where the first layer is supposed to be created.
However, it is also located directly at the surface of the baseplate. In order to avoid a lot of manual adjusting in later
steps, it is better to move it a bit upward in y-direction (build direction) until it matches with the position where the
top surface of the first layer is supposed to be. For that use the 'Positioning' tool and move the trajectory 0.52 mm (=
layer thickness) in positive y-direction.
Figure 8.8. Positioning of initial trajectory
More information about Positioning of Trajectories, please consult the Infosheet: <installation path>
\simufact\welding\<version>\doc\infosheets\ManualPositioning_en.pdf
After the initial trajectory is adjusted to the optimal position the next step is to create the missing 9 trajectories for
the remaining 9 layers. For this the function 'Copy and translate', accessible via context menu of the trajectory, can
be called.
In the 'Copy and translate' window set the 'Number of layers' to 9, the 'Direction' to 'y' and the value of 'Distance' to
0.52 mm. This will automatically create 9 copies of the initial trajectory with the given distance and direction. We
now have successfully created all trajectories for the 10 layer wall deposit simulation.
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Figure 8.9. Copy and translate of initial trajectory to finalize their position
To complete the path definition, please define two 'new heat source parameter' in the 'welding parameters' section
of the object catalog. The first one is used for the first layer and the second one is used the for the other layers. The
parameters (dimension) of the heat sources are configured so to match the real 'heat source' geometry of a DED process
which can be obtained from a macrographic test of a weld bead cross-section described in the chapter arc welding.
Please copy the following values:
• Welding parameters - first layer:
Velocity: 12 mm/s (or 720 mm/min)
Mode: Transient (direct power)
Power value: 900 W
Uncheck up- and downramping
Efficiency: 0.6
• Welding parameters - other layers:
Velocity: 12 mm/s (or 720 mm/min)
Mode: Transient (direct power)
Power value: 550 W
Uncheck up- and downramping
Efficiency: 0.6
• Heat source:
Welding process: Laser
Upper radius: 1.3 mm
Lower radius: 1.3 mm
depth: 0.7 mm
Gauss parameter: 0
Volume heat fraction: 1
Surface heat source does not need any changes
Create the heat sources with 'OK' and drag and drop them to the robot attached trajectories.
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2023.3 Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Path definition with G-Code (automat-
ic creation of trajectories)
Figure 8.10. Welding parameter definition
Path and welding parameter definition is now complete.
We will now look at the alternative trajectory creation when using a G-Code in the next section.
8.3.3. Path definition with G-Code (automatic creation of

trajectories)
The creation of trajectories using G-Code import is much easier and faster and should be the preferred workflow.
Please select the G-Code import in the context menu of the robot and choose the 'Wall_GCode.ISO' file from the
tutorial folder.
The GUI recovers 20 separate robot coordinates from the G-Code. By analysing the motion change (velocity command
'F' and 'G'-commands in the G-Code) it divides the robot movement into 20 separate movements. Since 10 of them
are performed with G0 command (the ones that move the robot upward to the next layer), those movements will not
result in a trajectory. So in the end 10 trajectories are attached to the robot object.
Figure 8.11. Automatic creation of trajectories using the G-Code parser
Notice: In addition to the manual creation of trajectories, a 'welding parameter' object named 'Heatsource' is already
automatically attached to each trajectory.
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2023.3 Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Deposit geometry
Figure 8.12. Heat source is already attached to the trajectories

It contains the information about the movement speed recovered from G-Code. The rest of the welding parameters is
left blank and needs to be defined manually. Please fill in the values described in the previous section.
To finalize the path definition, the trajectories need to be shifted 0.52 mm into y-direction to position them at the
top surface of each layer. This could be done by moving each and every trajectory with the 'Positioning' tool. In the
given case, however, it is much easier to use the offset definition inside the robot object. Open the robot interface by
double-clicking on the robot object. In the 'Trajectories' menu all trajectories can be selected via CTRL+A. Check
the 'Orientation' function and set it to 'Global (y-axis)'. All trajectories can then be shifted by defining an 'Offset' of
-0.52 mm.
Figure 8.13. Finalizing trajectories

Click 'OK' to apply the changes and confirm the following pop-up notification with 'Yes'.
Now the model is in line with the previously described workflow using manual path definition and we can move on
to the definition of the deposit geometry.
8.3.4. Deposit geometry

In this section we will define and finalize the wall deposit geometry. In this tutorial example we already imported the
wall mesh. It is only one body that contains all layers. So in this example the 'one body' deposit geometry approach
is used. In general, it is highly recommended to use this approach when using the DED module, but not mandatory.
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2023.3 Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Deposit geometry
Using only one body avoids the time consuming contact calculation between each layer during the solution procedure
of the solver. It also reduces the number of node in the model and enables an advanced element activation method
(this is exclusive to the DED process type).
The mesh is specifically designed that one element over the thickness match with the thickness of one layer to
have a fast solution. It's possible to use more elements over the thickness (i.e. two) to increase the accuracy of the
bending in vertical direction. In this way, the 10 elements over thickness can be assigned exactly to the individual
layers via element set definition which is a key point to the DED workflow. Since this step currently still has to
be done manually and automation for this has not yet been implemented, it is very important to create a mesh
suitable for the workflow and to understand the concept behind it. Since the deposit body can be divided into
the individual seam sections and layers using the element sets, the mesh must also be designed in such a way
that individual element packages (the sets) can also form an adequate representation of individual layers or
individual seams. In particular, care must be taken to ensure that the height of the elements is chosen so that
their edges match the edges of the layers.
Please attach the 'Wall_Deposit' geometry to the robot object, choose 'All weld lines' so that it will be assigned to
every trajectory. All trajectories will then share the same geometry.
Figure 8.14. 'Single body' deposit geometry assigned to all trajectories

Although it is not mandatory, it is recommended to define element sets for the 'single body' approach in the best way
possible. Element sets are used to distinguish between different layers within one deformable body.
From the context menu of the robot object call 'Create sets'. In the 'Create heat source element sets' window select all
trajectories in the list by clicking on 'All trajectories will be checked'. Then click on 'Apply'. The elements sets will
then be collected using the heat source geometry attached to each trajectory. All elements that the heat source will
touch during its propagation along the path will be gathered and added to the set. The sum of all elements collected
for each trajectory will be shown in the list. Press 'OK' to close the window.
Figure 8.15. Element set definition for each trajectory
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2023.3 Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Simulation settings (transient)
The just created sets will now be highlighted in the model view when clicking on the specific trajectory in the robot
object.
Figure 8.16. Visualization of element sets in the model view
Set definition is the final and, if utilizing the single body approach, the most important part in the model creation.
Hence, it is recommended to do it very carefully. Before starting the simulation, it might be worth checking if any
element of the deposit body is not assigned to a particular set. If so, unassigned elements can be highlighted via
robot context menu by choosing the option 'Sets visualization' and then the option 'Show orphaned elements'. For
more stability, these orphaned elements can be taken out of the simulation by using the option 'Deactivate unassigned
elements'. This option is used by default but can be turned off.
In the given case all elements should be assigned to one or more sets, so this option is not needed anyway in this
example.
8.3.5. Simulation settings (transient)

After set creation was successful, the simulation is nearly ready to start. Use default settings for most of the process
parameters. To speed up the simulation go to menu 'Parallelization' and set the Number of domains to '1' (as the overall
volume element number for this model is 12 760) and the Number of cores to '8'. That way you will use 8 cores. Adjust
both values according to your machine spec.
Figure 8.17. Parallelization settings
Setup a analysis end time of 2500 s to ensure the whole part is cooled down to room temperature.
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Figure 8.18. Time control
Please activate the cooling loadcase termination if the whole part drops below 25 °C. With this setting, the solver will
finish the simulation when the part is cooled down even if the analysis end time is not reached.
It's also recommend to increase the maximum time step for the cooling load case form 5 s (default) to 60 s, to allow
bigger time steps and reduce the overall calculation time.
Figure 8.19. Cooling step size control
Now the dialog for process parameter can be confirmed by pressing OK . Please add a Termination criteria. This way,
the simulation does not have to finish the entire 2500s of analysis time because there isn't much happening anymore
after the deposit has cooled down.
177
Figure 8.20. Add termination criteria
Add Termination criteria for the maximum temperature in the process tree and select the global termination criterion
to "Maximum temperature" and check the load case cooling. Check the box "last load case" and set the Temperature
value to 25.0 °C. With this option the simulation will terminate when a temperature of 25.0 °C is reached after
the last layer has been deposited.
Figure 8.21. Termination criterion settings
Now the dialog for the termination criteria can be confirmed by pressing OK . The model is now set up completely and
simulation can start. Click on Start analysis. As soon as the first increment is finished, you can inspect the resulting
temperatures and deformations by double clicking on the Results object in the process tree.
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Figure 8.22. Start analysis

Congratulations, you have built and ran your first direct energy deposition simulation!
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2023.3 Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Simulation settings (advanced thermal
cycle)
8.3.6. Simulation settings (advanced thermal cycle)

With the 'Advanced Thermal Cycle' (ATC) function, Simfact Welding provides a simplifcation method that allows
to stack several successive transient heat source positions and combine them to a single accumulated volume heat
source. This accumulative heat source will be applied within a single short time step, followed by a bigger cooling
time step to allow heat dissipation.
More information about the 'Advanced Thermal Cycle' (ATC) function, please consult the Infosheet:
<installation path>\simufact\welding\<version>\doc\infosheets\AdvancedThermalCycle_en.pdf
Activate the 'Advanced Thermal Cycle' to combine 25 time steps with a time step length of 0.25 s.
Figure 8.24. Process definition

Apply the other process parameters from the previous chapter and run the simulation.
Figure 8.25. Start analysis
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2023.3 Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Simulation settings (advanced thermal
cycle)

you want to do a purely thermal simulation first just for the calibration of your heat source and ATC settings. You can
use view cuts or the welding monitor to analyze the geometry of it. You should configure your heat source so that its
geometry is as close as possible to the real one which should be obtained from experiments.
Congratulations, you have built and ran your first direct energy deposition simulation with the ATC!
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2023.3
9 Resistance spot welding

2023.3 Resistance spot welding Introduction and basics
Figure 9.1. Example of resistance spot welding

Keywords
Resistance spot welding, 3D, adaptive refinement
Educational basics
This chapter will teach you the basics and theoretical backgrounds of resistance spot welding processes as well as how
to set them up in Simufact Welding. Furthermore the electrical post values and their evaluation will be explained. At
the end, modeling hints will be given.
Prerequisites
9.1. Introduction and basics

Resistance welding processes are mainly used in the automotive and supplier industry. The main reason for that is the
wide range of applications for resistance welding. Resistance welding processes influence the material very localized.
The process monitoring and quality assurance can be done easily during the process. Furthermore, a high process
automation is possible and the labor and educational effort is low.
Resistance spot welding can be simulated using Simufact Forming and Simufact Welding. The objective
of the process simulation in Simufact Forming is the sophisticated local deformation, melting and the
resulting nugget geometry. The structure simulation in Simufact Welding is meant to predict the influ-
ence of heat input and boundary conditions (fixings, bearings, clampings, local joints) of several spot
welds on the structure, mainly the resulting deformation of the assembly.
One can differ between many process types of resistance welding processes. They are all based on the joule heat
generation. The figure below shows the following resistance welding processes from left to right:
• Resistance spot welding
• Projection welding
• Seam welding
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2023.3 Resistance spot welding Electrical resistance
• Capacitor discharge welding
Figure 9.2. Overview of resistance welding processes [1]

Resistance welding is a joining process where two electric conducting components are molten up in the joining area
using joule heating. The firmly bonded joint is generated due to the solidification of both materials. This process is
supported by external forces and diffusion processes. Resistance welding processes can be seen as a series circuit of
electrical resistors. The largest resistor is essential for the conversion from electrical energy into heat energy. The
following figure shows an example of a series circuit with different resistors:
Figure 9.3. Example model for a resistance welding process

The joule heating effect converts the electrical energy (kinetic energy of electrons) into heat energy (kinetic energy of
conductor atoms). For a stationary electrical current, the heat flux is calculated as shown below:
Equation 9.1. Heat flux for a stationary electrical current

Where is the heat flux, is the voltage , is the current and is the electrical resistance.
9.2. Electrical resistance

As described above, resistance welding processes are a series circuit with different resistors. One has to differ between
the electrical material resistance and the electrical contact resistance.
• Electrical material resistance:
• Describes the ability of a material to interfere on electrical currents
• Is a specific value of a specific component, that is dependent on the geometry and the material of the component
• Independent description using the electrical material resistivity with the unit
184
• Electrical contact resistance:
• Describes the ability of a contact to interfere on electrical currents
• Is a specific value of a specific contact, that is dependent on contact pressure, contact area, surface roughness,
coating, materials of the contact partners etc.
• Independent description using the electrical contact resistivity with the unit
•
The electrical contact resistance is calculated by:
Where is the electrical contact resistance, is the electrical contact resistivity, is the film thickness
of the contact area and is the contact area.
Simufact Welding is using the product of the electrical contact conductivity times film thickness of the contact area
with the unit . The electrical conductance is the reciprocal of the electrical resistance.
In Simufact Welding the electrical contact conductivity can be entered as a constant value, a table depending on the
temperature or it can be calculated automatically. For the automatic calculation the equation according to Bay and
Wanheim [2] is used:
Equation 9.2. Calculation of the electrical contact resistivity according to [2]

The eqaution has the following input parameters:
• : Flow stress of the softer material (temperature dependent)
• : Contact normal stress
• , : Resistivity of the contact partners (temperature and phase dependent)
• : Resistivity of coatings (optional)
In most cases the electrical contact resistance is 30 times larger than the electrical material resistance. The electrical
material resistance and the electrical contact resistance are strongly temperature dependent. The electrical contact
resistance is also contact pressure dependent. During the welding process the electrical contact resistance decreases
rapidly due to the compression of the sheets, whereas the electrical material resistance increases due to the increasing
temperature. After welding, during the cooling, the material resistance decreases. The figure below shows the electrical
contact resistance, the electrical material resistance and the complete resistance of the system during a welding process
inclusive subsequent cooling:
Figure 9.4. Electrical resistances in a resistance welding process (welding and cooling)
185
In Simufact Material the electrical material resistance can be entered depending on temperature and material phase.
Additionally Simufact Material offers the opportunity to define the electrical material conductivity. Due to the fact
that the electrical resistivity is the reciprocal of the electrical conductivity an automatic conversion from one to the
other is done. The electrical material parameters are provided for all materials of the material library that have the
suffix *_sw. The figure below shows the electrical material resistivity of a typical steel:
Figure 9.5. Definition of the electrical material resistivity in Simufact Material
The definition of the electrical contact conductivity can be done in the contact table which is shown in the picture
below.
Simufact Welding offers a large library of coating resistivities for the most common coatings.
186
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Spot gun kinematics and electrode li-
brary
Figure 9.6. Definition of the electrical contact conductivity
The electrical contact conductivity between electrode and component has to be considered. As the au-
tomatic calculation requires the input of a material resistivity even for the rigid electrodes, Simufact
Welding automatically assigns a copper material with a temperature dependent material resistivity to the
electrodes. The material assigned to the electrodes can be changed by the user.
Simufact Welding uses per default the so called "Glue on peak temperature contact" for the contact between the
components. This contact type will activate a nodal based glue contact when the glue temperature is reached. The
glue temperature is the lower melting temperature of the materials of the components. Furthermore the thermal and
electrical contact conductivity are set to a very high level (user input multiplied with 1E+6) to simulate the "welded"
parts.
9.3. Spot gun kinematics and electrode library

Simufact Welding offers two different types of spot gun kinematics, the C-gun and the X-gun. The C-gun uses a linear
movement, the X-gun uses a rotational movement to close and open the gun. It is possible to use multiple spot guns in
one process. Also both gun types can be used in one process. Though multiple spot guns can only act in sequence, they
cannot act simultaneously (except in a thermal cycle simulation and in the mechanical simulation using electrode).
The following figure shows an overview of the two spot gun kinematics.
187
brary
Figure 9.7. Spot gun kinematics in Simufact Welding

For every spot gun two electrodes have to be defined. Simufact Welding ships a large electrode library according to
ISO 5821. In Simufact Welding, dots can not be used in names, so electrode names like "F0-13-18-6.5" are replaced
to "F0-13-18-6c5" in the electrode library. The electrode library supports eight different electrode types and for each
electrode type several electrodes with different dimensions are provided. The used electrodes will be imported to the
geometries in the catalog and will automatically be assigned to the spot weld gun. Furthermore, electrodes from the
electrode library will automatically be flipped to have the correct orientation when closing the spot gun dialog by
clicking OK .
The electrode library can also be extended using user defined electrodes. The user defined electrodes will be stored
in a different folder and will not be flipped when assigning them to a spot gun. For further information please have
a look at the infosheet which is linked in the spot gun dialog. The figures below shows the different electrode types
according to ISO 5821.
Figure 9.8. Electrode types according to ISO 5821
188
brary
Figure 9.9. Electrode dimensions according to ISO 5821
189
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Sequences of a RSW process
9.4. Sequences of a RSW process

A resistance spot welding process in Simufact Welding is divided in a sequence of six automatically calculated phases.
All six phases are calculated in every predefined welding point. The phases are:
1. Approach of the lower electrode to the join partner/reference point.
2. Approach of the upper electrode to the join partner (closing of the spot gun).
3. Activation of the electrode force of the upper electrode. The lower electrode is fixed or rather has a defined stiffness.
4. Activation of the welding current with a constant clamping force of the electrodes. The lower electrode is still fixed
and can have a stiffness.
5. Deactivation of the welding current with a constant clamping force of the electrodes. The lower electrode is still
fixed and can have a stiffness.
190
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Model description and model set up
6. Removal of the spot gun.
9.5. Model description and model set up

Resistance welding processes are simulated using a electrical-thermal-metallurgical-mechanical coupling. At first the
electrical pass calculates the heat flux depending on the defined electrical current and the electrical resistances. The
calculated heat flux is then applied as a boundary condition to the thermal pass which then calculates the temperature
distribution. Depending on the local temperatures and temperature changes the metallurgical pass calculates the phase
fractions. The mechanical pass calculates stresses and displacements based on the phase depending mechanical prop-
erties such as thermal strains and flow stresses. All results are then used as initial conditions for the next time step.
The coupling is described in the picture below:
Figure 9.10. Analysis coupling in Simufact Welding
The calculation of the phase fraction (metallurgical pass) is optional and can be switched on/off in Simufact Welding
in the solver settings.
Simufact Welding also offers the possibility to use simplified approaches for resistance spot welding, e.g. by ignoring
the the electrical coupling by introducing an equivalent heat source combined with a nodal temperature constraint
(thermal cycle). For further information, please refer to subchapter "Simplified approaches for RSW".
In the set up of the model two types of bodies are used: The deformable bodies (components) which are electrical
conductors per default and the rigid bodies that are electrical non conducting (fixings, clamps, etc.). The rigid bodies
can have an electrical potential of 0 V or a defined electrical current (electrode). For a complete definition of a resis-
tance welding process, a closed electrical circuit has to be constructed. The electrical circuit is closed if a rigid body
with a defined electrical current and a rigid body with a defined electrical potential of 0 V have electrical contact to
the remaining electrical circuit. The rigid body with the electrical potential of 0 V acts like ground and the other rigid
body acts like an electrode. The figure below shows an example model with the electrical current of 2 kA defined on
the upper electrode and the potential of 0 V defined on the lower electrode:
191
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Analysis modes
Figure 9.11. Example of a model with closed electrical circuit
9.6. Analysis modes

Under Process parameters, you can also select "Analysis Mode". Here you have the choice between Normal mode,
Precision mode and Fast mode.
Figure 9.12. Available analysis modes
9.6.1. Normal mode vs. Precision mode

The normal mode uses the usual solver settings for a comparatively fast analysis with a good result quality. The preci-
sion mode is especially necessary when stresses in the heat-affected zone are important. When enabled, it can greatly
improve the quality of the results, but the calculation time can increase significantly. The Normal mode has numer-
ically less stringent convergence properties and is therefore faster. With the Precision mode you have numerically
192
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Fast mode
more stringent convergence properties and so you will get more accurate results, especially in the heat-affected zone,
but this will lead to higher calculation times. It enables several non-default settings that can be controlled and changed
manually in the process parameters under "Advanced".
9.6.2. Fast mode

If you select the Fast mode, the single-shot solution is selected automatically. With this method, all spot welds are
welded simultaneously. Please have a look on Section 9.9.4 for more detailed information.
9.7. Overview of the available simulation ap-

proaches
There are five simulation approaches available, that can be used for the resistance spot welding simulation. The fol-
lowing table shows an overview of the available simulation approaches and the required settings:
Figure 9.13. Overview of the available simulation approaches and their required settings
In the process settings dialog one can choose between the thermomechanical and the two mechanical solutions, if the
process type "Resistance spot welding" is selected:
193
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Overview of the available simulation
approaches
Figure 9.14. Solution types in process settings
In the spot weld parameters dialog, the specification mode can be selected:
194
approaches
Figure 9.15. Specification modes in the spot weld parameters
In the process parameters dialog, the analysis mode can be selected and thus, the fast mode for the single-shot solution
can be activated there:
195
approaches
Figure 9.16. Analysis mode in process parameters
In the following table, the pros and cons of the five simulation approaches are contrasted:
196
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Process definition in Simufact Weld-
ing - Thermomechanical with Joule
heating (RSW)
Figure 9.17. Pros and Cons of the available simulation approaches

The following table shows a comparison of the calculation time and precision between the simulation approaches:
Figure 9.18. Comparison of calculation time and precision

The individual simulation approaches are explained and discussed in more detail in the following chapters: Section 9.8
and Section 9.9.
9.8. Process definition in Simufact Welding -

Thermomechanical with Joule heating (RSW)
This chapter will show the model setup of a classical thermomechanical resistance spot welding process in Simufact
Welding, in which joule heating is used. Therefore, a force curve and a current curve are specified for the electrodes.
The joule heating is then generated by the contact properties. The sheets are heating up and after the defined gluing
197
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Creation of a new project
temperature is reached, the sheets are glued together. Afterwards the electrodes detach again as described in Sec-
tion 9.4. The electrical properties used for the temperature calculation are given in the contact properties in the contact
table. The so-called shunting effect, that describes the electric field deformation due to a current by-pass through ear-
lier generated spot welds, may also be observed in this simulation approach.
The following example process is a 3D process, where two angled sheets will be spot welded together. In this example
the fixings are used to avoid full contact between the two sheets. Full faced contact is a special case which should not
occur when using formed sheets. The picture below shows the completely defined process:
Figure 9.19. Completely defined process
9.8.1. Creation of a new project

Please open Simufact Welding, create a new project, give a name for the project, e.g. SpotWelding and select a
folder, where the project will be saved, as shown in the picture below.
Figure 9.20. Creation of a new project

The next window is where you initially configure the simulation. There you can specify the process type, the number
of components, bearings, fixings, spot guns and other settings.
198
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Creation of a new project
All these settings can be modified in the main screen of the project during the whole model setup. In the bottom part of
the process settings window you can find the interactive help, called "Brief description": Whenever the mouse pointer
goes over some command or parameter, the text inside this box will change and give the user more information about
it. Brief descriptions are available in most dialog windows in Simufact Welding.
Please change the following settings to:
• Process type: Resistance spot welding
• Solution type: Thermomechanical solution
• Components: 2
• C spot guns: 1
Before clicking OK , please make sure the selected settings look like in the figure below.
Figure 9.21. Definition of process type and initial settings
Then we get into the main screen of the project. Following, an overview of the GUI is presented.
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2023.3 Resistance spot welding Importing geometries
Figure 9.22. Main screen - overview
The GUI is sub-divided into six areas:
1. Main menu/toolbar: Most general actions (save, open, …) and settings
2. Process tree: Contains all processes and its objects of one project
3. Object catalog: Contains all used/available objects of the project
4. Model/Results view: View and manipulate the model and view the results
5. Properties window: Display properties of the selected item
6. Status/Control bar: Observe current simulation and control results view
As one can see, the process is created according to the defined number of components, fixings and spot weld guns.
Please select a proper process name for your processes. In this tutorial we will name the process as RSW. Components
and fixings will automatically be renamed when attaching a geometry. The spot weld gun name does not change
automatically but it can be renamed like every other object in the process by on the object and selecting Rename.
This tutorial uses the suggested names.
9.8.2. Importing geometries

Now the FE-meshes of the two sheets will be imported. This tutorial uses positioned and meshed geometries in *.bdf
format. The *.bdf-files are shipped with this tutorial and are located in <installation path>\simufact\welding\<ver-
sion>\examples\Tutorial\ResistanceSpotWelding\CAD-Daten. To import the geometries please on Geometries in
the object catalog, choose Import and select the geometries Sheet-1.bdf and Sheet-2.bdf. In the next window select
the Length (unit) Meter and click OK :
200
Figure 9.23. Import the geometries for the components

• *.stl - 3D systems file format (surface mesh)
• *.bdf - Nastran file format
• *.arc - Simufact archive format
• *.fem, *.feb, *.sfc - Simufact mesh format
• *.spr - Simufact results file format
• *.dat - MARC input file
• *.ply -Polygon File Format
• *.iges, *.igs, *.ige - IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) file format
• *.step, *.stp - Step file format
• *.model, *.dlv, *.dlv3, *.exp, *.session - CATIA V4
• *.CATPart, *.CATProduct - CATIA V5
• *.prt, *.asm, *.neu, *.g, *.xpr, *.xas - Creo
• *.prt - Unigraphics
• *.sldasm, *.sldprt - Solidworks
• *.ipt, *.iam - Inventor
• *.sat, *.sab - 3D ACIS Modeler
• *.x_t, *.x_b, *.xmt_txt, *.xmt_bin - Parasolid
It is important to notice, that the unit to be chosen should match the system in which the geometry was originally
created (i.e. in the CAD system or from the mesher software). If for some reason the wrong unit is selected, then
Simufact Welding will scale the component wrongly and interpret incorrectly. As the mesh is purely numbers, there
will be no imported information regarding unit, material or load type.
201
Assign the geometries Sheet-1 to Component and Sheet-2 to Component-2 in the process tree by drag and drop.
The process should now look like shown below:
Figure 9.24. Process tree after assigning the geometries to the components
A red highlighted object in the explorer indicates, that the user has to provide some information like
electrical current, clamp force or electrode type. It can also indicate that an object or a parameter is
missing. All visible components are marked with a eye symbol. By clicking on the eyes the user can
activate and deactivate component visibility.
• Pan - Hold
• Rotate - Hold
• Zoom in/out - Scroll
• Reset zoom - Double click
• Select a component - Click on the component
• Open context menu - Click in the model view
• Open context menu for a component - Click on a component
It is important to understand all these mouse interactions, they will be needed when defining weld points. So it is
advisable to spend some time practicing these gestures.
Components can be moved in the model view by either translation or rotation. The user has the option to move at
a given direction using increments or by dragging the axis system that will show up. To open the dialog window
for translation or rotation on the component that shall be moved and select Positioning. The dialog windows for
translation and rotation are shown in the figures below:
202
Figure 9.25. Moving components using an increment-

driven mode or click-n-drag using the manipulators
Figure 9.26. Rotating components using an increment-

driven mode or click-n-drag using the manipulators
Drag the component by holding over an arrow or circle in the model view and moving the mouse.
203
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Defining materials
Multiple geometry objects can be moved simultaneously using the assembly positioning. Therefore click on a
component (that is in a assembly), select Assembly positioning and then choose Translation or Rotation. A dialog
window will appear, that is exactly the same as for a single geometry object. All geometries of the assembly will be
moved together, also the hidden ones and it is not possible to move just a part of the assembly. So, if one locked
geometry is in the assembly, the whole assembly cannot be moved.
Geometry objects can be added to an assembly by on a geometry in the object catalog or in the model view and
selecting Move to assembly.
A clipping plane can be used to cut through the model in the model view as well as in the results view, if results are
present. The dialog window can be opened by clicking on in the tool bar or by in the model view or in the results
view and selecting Clipping. The dialog window is shown in the picture below:
Figure 9.27. Clipping plane - dialog window
9.8.3. Defining materials

The next step is to import and assign a material to the components. Please note, that there is a copper material Cu_sw
automatically assigned to the C-spot-gun. This will be needed for the electrical contact conductivity of the electrodes
and the automatic calculation of the heat transfer coefficient. The material assigned to the electrodes can be changed
by the user. If the material has been deleted and there is no material assigned to the spot gun, the default copper
material can be assigned automatically to the spot gun by on it and selecting Assign default material as shown
in the picture below:
Figure 9.28. Assigning default material to the spot gun
Now please import a material from the material library Simufact Material that comes with Simufact Welding. Therefore
on Materials in the object catalog and select Library.
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2023.3 Resistance spot welding Defining materials
Figure 9.29. Import of material from Simufact Material
Select the material 22MnB5-JMP-MPM_sw and click OK .
Figure 9.30. Material selection in Simufact Material
Please check, if the material data contain the electrical material properties. All materials with the suffix
_sw have the same standardized electrical material properties defined. The characters MPM in the ma-
terial name indicate, that it is a multi-phase material, SPM indicates a single-phase material.
The material library Simufact Material includes approximately 760 materials. Approximately 40 of them can be used
for welding simulations (with the suffix _sw). It includes steels, aluminium alloys, nickel-, titanium-, cobalt- and
copper-based alloys. Materials for forming are not feasible for welding simulations, because of missing properties and
a too narrow temperature range. So, please make sure, that you are using a material with the suffix _sw.
Assign the material to both components via drag and drop.
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2023.3 Resistance spot welding Initial and boundary conditions
As the used material is a multi-phase material, an initial phase fraction has to be defined. Open the settings for
Sheet-1 by double-clicking on Sheet-1 in the process tree. A new dialog window will appear. Check the box
Use phase fraction and enter an initial phase fraction of 100% Bainite:
Figure 9.31. Definition of initial phase fraction
The initial phase fraction can be confirmed by clicking OK . Set the same settings for Sheet-2.
material will be used to determine the contact heat transfer coefficient between workpiece and the bound-
ary condition, if the automatic calculation is used. If no material is assigned to the boundary condition,
the material H-13 will be used by default. This material is a tool steel with a simplified data set of con-
stant thermal properties.
9.8.4. Initial and boundary conditions

Now, the initial and boundary conditions will be defined. Therefore, the temperature object has to be modified. Dou-
ble-click on the temperature object 20C in the object catalog and set the Contact heat transfer coefficient α to Au-
tomatic:
206
Figure 9.32. Modification of the temperature object

There are five different types of mechanical boundary conditions available in Simufact Welding. These are:
• Fixed geometries
• Fixed nodes
• Bearings
• Clampings
• Local joints
Fixed geometries, bearings and clampings are rigid bodies that have contact to components. For these boundary con-
ditions a geometry has to be defined, either by importing a mesh, that at least is a surface mesh or by generating a
simple geometry (cuboid or cylinder) in the GUI that automatically has a meshed surface. Deformable bodies that are
in contact with these boundary conditions have some degrees of freedom constrained. Furthermore, these boundary
conditions can be deactivated during the simulation. The characteristics of these boundary conditions are:
• Fixed geometries: Bodies in contact with this type of fixture have all 6 degrees of freedom constrained. This
boundary condition does not allow any type of movement and the separation threshold is infinite. As it restrains all
movements, it might likely cause some increase in stress within the contact area (strain is zero). It also is possible
to restrict degrees of freedom of nodes in the settings dialog of a fixing.
• Fixed nodes: Works exactly like fixed geometries. But instead of using a contact body, the nodes on the component
are fixed directly.
• Bearing: Bodies in contact with this type of fixture have the degree of freedom normal to the contact surface con-
strained. The movement within the same plane/face of contact is not restrained. Bodies in contact can separate with
a predefined separation stress value and sliding with friction is possible. Usually bearings are used as counterparts
for clampings. The separation stress can be configured by the user, but it has some impact on the computational
time as contact is dynamically checked and calculated every time step by the solver.
• Clamping: Bodies in contact with this type of fixture have the degree of freedom normal to the contact surface
constrained by a spring stiffness. So, it can present dislocation during the simulation as it dynamically responds to
the components distortions. Additionally, it is possible to define a force from a clamping towards the component.
Usually clampings appear in pairs with bearings. Furthermore, a moving clamp can be defined, where the initial and
the final position are provided relative to the defined position with respect to the process time and after approach
a contact is established. Moving clamps can be used to simulate tensile tests, for example. For clampings sliding
with friction is possible, too.
• Local joints: Local joints can be used to glue two components locally together (i.e. tack welds). The meshes of the
glued components will be changed to establish local contact.
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Please see the infosheet that is linked in the dialog windows of the boundary conditions to get more detailed infor-
mation.
For the first fixing a simple geometry will be defined. Therefore on Fixed geometry in the process tree and select
Generate geometry.
Figure 9.33. Object generation
Change the view to bottom view. Click on Select location and select a location for the first fixing at the bottom side
of Sheet-2 in the model view. Afterwards uncheck Proportional to shape and modify the settings in the tab Basic
shape to:
• Type: Cuboid
• Slices x: 10
• Slices y: 1
• Slices z: 1
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Figure 9.34. Object generation - Tab Primitive

Go to the tab Details and modify the settings to:
• x: 0 mm
• y: 38.5 mm
• z: 24.5445 mm
• Width: 50 mm
• Height: 3 mm
• Depth: 3 mm
• Dx: 0 mm
• Dy: 0 mm
• Dz: -1000 mm
Figure 9.35. Object generation - Tab Details
209
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Spot weld gun
Click OK to apply these settings and to close the object generation dialog window. Now, the first fixing has been
created. Please make sure that the fixing is positioned on Sheet-1 and holding Sheet-2 in place. Afterwards, please
rename FixedGeometry to Fixing-1.
The geometry of the second fixing will be imported. Therefore on Geometries in the object catalog and select
Import and select the file Fixing-2.bdf. In the next window choose Length (unit): Meter and select Import
as: Surface mesh. Click OK to close the window and import the geometry with the selected settings.
Figure 9.36. Importing a geometry for the second fixing

Assign the geometry Fixing-2 in the object catalog to Fixing-2 in the process tree by drag and drop. The process tree
should now look like in the picture below.
Figure 9.37. Process and model view with components and fixings
9.8.5. Spot weld gun

The spot weld gun performs the welding process simulation, it contains the definition of the weld points and the
definition of the resistance spot welding parameters, that are the clamp force and the electrical current.
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It is possible to have multiple spot weld guns in one process, but every single spot gun needs the following objects
defined:
• Two electrodes with a geometry and a orientation
• Material object for the electrical and thermal conductivity
• Welding parameters
• Point sequence
The first object we will define for the spot gun is the point sequence. A point sequence is the trajectory for a resis-
tance spot welding process. The weld line trajectory is used for all continuous welding processes. The point sequence
trajectory is used for resistance spot welding processes. Both trajectories can be created by entering the coordinates
directly, importing a *.csv-file or by selecting the nodes in the view.
In this tutorial the weld point coordinates are entered directly in the trajectory. on Trajectories in the object catalog
and select New point sequence:
Figure 9.38. Creating a new point sequence trajectory

The orientation of the weld point is used to position the orientation of the spot weld gun according to the weld point.
When selecting Local vector an orientation vector has to be entered for each weld point. When selecting Local second
point a point has to be entered that creates a vector with the weld point. Make sure that Length (unit) is set to
Millimeter and set Orientation to Local vector.
Add four points to the trajectory by clicking on the green plus button at the right bar of the window and define the
following coordinates (x, y, z):
• Point 1: 18 / 41.25 / 34
• Point 2: -18 / 41.25 / 34
• Point 3: 14 / 32.5 / 65.5
• Point 4: -14 / 32.5 / 65.5
Define the orientation as shown below (x / y / z):
• Orientation point 1: 0 / -1 / 0
• Orientation point 2: 0 / -1 / 0
• Orientation point 3: 0 / -0.8666 / -0.5
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• Orientation point 4: 0 / -0.8666 / -0.5
The Pause time should be set to 1s for all weld points. The pause time can be set for each weld point individually or
for all selected weld points. The pause time simulates the movement of the robot from one weld point to another weld
point. After entering all values, the point sequence trajectory should be completely defined:
Figure 9.39. Point sequence trajectory
It is important to have the weld points defined in the correct order, because this defines the sequence in
that the weld points will be welded.
The point sequence trajectory name can be edited by on it and selecting Rename. In this tutorial the suggested name
is used. Assign the point sequence trajectory to the C-spot-gun via drag and drop. After assigning the point sequence
trajectory the defined weld points and their orientation are shown in the model view:
Figure 9.40. Model view with defined point sequence trajectory
The point sequence is shown in the model view by colored bullets and arrows. The weld points are
marked with red bullets, when hovering with the mouse over a bullet, the order (label) number is shown
in the view. Yellow arrows show the welding direction respectively the weld point order. The orientation
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of the weld points (X' and Z' in the trajectory dialog) is shown by black arrows. When the mouse pointer
goes over a bullet, the label (order) of the weld point is shown.
When the point sequence trajectory has been assigned to a spot gun and the trajectory dialog window is
opened from the process tree, the orientation of the weld points can be calculated automatically for all
weld points of the trajectory. In addition, all weld points can be projected to the surface. Both functions
can separately be applied by clicking the button Calculate all or for a set of selected weld points of
the trajectory by selecting some data points and clicking the button Calculate selected. By clicking on
the search radius can be adapted individually for both functions, which will influence the automatic
orientation and projection calculation for curved components. The trajectory dialog window is shown
in the picture below:
Figure 9.41. Point sequence trajectory dialog window opened from the process tree
Additionally it is possible to invert the z-direction and to rotate the x-direction by an angle about the
z-axis. This two options can be selected by clicking on a data point in the point sequence trajectory
dialog as shown in the picture below:
Figure 9.42. Inverting the z-direction and rotation of the x-direction
We already defined the orientation for the weld points manually, so we do not have to change it in this example.
Trajectories can be created in different ways. The available options are:
• New weld line - A new, blank trajectory configuration dialog without any information of path
• New point sequence - A new, blank point sequence configuration dialog without any information of path (this is
used for resistance spot welding)
• Import - A a trajectory will be created using the imported path from a *.csv-file
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• Library - This option will point to a directory configured as the project's library. Works very similar to importing
from a *.csv-file
• Export all - The trajectory will be exported to a *.csv-file
After defining the coordinates of the weld points, the welding parameters have to be entered. Please on Weld-
ing-parameter and select New resistance spot welding parameter:
Figure 9.43. Creating a new resistance spot welding parameter
A new dialog appears, where the Clamp force table and the Electrical current table can be entered.
Besides a full transient simulation (thermomechanical with Joule heating), resistance spot welding
processes can be simulated using different simplified approaches. For more information please have a
look at the tutorial chapter about simplified approaches: Section 9.9.
Rename the clamp force table to Tutorial force and the electrical current table to Tutorial current.
Figure 9.44. Resistance spot welding parameter - Tab Spot welding parameters
By clicking on a dialog window appears where the tables can be edited.
The welding time in this tutorial should be 0.25 s. In this time the clamp force should stay constant at 5 kN. The
maximum electrical current in this tutorial is 3500 A and should be activated shortly after the clamp force is active.
Please create the clamp force table and electrical current table according to the following shown figures:
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Figure 9.45. Clamp force table
Figure 9.46. Electrical current table
The time duration of the clamp force table and the electrical current table have to be equal.
Assign the welding parameter to the spot weld gun via drag and drop. The process should now look like shown below:
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Figure 9.47. Process tree after assigning point sequence trajectory and welding parameter
With the context menu entry 'Positioning' of the weld gun, all weld spots in the assigned point sequence
can be positioned at once.
One of the last steps is the configuration of the spot weld gun. Please open the spot weld gun settings by double
clicking on C-spot-gun in the process tree. The spot weld gun settings dialog has two tabs. The first tab shows an
overview of all trajectories assigned to this gun as well as a time management. No settings have to be changed here.
The first page of the spot weld gun settings dialog is similar to the robot dialog of arc and laser welding
processes.
The second tab describes the electrode configuration and the weld gun kinematic. Every weld gun has two electrodes.
Simufact Welding offers a large library of electrode geometries according to ISO 5821. These can be selected using
the drop down menus. As soon as the dialog is closed, the selected electrodes are imported to the geometries in the
catalog and will automatically be assigned to the spot weld gun. Additionally, the electrodes will automatically be
flipped to have the correct orientation.
User defined electrodes can be imported and assigned as every other geometry. The user has to ensure that the elec-
trodes have the correct orientation. Furthermore, user defined electrodes can be added to the library using the "+"
button in the spot weld gun settings dialog. User defined electrodes are stored in a special directory to avoid the re-
placement of internal library electrodes. Information about orientation, spot weld gun type and requested input can be
found in the corresponding infosheet which is linked in the dialog.
Please select the electrode type F0-13-18-6c5 for both electrodes. For Reference point, Second point for orien-
tation, Third point for orientation, Approach distance from ref. point to spot pos. and Initial weld gun opening
distance the suggested values are used. This is possible due to the fact that the default values are automatically adjusted
to the electrodes from the electrode library. In this dialog window a optional spring stiffness for the lower electrode
can be defined. In this example we do not define a lower electrode stiffness and leave the box to activate the stiffness
unchecked. The dialog should be as shown in the following figure:
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Figure 9.48. Configuration of spot weld guns

The electrodes will be transparent per default in the result view, where the upper electrode is shown in
red and the lower one in blue color. The local coordinate system of the spot gun will be shown in the
model view window when opening the dialog window of the robot. The initial position of the electrodes
will be outside of the model and not in their imported position (that is the origin of the global coordinate
system). The reason for this is, that if the electrodes would initially be positioned in the origin and if they
would penetrate a mesh there would be some problems at the start of the simulation. The positioning far
away from the components should avoid this problem.
After closing the dialog by clicking OK , the explorer and catalog should look like shown below:
Figure 9.49. Process tree and object catalog after the complete assigning of every object
217
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Process parameters
The movement of the electrodes can be animated in the model view before starting the simulation. This
can be very helpful to control the movement and the defined sequence of the weld points. This preview
animation can be controlled with the buttons of the animation control bar. The information box in the
model view shows the process time, the active spot gun with the current activity (moving, welding,
cooling), the active trajectory and the current weld point.
Please have a look on the preview of the electrode movement by clicking on the animation control buttons and observe
the changing text in the information box.
Figure 9.50. Preview of the electrode movement
9.8.6. Process parameters

Now the process parameters is the only object that is still written in red color, so there are some missing entries or
settings. The last step is to check and edit the process parameter settings such as refinement and the electrical contact
conductivity. Open the process parameter settings by double-clicking on Process parameters in the process tree.
Check, if your process settings are according to the following figures and change them if needed:
Check the box Phase transformation in the tab Process definition to take the changing material properties
due to phase transformation during heating and cooling into account.
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Figure 9.51. Solver - General settings

Check the box Parallelization and set the Number of domains to 1 and the Number of cores to 4 in the
tab Parallelization.
Figure 9.52. Solver: Parallelization

In the tab Time control the Analysis end time should be set to 10.0 s. Change the result output for Welding and
Cooling to 5, so result output will be written every 5th increment, this will decrease the memory requirements.
Figure 9.53. Solver: Time control

The advanced settings for resistance spot welding processes allows to enter the number of increments
which should be used for the Fixed (automatically) time stepping method in the spot welding loadcase
and the number of times to cut time which is applied for the spot welding loadcase and the approach
loadcase of the lower electrode.
For Fixed (automatically) mode 25 time steps will be used for the spot welding loadcase.
Go to the tab Refinement and set the Refinement level to 1 and the Radius r to 3.0 mm.
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Figure 9.54. Solver: Refinement
This option will refine the mesh of all components between both electrodes. To refine the mesh, a cylindrical refine-
ment box is used which is connected to the lower electrode and performs every movement and rotation of the electrode.
A refinement level of 1 will split one hexahedral element into 8 hexahedral elements. With increasing refinement
level the number of elements will increase rapidly. Please be careful with high refinement levels. It is also possible to
unrefine the refined area when the spot weld gun is moved to the next spot weld point. For this option check the box
Activate unrefinement. Please note that the glue status of the refined nodes may get lost due to unrefinement.
The last setting we have to check is the Electrical contact conductivity. This will be done in the contact table.
Therefore right-click on the global process in the process tree and select Insert contact table. Welding will now set
up the contact information based on the model geometry. If you do not insert a contact table, then the default contact
settings will be used automatically.
Figure 9.55. Electrical contact
220
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Running the model
The next dialog defines all contact properties for the contact bodies. One can control every single contact pair and
use different approaches for them. The dialog differs between contact options, electrical properties and mechanical
properties. For more information regarding contact definition, please see the infosheet for contact. For this tutorial we
leave all contact settings at default and insert the contact table by clicking on OK .
The Film thickness is the main parameter which has to be adjusted when calibrating the generated heat
in the spot welding process. The Film thickness is a value which describes the thickness of the contact
area and is used to calculate the contact conductance internally.
9.8.7. Running the model

Now the simulation can be saved and started by clicking on the green arrow in the status/control bar. A window will
pop up, where you get the possibility to edit the *.dat-file before starting the simulation. In this example we do not
have to edit it, so just click Start simulation to start the simulation.
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2023.3 Resistance spot welding Simplified approaches
Figure 9.56. Starting the simulation

While the simulation is running, the progress is shown in the status/control bar and the results can be shown by
double-clicking on Results in the process tree.
Figure 9.57. Status/control bar while the simulation is running
9.9. Simplified approaches

Simufact Welding offers different types of simplified modelling approaches for users that need a quick look at dis-
tortion tendencies and trends, e.g. for large assemblies. All of these approaches utilize automated model simplifica-
tions to significantly decrease the simulation time. Needless to say that these simplifications will always (sometimes
dramatically) reduce the result accuracy compared to a thermomechanical simulation with Joule heating. Hence, the
simplified approaches are predominantly recommended for fast distortion tendency predictions, e.g. in early design
stages and preferably for models containing a high number of spot welds.
While the simplified approaches can give good and viable distortion tendency results, they are known to
be very in-accurate for local stress and strain prediction in some cases (for instance multilayer welding
and others).
Once a traditional full transient model is set up (thermomechanical simulation with Joule heating), Simufact Welding
offers different strategies to reduce the simulation time. For example by neglecting the welding sequence of the spot
welds or by reducing the effect of welding to a very basic mechanical behaviour like the gluing of the sheets in the spot
weld area. No additional modelling effort contrary to the traditional modelling setup for a full transient simulations
need to be done (except for the simple mechanical solution). The necessary simplification (e.g. welding times, material
parameters, solver settings, etc.) will be performed automatically when creating the solver input file.
9.9.1. Thermomechanical with Thermal Cycle (RSW)

The thermal cycle solution for RSW avoids calculating the electrical pass by substituting the current table with a
thermal cycle table. This way a temperature constraint is predefined on the basis of a time-temperature table in com-
bination with a heat source geometry (comparable to the thermal cycle solution for thermal joining). The latter can
either be defined as a typical nugget shape (ellipsoid) or as a cylinder.
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2023.3 Resistance spot welding Thermomechanical with Thermal Cy-
cle (RSW)
To use the thermal cycle approach, change the "Specification mode" in the resistance spot welding parameters dialog
to "Force and thermal cycle". This will turn the electrical current table definition dialog into a thermal cycle definition
dialog.
Figure 9.58. Activating the thermal cycle solution

in the resistance spot welding parameter dialog
Contrary to the transient fully coupled simulation (thermomechanical solution with Joule heating), the
thermal cycle cannot be depicted from experimental weld gun parameters, but have to be calibrated
either from experimental measurements or previously performed fully coupled simulations for, e.g., a
single spot weld.
The defined virtual heat source is placed on the sheets and gives the defined temperature curve on the nodes that
are within the defined heat source geometry. So, there is no more joule heating, but only a thermal pass and a stress
pass calculated. If an elliptical geometry for the thermal cycle is specified, please ensure that all nodes are collected
correctly. Especially, if there is a gap between the sheets, please make sure that the nodes are collected properly, if
an elliptical heat source geometry is specified.
The thermal cycle approach in resistance spot welding per default seeks for a point between the two sheets that are to
be joined and applies the defined geometry of the weld nuggets starting from this center point.
Figure 9.59. Search methodology for TC nugget positioning

It always searches for the first outer surface of the first sheet and sets the center of the weld nugget on this surface. Using
an Asymmetric Shape definition, the weld nugget can be shifted and the shape can be changed to be asymmetric
by defining a upper and lower height:
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cle (RSW)
Figure 9.60. Defining a asymmetric nugget shape
For thermal cycle processes, it is recommended to change the contact type between the sheets to "Glue on peak
temperature" and not to use "Advanced glue on peak":
Figure 9.61. Set contact type to glue on peak temperature for thermal cycle processes
While meshing is always important for good result quality, it is worth noting that a sufficient spatial
resolution is particularly important when using thermal cycles for RSW. Thermal cycles are constraint
nodal conditions. Hence, they can only be applied to certain node sets. Those node sets are automatically
defined during initialization prior to any adaptive refinement and based on the geometry provided in the
"Weld nugget properties - heat source geometry" section. It is important to use an appropriate mesh to
collect sufficient amount of nodes for the node sets.
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cle (RSW)
Figure 9.62. Thermal cycle applied to different meshes
The thermal cycle approach for resistance spot welding is different from the thermal cycle approach for thermal joining
processes, such as arc welding, laser welding, etc. The difference is in the time axis, or more precisely, where the
table starts. In the thermal cycle approach for the thermal joining processes, the zero point is in the middle of the time
axis. So, the zero point is thought of as the point in time where a transient heat source would reach the center of the
weld. In the thermal cycle approach of a resistance spot welding process, a true weld time axis is defined, that runs
from zero to a specific defined weld time. The zero point is at the beginning of a single spot weld point. For more
information, see the ThermalCycle_en.pdf infosheet.
In general, one can calculate a single nugget in Simufact forming to get a temperature curve, that can be
specified in a thermal cycle analysis in Simufact Welding.
The thermal cycle solution can either be used in a sequential manner following the original point se-
quence or be used in combination with the single shot function (see Section 9.9.4).
Furthermore, this approach can be used with a variable number of sheets and with linked robots, where the robots
operate at the same time. This will be explained in the following subchapters.
9.9.1.1. Thermal Cycle (RSW) with a variable number of sheets

If more than two sheets are involved in a joining process the number of sheets are detected automatically. By clicking
right on the spot gun and selecting Check sheets between electrodes, the defined spot weld points and detected
number of sheets can be controlled:
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cle (RSW)
Figure 9.63. Open dialog window to check the sheets
Figure 9.64. Check sheets between electrodes
If a symmetric weld nugget (heat source geometry) is defined, the nugget is either positioned in the contact area (even
number) or in the center of a sheet (odd number) automatically. The position and the shape of the nugget can be
changed by using a asymmetric definition.
9.9.1.2. Thermal cycle with linked robots

Sometimes it is desirable to set up a model where robots are operating at the same time. The usual sequential resistance
spot welding model will not allow it, only one welding robot can be active at a given time. There are two ways to
accomplish this task. The first is limited to thermal cycle based definition, but is more convenient to use and is based on
linking robots with each other. In order to use linked robots, both robots should have a thermal cycle based heat source
parameter. The length of the thermal cycle application (controlled by the length of the force table) does not have to be
the same for both robots. Also, the pause times between spots may differ. Both robots should have the same start time.
In such case, the robots can be linked with each other using the “Link to robot” dropdown menu in the robot settings
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2023.3 Resistance spot welding Mechanical solution - Electrodes
(Volume mesh)
Figure 9.65. Robot Interface - link to Robot
Based on the number of spots, the GUI decides, which robot is the primary robot, and which one is the secondary
robot – the robot with the smaller number of spots is the primary. This basically means, that the timings (length of
heat input and length of force tables) of the secondary robot are changed to match those of the primary robot for the
spots that are welded at the same time. After the last spot of the primary robot is welded, the remaining spots of the
secondary robot are welded, using their own time settings.
There is a second possibility to weld several spots at once using the single-shot solution (using groups).
This possibility is not limited to thermal cycle, however, spots only can be welded at once, if their
welding duration as well as pause time is the same. To achieve this, it is recommended to assign all
spots in the model to the same robot. In this case all spots use the same welding parameters and thus
have the same welding duration. If several point sequences are used in the same robot, you should take
care, that all the spot sequences use the same pause time between spots. The single-shot solution will
be explained in Section 9.9.4.
9.9.2. Mechanical solution - Electrodes (Volume mesh)

The mechanical solution for resistance spot welding processes neglects the electrical and thermal calculation. Only
the mechanical simulation will be performed. This type of simplified approach can be used, if the resistance spot
welding process is only of secondary importance, e.g. if the stiffness of the joint is only important to analyze the
clamping concept or to use the results in further processes, such as in a crash simulation. The mechanical solution can
be activated in the "Process settings" by selecting the "Mechanical solution - Electrodes":
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2023.3 Resistance spot welding Mechanical solution - Electrodes
(Volume mesh)
Figure 9.66. Activating the mechanical solution for resistance spot welding processes
When starting the mechanical solution, the spot weld gun will behave like before, but no electrical current is activated.
To establish the glue contact between the components, a sphere shaped box is attached to the lower electrode. When
the clamping force of the spot weld gun is activated, all elements that get in contact and are inside this sphere shaped
box will be glued together and will remain glued after the electrodes are detaching again. The radius of the sphere is
controlled by the radius of the refinement box in the "Process parameters" in the tab "Refinement".
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2023.3 Resistance spot welding Simple mechanical solution - Simpli-
fied spot (Shell Mesh)
Figure 9.67. Defining the radius for gluing of nodes in mechanical solution
The joining is performed in one single time step. Therefore the clamp force table should not have a
starting ramp.
As no thermal simulation will be performed, no pause or cooling loadcase will be simulated. Mechanical simulations
are only partially suitable for representing realistic stresses. However, they are very well suited for models with a high
number of spot welds where the focus is on the fixture and the overall behavior of the assembly.
The mechanical solution is also compatible with the Single-shot solution, but supports only one robot. Therefore
adjustments on the process might be needed to perform the mechanical solution.
For a detailed process setup please have a look at the Simufact Welding Demos&examples.
9.9.3. Simple mechanical solution - Simplified spot (Shell

Mesh)
The simple mechanical solution (Simplified spot approach) is very different from the other available approaches.
The biggest difference is the usage of 2D shell meshes for the components, while all other approaches use volume
meshes. Due to this, there are some changes that have to be done in the model compared to a full transient simulation
(thermomechanical solution Joule heating). Many well known components and boundary conditions are not available
in this simulation approach.
The mainly important changes and restrictions of the simple mechanical solution are:
• 2D shell meshes for the components (element type 75)
• Only fixed nodes boundary conditions are allowed. Geometry boundary conditions can be converted, local joints
are deleted.
• Only one C-spot-gun can be used
• Material data of the components is linearized (Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio)
• Refinement during the simulation is not possible
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• No electrodes are used in the simulation. The electrodes shown in the model view are just for pre-processing pur-
poses.
Like the "Mechanical solution - Electrodes (Volume Mesh)" approach, this mechanical approach neglects the electrical
and thermal calculations and does not require the definition of electrodes at all. With this approach, there are no more
table-controlled electrode forces applied. Instead, a constant electrode force, a welding time per spot weld and a spot
weld diameter are specified. The constant electrode force is given as a point load on the nodes within a predefined
radius. The following figure shows the approach schematically:
Figure 9.68. Simplified spot connection approach with two sheets

In a spot welding process with two sheets, a node set is defined for each of the two sheets (Spot{#}_upper_nodes
and Spot{#}_lower_nodes). These node sets contain all nodes within a box of the size of the spot diameter defined
in the spot welding parameters object plus 10% (green and red in the upper picture). The displacement of the nodes
in Spot{#}_lower_nodes is fixed, so they cannot move during the spot welding of this point. The electrode force
defined in the spot welding parameters is applied to the nodes in the node set Spot{#}_upper_nodes. The force per
node (electrode force divided by the number of nodes in the set) is then applied to each node within one increment
using a point load. If, within this increment the two sheets detect contact, gluing of the contacting nodes within a
radius double the size of the defined spot diameter around the detected Spot{#}_point is done immediately. So, no
peak temperature (glue on peak temperature) is needed. The sheets are simply pulled together with the defined force
within the defined radius. If there are more than 2 sheets spot welded together, the procedure is the same, the middle
sheets are just pulled together as there is contact to the other sheets.
Figure 9.69. Simplified spot connection approach with 3 sheets
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In the simple mechanical approach, the material data is simplified automatically, so that it is linearized with a con-
stant Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio. The simplified material data can be shown from the process tree by dou-
ble-clicking on the assigned material:
Figure 9.70. Linearized material data for simple mechanical mode

In the following, the single steps when converting a full transient simulation (thermomechanical with Joule heating)to
the simple mechanical solution will be shown. The simple mechanical solution can be activated in the "Process set-
tings" by selecting the "Mechanical solution - Simplified spot":
Figure 9.71. Activating the simple mechanical

solution for resistance spot welding processes
Afterwards, a message appears, that points out, that some change have to be done in this model:
Figure 9.72. Message about necessary changes for a 2D shell simulation
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As 2D shell meshes are required for this approach, the geometry objects of the components have to be exchanged.
Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to create those kind of geometries in Simufact Welding. But, it is possible
to create a mid surface of an existing volume mesh using Simufact Mesh. Simufact Mesh can be opened from the
menu bar under Extras > Simufact Mesh:
Figure 9.73. Opening Simufact Mesh
Import the component geometries to Simufact Mesh and click right on it to create a mid surface mesh:
Figure 9.74. Create a mid surface mesh in Simufact Mesh
Click right on the created shell mesh to save it as an bdf file:
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Figure 9.75. Save the shell mesh to a bdf file

The shell mesh bdf file can afterwards be imported to Simufact Welding:
Figure 9.76. Import the shell meshes to Simufact Welding

Please select Import as Shell with thickness data and make sure, that the Length (unit) Meter and
Shell thickness 1.5mm for Sheet-1, respectively 1.0mm for Sheet-2, is selected. Afterwards assign the shell mesh
geometries to the components in the process tree by drag&drop. Afterwards the sheets need to be remeshed. Therefore,
click right on the process name and select Remesh all components:
233
Figure 9.77. Remeshing the sheets
Set the meshing parameters according to the following picture:
Figure 9.78. Definition of the meshing parameters
Single components can be remeshed by double-clicking on the remesh object Mesh of the component
in the process tree. By clicking right on the remesh object an existing mesh can be removed, so that the
original (imported) mesh will be used.
As the fixed geometry boundary condition is not allowed for this simulation approach, the two defined fixings must
be converted into fixed nodes boundary condition. Therefore, please click right on the fixing and select Convert to
fixed nodes:
234
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Single-shot solution (RSW)
Figure 9.79. Converting the fixed geometries to fixed nodes

Alternatively the converting of the boundary conditions to fixed nodes can be done from the context menu of the
process by clicking right on the process name and selecting Convert all to fixed nodes.
The last necessary modification is in the spot welding parameters. Please click right on the resistance welding para-
meters and select Copy and replace:
Figure 9.80. Copy and replace the spot welding parameters

In this dialog window the Simplified connection has to be selected as Specification mode, that requires the
definition of a Electrode force, a Welding time per spot and a Spot diameter:
Figure 9.81. Defining the simplified connection spot welding parameters

Now, all necessary changes are done and the simulation can be started.
9.9.4. Single-shot solution (RSW)

The Single-shot solution for resistance spot welding processes neglects the welding sequence of the spot welds to
reduce the calculation time. It can be activated in the "Process parameters" in the "Process definition" tab by changing
the Precision to Fast mode.
235
Figure 9.82. Activating the Single-shot solution for resistance spot welding processes
After the single-shot solution is selected, all spots are welded at the same time. To accomplish this, a copy of the initial
electrode pairs is automatically created for each spot position at the beginning of the calculation. Subsequently, the
RSW procedure is performed for all spot positions simultaneously. Deviations of process times (e.g. due to different
welding parameters) are automatically adjusted accordingly.
Figure 9.83. Additional electrode pairs for every spot weld
236
Since, in most cases the local temperature, local distortion and local stresses in and around a spot do not interfere very
much with other spots, the local results are almost comparable to a full transient simulation (thermomechnical with
Joule heating). However, the overall deformation behaviour of an entire assembly may be slightly different when the
electrode motion is performed for all spots at the same time. The simultaneous calculation also neglects the so called
shunting effect (electric field deformation due to a current by-pass through earlier generated spot welds) that may have
a small impact on the electric field distribution.
The figure below shows a comparison of the total distortion for a full transient and a Single-shot calculation. Be careful
when post processing the results and be aware of decreasing result accuracy when using simplified approaches.
Figure 9.84. Comparison of full transient simulation (right) and single shot solution (left)
The speed up of this simplified approach depends strongly on the model and model size. The more spot welds are used
in the model, the higher is the speed up of the single shot solution. Due to the simultaneous motion of all weld guns,
the solver may need a few more cycles per increment to converge than for a single pair of electrodes. In the above
shown model the speed up was about 3x. For larger models a speed up of even 6 - 8x can be observed.
9.9.4.1. Grouped single-shot solution

For a more diversified approach, e.g. in cases where models contain a huge number of spot welds, the single-shot
technique can be subdivided into groups of spots using a *.csv file. This way the single-shot approach is sequentially
applied to these groups. To use this function check the Use groups checkbox in the process parameters dialog. Using
the button to check the current grouping. Groups will have an ID, the name of the trajectory and the respective
spot weld IDs associated to this group. Initially, all spots will belong to group ID 1. To create new groups the current
spot weld group must be exported to a *.csv file (by using the button). The *.csv file then must be edited externally
by changing the group ID for each respective Spot weld ID. Afterwards, the edited *.csv file must be imported back
to the GUI (using ). The groups are now changed which can be checked via . Using Reinitialize ( )
will set back everything to the default grouping.
237
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Postprocessing
Figure 9.85. Advanced procedure for Single-Shot grouping
9.10. Postprocessing
Resistance welding processes can be post processed like every other process in Simufact Welding. Additionally the
electrical result values can be evaluated which is explained below.
The visibility of the electrodes can be activated or deactivated using this button:
The visibility of the active trajectory can be activated/deactivated in the results view by clicking on
in the main toolbar.
9.10.1. Electrical potential

The electrical potential describes the distribution of the electrical voltage in each body respectively. As resistance
welding processes are series circuits, the electrical current is the same everywhere, but not the electrical voltage.
The electrical potential can be used to verify the electrical contact conductivity. If the electrical potential is nearly
equal in all bodies, the electrical contact conductivity is too high ("Conductor"). This means the electrical current can
flow without generating any heat. If the electrical potential is nearly 0 (1e-12 V) in one body, the electrical contact
conductivity is too low ("Isolator"). This means the electrical current is not able to flow as the contact acts like an
isolator. The following figures show the mentioned states:
238
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Electrical potential
Figure 9.86. Electrical potential for normal state of electrical contact conductivity
Figure 9.87. Electrical potential for conductor state of electrical contact conductivity
239
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Electric current density
Figure 9.88. Electrical potential for isolator state of electrical contact conductivity
9.10.2. Electric current density

The electric current density identifies areas where the electrical current is concentrated. Usually these are the contact
areas or areas of changing cross section. An increasing electrical current density leads mainly to an increasing heat
flux and temperature. The lower figure shows the electric current density of two contacting bodies:
Figure 9.89. Example of electric current density
240
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Electric-thermal energy density
9.10.3. Electric-thermal energy density

The electric-thermal energy density identifies areas, where the electric energy is converted into thermal energy. Usually
these are the contact areas where the conversion takes place due to the contact resistance and a drop in the electrical
voltage. The following figure shows the electric-thermal energy density of two contact bodies:
Figure 9.90. Example of electric-thermal energy density
9.10.4. Electrical contact conductivity

The electrical contact conductivity outputs the contact conductivity entered by the user for the contacting surfaces. If
the user has entered a constant value, this value will be shown where the two bodies have contact. If the user has entered
a table depending on temperature, the corresponding electrical contact conductivity to the current local temperature
will be displayed at the contact surface. If the automatic mode is active, the calculated electrical contact conductivity
based on the formula will be displayed for the contact surface.
Simufact Welding uses the Glue on peak temperature contact type as a default contact between com-
ponents. If the glue temperature is reached, a glue contact based on nodes will be activated. This contact
type will also set a very high thermal and electrical contact conductivity. This phenomenon can be seen
using the result value Electrical contact conductivity. In the expert settings this default contact can be
changed to Advanced glue on peak temperature, that sets the glue contact for a node after the melting
temperature was reached and the node has cooled down to solidus temperature again.
If the electrical contact conductivity for electrode-componente contact is much higher than compo-
nent-component contact, the color legend has to be scaled to see both contact surfaces.
The figure below shows an example of the electrical contact conductivity result value for electrode-component contact:
241
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Modeling hints and rare used func-
tions
Figure 9.91. Example of electrical contact conductivity
9.11. Modeling hints and rare used functions

• Segment to segment contact is fully supported.
• The ratio of element sizes of the mesh of contacting bodies should not be larger than 1:3.
• The used mesh should have a high quality to avoid high refinement levels and bad convergence. For more informa-
tion please see the chapter about mesh requirements.
•
The electrical contact conductivity should not be larger than 1e20 .
• The time step should be small enough to cover the time behavior of the process.
• If the heat is only generated at the edge areas of the contact area between two bodies, the electrical contact conduc-
tivity should be checked as it might be incorrect.
• When using alternating current, the time step should not be larger than 1/8 of the periodic time.
• It is possible to define a component as an 'Adhesive'. This function can be activated in the settings in the tab initial
conditions of each component for thermomechanical simulations. Caution: The whole body is then interpreted as
an adhesive and should be designed accordingly. This option can be used for thin adhesive layers, that will be
deactivated as soon as the adhesive gets heated up.
242
2023.3 Resistance spot welding Known limitations
Figure 9.92. Mark a component as 'Adhesive'

• Especially the correct time step is very important. Otherwise the contact calculation might be instable. These in-
stabilities can have a high influence on the electrical calculation in the following time step which may create un-
realistic results.
9.12. Known limitations

Two spot weld guns cannot act at the same time. If a process contains two spot weld guns please make sure that the
time schedule avoids any interference.
9.13. Exercise
Create simple processes and vary the parameters to get to know to each parameter and their dimension.
9.14. Further reading and information

[1]: according to: N.N.: Theoretische Grundlagen der Schweißtechnik, Schweißkurs; Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth,
2010.
[2]: Bay, N.; Wanheim, T.: Real area of contact between a rough tool and a smooth workpiece at high normal pressure,
Wear, 38, 225-234, 1976.
[3]: Zhang, H.; Senkara, J.: Resistance Welding. Fundamentals and Applications; Second Edition, 2012.
243
2023.3
10 Stress relief heat treatment

2023.3 Stress relief heat treatment Creation of a stress relief process
The process type "Stress relief heat treatment" allows the calculation of stress relaxation due to heat treatment.
The idea behind the process type is to have the possibility to define an externally applied temperature curve that will
represent the effect of an oven. At elevated temperatures the yield stress of materials decreases over time to a certain
degree. This triggers a change in the residual stress field.
Please note: An important contribution to the stress relaxation during heat treatment is the effect of creep. Creep
properties need to be set in the material properties (at the moment, only a few materials in the Simufact database
have creep properties). If no creep properties are set, the model check will warn the user that the creep model will be
deactivated before the simulation is started.
For a material with defined creep properties in a stress relief heat treatment process, additive plasticity should be used
since multiplicative plasticity might show wrong results in conjunction with creep. It is also recommended to use
additive plasticity in the previous processes that are acting as sources for pre-state data used in the heat treatment
process.
10.1. Creation of a stress relief process

For the stress relief process we need input data that already have some non-zero stress fields, usually an assembly after
welding and cooling. For data import from an already existing and calculated welding process the user can use "Copy
from results" on a finished welding calculation within a project or the user can import meshes with results (*.spr files)
into the Simufact Welding GUI.
Most of the boundary conditions transferred with "Copy from results" are not needed. Usually the welded part is just
lying in the oven. Hence, it is recommended to remove all boundary conditions after "Copy from results" and to define
a single bearing that will represent the bottom of the oven. In this case it is also recommended to turn on gravity.
Figure 10.1. Setting up the process
10.2. Configuring the process

This process type requires a heat treatment furnace to be defined. This furnace can be found in the process tree. Without
a heat treatment object containing the temperature curve the process cannot be started.
245
2023.3 Stress relief heat treatment Configuring the process
The heat treatment object contains the information about the temperature inside the furnace. In order to define such an
object, open the context menu of the "Stress relief" group in the Object catalog (right mouse click on "Stress relief")
and select "New heat treatment".
Figure 10.2. Heat treatment object
In the first menu, "Overview", the number of stages the user is going to calculate can be selected. The three stages
are: Heating, Holding and Cooling (usually a heat treatment process needs all three of them). It also gives an overview
over the time-temperature plot. Parameters for each stage can be edited in the "Stages" menu. All three stages have
similar parameters to be set.
Figure 10.3. Setting of a heat treatment stage
For each stage it is possible to define the stage duration. The ambient temperature can be defined as a constant value
or as a time depending table. The heat transfer coefficient describes heat losses to environment but also the heat
transfer from environment into the assembly. Thus, setting ambient temperature to a constant value does not mean
that the temperature of the assembly will remain constant, it will heat up or cool down due to heat transfer from or to
246
2023.3 Stress relief heat treatment Defining process settings
surroundings and heat conduction inside the assembly. Definition of heat transfer coefficient provides the possibility
to simulate quenching, choosing values matching heat transfer to a quenching media.
Please note: the stage duration should match the duration of the temperature table. Otherwise the temperature table is
changed to match the given duration. If the duration is higher than the table, the table is extended to the given duration
with constant temperature values. Otherwise the table is cut, this might lead to erroneous definition of the table.
10.3. Defining process settings

The heat treatment object has an overall duration resulting from its stages. The object can be added via drag and drop
to the oven object in the process tree. The user should also set the process time in the "Time control" (in "Process
Parameter") dialog to the overall time of the heat treatment object.
Additionally, the user should carefully check the heat transfer coefficient set in the temperature object attached to the
components. If the value is too high, an unrealistic amount of heat may be subtracted from the assembly.
Figure 10.4. Overview over a properly set process
For the calculation you can either set the time stepping scheme to manual, defining the time steps or use adaptive time
stepping. In latter case the preset is to let the solver try to make 10 increment per stage, meaning, 40 increments overall.
247
2023.3 Stress relief heat treatment Defining process settings
Figure 10.5. Residual stress distribution before

(top) and after (bottom) stress relief heat treatment
248
2023.3
11 Assembly Simulation
2023.3 Assembly Simulation Requirements of input data
Keywords
Assembly simulation, Gravity compensation, mesh morphing, 3D
Educational basics
This chapter will teach you how to set up a model for assembly simulation using Simufact Welding to compensate the
effect of the gravity mostly on parts made from sheets like hood, car fender or car doors. The gravity is mostly ignored
during the design, which leads to deviation between the design and the real parts after manufacturing. In reality, you
have to consider the gravity effect on the parts and to try to reduce this effect. You know that the orientation differs
during the measuring of the part, the welding of the assembly or when the part or assembly finally mounted in the
car. Therefore, through this tutorial you will simulate the measuring system, which is normally used for sheet parts
to measure their deflection while the part lies on 3 pins in the measuring system, and try to compensate the gravity
effect or to minimize it in all orientations. Through the gravity compensation you obtain sheet parts with compensated
gravity that means they are more accurate for assembly design or for further use in simulation programs.
Prerequisites
Basic process knowledge, Basic knowledge of Simufact Welding
To run a gravity compensation simulation you need “Simufact Welding Metrology Data Toolkit”, this
toolkit is required for gravity compensation and morphing
11.1. Requirements of input data

When scanning the geometry in the measuring system, then for sheet parts only the top surface is scanned as points
cloud, then the adjacent nodes will be connected to triangular facets representing the sheet surface. During the scanning
the resolution should so adjusted that the small features (e. g. curvatures or holes) are accurately captured but at the
same time the data size (file size) should still be manageable. Because, too big data size needs more time during
morphing.
In the measuring system the sheet part lies on 3 pins, these pins should be taken into account in the simulation. Actually
they are replaced by 3 fixed nodes with suitable fixation configuration to reproduce a free stress support like the pins
in the measuring system.
Figure 11.1. Measuring system with 3 pins
The scanned geometry can not be used directly in the simulation, because it contains very high number of elements
and the mesh quality is poor. Therefore you have to create a good mesh based on CAD data for the same geometry
250
2023.3 Assembly Simulation Metrology basics and measuring sys-
tem
with reasonable number of elements and good representation of small features. In the simulation you have to create a
volume mesh, therefor it is recommended to create a mesh for the top surface of the CAD geometry and extrude it by
the sheet thickness during the importing, because the top surface is scanned in the measuring system.
For the morphing mesh try to use fine elements on curvatures and small features, and additionally use
fine elements on the areas of the supporting pins.
11.2. Metrology basics and measuring system

The measuring system consists mostly of a camera and table with supporting pins. The camera scans the geometry from
referenced positions to recreate the coordinates of all points in the points cloud. The location of the supporting pins
is important and have to be exactly transferred to the simulation, you can do that in the CMM (coordinate measuring
machines) or by scanning the pins before positioning the sheet part in measuring system.
Guidelines on how to set the fixed nodes boundary conditions to achieve stress-free support
• The goal of defining the 3 boundary conditions is to support the part in a stress-free state.
• At each location the direction parallel to gravity must be fixed (in most cases that is the z-direction when the part
is placed in horizontal position on the 3 pins).
• Use the pin location closest to the CoG for “Fixed nodes” with all 3 directions fixed.
• To ensure that the model will be in static equilibrium, one of 2 remaining boundary conditions “Fixed Nodes-2”
and “Fixed Nodes-3” must be fixed additionally in either x- or y-direction in order to prevent rotation about the
node of “Fixed Nodes”.
• The direction of the connecting line between Fixed Nodes-2 (or 3) and Fixed Nodes determines the additional
direction to be fixed. The fixed direction must be perpendicular to the connecting line in order to minimize the
stress due to the boundary condition, i.e. for “Fixed Nodes-2” the connecting line to “Fixed-Nodes” is parallel to
x. Thus, the y-direction must be fixed.
• “Fixed Nodes-2” (lower right corner of the lower figure) was chosen as the node with the additional direction to
be fixed, because the pin locations for “Fixed Nodes” and “Fixed Nodes-2” deviate the least from the connecting
line (parallel to x).
251
2023.3 Assembly Simulation Setting up the process
Figure 11.2. Definition of the fixed nodes boundary conditions
11.3. Setting up the process

Since the scanned sheet geometry is mostly unsuitable for use in an FE simulation directly, either because it contains
huge number of elements or because its mesh quality is bad, at first a well meshed CAD geometry will be morphed to
the scanned geometry and finally the morphed mesh will be used in the simulation for the gravity compensation.
For this model you need the scanned geometry, which is mostly scanned in stl format. The scanned geometry contains
mesh of only the upper surface of the sheet geometry. You need also a well meshed CAD geometry.
Create a new project and for the Process type select the Gravity compensation and set 1 for the Components and
3 for the Fixed nodes.
252
Figure 11.3. Select Gravity compensation

After creation of a new project and saving it you can import the scanned stl file
Fender_scanned_upperShellMesh.stl from \examples\Tutorial\AssemblySimulation\CAD-Data directly
into Reference geometries, in this case it will be imported as shell mesh. In this tutorial you will import it as a geom-
etry with thickness 0f 0.7 mm, and then assign it by drag and drop to the reference geometries. Similarly, import
Fender.bdf into Geometries with thickness of 0.7 mm and Top surface for the Extrusion direction.
Be careful: If you imported the scanned geometry as a shell mesh, sometimes some functions (e. g. the
best-fit or the visualization of the surface deviation) might not work properly, therefore we recommend
to import the both meshes with extruded thickness.
Figure 11.4. Import well meshed geometry
253
Now you can morph the good mesh in Fender.bdf on the scanned shell mesh. Right click on the Fender in Geome-
tries and then click Morph mesh,
Figure 11.5. Morph mesh

After selecting the target mesh which is the scanned mesh you have to position them correctly to morph the mesh
accurately.
Figure 11.6. Geometry position
Rotate the geometry by 90° about x and z axes, then run a best fit. After that Start morphing and finally by add
the morphed mesh to the Geometries and close the dialog. If you have insufficient morphing result you can increase
the level of details to low or medium.
More information about the morphing settings you find in the infosheet MorphMesh_en.pdf
254
A new geometry is created named Fender_morphed, you can assign this geometry to the component in the process,
Double click on of the component "Fender_morphed" in the process tree, change the Element type to Sol-
id-shell and use 7 shell layers then press OK .
Figure 11.7. Element type
Open the material library and use the material DC04-JMP-SPM_sw and assign it to the component.
Figure 11.8. Simufact Material
The pins in the measuring system are modelled as fixed nodes. Since the fixed nodes build a boundary conditions, with
which the displacements are fixed, whereas the pins do not fix the displacements in all directions, but only support the
sheet part in z direction and allow the displacement in x and y directions and the rotation in all directions, therefore
and according to the guidelines "how to set the fixed nodes boundary conditions" mentioned above, the configuration
of the fixed displacement in the directions of the fixed nodes should achieve a free stress support like the pins in the
measuring system. In this way the first node should be fixed in all directions, the second only in y and z, to prevent
the rotation but at the same time allow freely movement in x to avoid the buildup of tensile stresses in x direction
between the first and second pins, which prevent or work against the deflection. The third node should be fixed only
in the z direction, in this case no tensile stresses are built up in x and y directions between the pins. Unlike the pins we
define additional to z direction fixed displacements in x and y directions for the the first fixed node and in y direction
for second fixed nodes to replace the friction on the pins, which prevent the sheet part from completely freely sliding
in the xy plane, and that stabilize the simulation.
Currently only measuring system with 3 pins is supported, overdetermined systems with more pins e.
g. 4, 5 or more are not yet supported.
Double click on FixedNodes in the process tree and check all boxes for Fixed directions and press to select the node
255
Figure 11.9. Fixed nodes
Then click the node in the model view as in the image below
Figure 11.10. Select fixed nodes
Repeat the same for the other fixed nodes but FixedNodes-2 is fixed in y and z directions and FixedNodes-3 is fixed
only in z direction.
256
2023.3 Assembly Simulation Simulation results
Figure 11.11. Fixed directions
Click on the Process parameters in the process tree. Here you do not need to change anything, but if desired you
can set another value for the Target deviation.
Figure 11.12. Process parameters
Now your model is completely set up and you can start it by pressing .
11.4. Simulation results

When the simulation is finished double click on the results in the process tree and you will see the iterations and
the maximal deviation as a graph and in a table.
257
Figure 11.13. Process results
In the results dialog you can add a compensated geometry into the catalog by pressing
Figure 11.14. Add to catalog
Then a new compensated geometry named by Process_Comp-1-FenderXmorphe_compensated_1 will appear in

the catalog. Drag and drop this geometry to the Reference geometries to show the deviation to the original geometry
without compensation.
Figure 11.15. Compensated geometry
To see the difference between the compensated and not compensated (morphed) geometry, right click on
Fender_morphed and then open the dialog Morph mesh and select in the compensated geometry as a target mesh.
Since the target mesh (reference geometry) is a volume geometry (not only shell) you can visualize the deviation
between the morphed and compensated geometry, and if needed you can run best fit before that.
258
Figure 11.16. Surface deviation
259
2023.3
12 Simplified approaches
2023.3 Simplified approaches Shrinkage method for thermal joining
Simufact Welding offers different types of simplified modelling approaches for users that need a quick look at dis-
tortion tendencies and trends, e.g. for large assemblies. All of these approaches utilize automated model simplifica-
tions to significantly decrease the simulation time. Needless to say that these simplifications will always (sometimes
dramatically) reduce the result accuracy compared to a transient simulation. Hence, the simplified approaches are
predominantly recommended for fast distortion tendency predictions, e.g. in early design stages and preferably for
models with either many and very long weld seams.
Warning: While the simplified approaches can give good and viable distortion tendency results, they are know to
be very in-accurate for local stress and strain prediction in some cases (for instance multilayer welding and others).
They are also not recommended for direct energy deposition model, because the impact on the results is even more
unknown, and still content of current and future research activities.
Once a traditional transient model is set up, Simufact Welding offers different strategies to reduce the simulation
time. For example by neglecting the welding sequence or reducing the effect of welding to a very basic mechanical
behaviour like the shrinkage of weld filler during cooling. No additional modelling effort contrary to the traditional
modelling setup for transient simulations need to be done. The necessary simplification (e.g. welding times, material
parameter, solver settings, etc.) will be performed automatically when creating the solver input file.
For thermal joining (arc welding, laser beam welding, electron beam welding, brazing) the following approaches are
available:
• Single-shot solution (Neglecting the welding sequence. All weld seams will follow a single predefined thermal
cycle at the same time.)
• Shrinkage method (Linear material model, only the shrinkage of weld seams during cooling is simulated.)
12.1. Shrinkage method for thermal joining

The Shrinkage method is sometimes applied for very large structures, e.g. in shipbuilding and aerospace industries.
This method will predict distortion tendencies and directions for a complete assembly as a result of the weld seam
shrinkage during cooling. It completely neglects the effect of heat transfer and the local expansion of heat affected
components. It follows the idea that the distortion of large assemblies with long weld seams will be dominated by
the effect of shrinking weld filler material. Hence, it can only be applied to simulations that have filler geometries
attached to each and every trajectory. The shrinkage will be applied to all weld seams simultaneously.
As soon as the model is prepared and ready for simulation, the shrinkage method can be activated under "Process
parameters" in the "Process definition" tab and there in the "Analysis mode" section by simply changing the "Precision"
value to "Fast mode" and switching the radio button to "Shrinkage".
261
2023.3 Simplified approaches Shrinkage method for thermal joining
Figure 12.1. Activating the shrinkage method for thermal joining

When activating the shrinkage method, some internal changes and simplification will be automatically applied once
the solver input is generated:
• The heat source in the model is automatically replaced with a temperature constraint (temperature table). The heat
source geometry has no effect anymore. Instead, all nodes of the filler geometries follow the temperature table
equally.
• Material data is linearized (no temperature dependencies) except for thermal expansion coefficient. The material is
modeled to behave in an ideal elasto-plastic way, thus no work hardening can appear.
• The thermal expansion coefficient of the filler material is automatically inverted (change of sign), means that the
fillet material will shrink instead of expand with increasing temperature.
• Within the first few increments all weld lines will be heated up at the same time with a linear increasing temperature,
starting from room temperature up to melting temperature. Hence, all fillets will start to shrink simultaneously.
• All fillets will then be kept at melting temperature in a shrunk condition until the end of the simulation.
• Boundary conditions that are deactivated during the process are deactivated at once shortly after the melting tem-
perature has been reached. Boundary conditions without deactivation time will stay active until the end of the sim-
ulation.
• Heat conduction from the fillet into neighbouring components is completely deactivated. All components will re-
main at starting temperature throughout the entire simulation. Thus, a steady state situation is achieved after heating
and unclamping is complete.
• The analysis end time is automatically set to a value >100000 s, but time stepping is exceptionally high.
Due to the steady state situation it is possible to perform the complete calculation with a small number of increments.
However, several effects of welding are neglected. In order to get useful results the model has to fulfill some conditions.
The model should have a high number of relatively long weld lines (thus the calculation time of the transient simulation
would be very long). It is also preferable if the weld seams have a certain distance from each other so they do not
interfere with each other.
This approach allows a quick prediction of general assembly behavior but cannot replace a more complex approach
if more precise results are needed.
262
2023.3 Simplified approaches Single-shot solution for thermal join-
ing
12.2. Single-shot solution for thermal joining

The Single-shot solution is also applicable to large structures, delivering better and more precise approximations
for assembly distortion tendencies than the shrinkage approach. It usually needs longer calculation times than the
shrinkage approach.
The approach can be activated under "Process parameters" in the "Process definition" dialog by changing the "Preci-
sion" value to "Fast mode" and switching the radio button to "Single-shot solution".
Figure 12.2. Activating the Single-shot solution for thermal joining
The single shot approach applies a thermal cycle to all weld lines at once. Therefore a thermal cycle table (one for
all weld lines) has to be defined (see chapter: Thermal cycle method (Meta-transient)) or selected in the respective
"Process definition" dialog.
All boundary conditions that are deactivated during the simulation are deactivated shortly after the thermal cycle has
ended. Afterwards the model cools down.
For well-suited models this approach delivers a fast approximation of distortions and deformations. The material data
is not changed, but the welding sequence is ignored by applying the thermal cycle to all weld lines at once. The
Single-shot solution can also be used to perform a calculation stability or model check, e.g. convergence behaviour,
mesh quality or contact calculation. Poor model setup (like bad meshes, penetrations) will be revealed very quickly
with this approach.
Depending on the original model size the speed up through this simplification is very significant, increasing with the
number of weld lines (or weld seam length) in the original transient model.
A comparison of resulting total distortions and respective calculation times using different approaches is given in
belows figure for a comparatively big assembly (coupling jaw cross member of a heavy-duty tractor unit containing
more than 2 m of total weld seam length):
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2023.3 Simplified approaches Single-shot solution for thermal join-
ing
Figure 12.3. Comparison of distortions and calculation times for different approaches
264
2023.3
13 Meshing basics and application

2023.3 Meshing basics and application Introduction and Basics
Figure 13.1. Example of a finite element mesh

Keywords
Mesh, meshing parameters, meshing settings
Educational Objectives
This chapter will teach you the basics and application of the different mesh generation methods in Simufact Welding.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of Simufact Welding and simulation experience.
13.1. Introduction and Basics

For each finite element (FE) simulation a spatial discretization of the continuous workpiece in a finite number of
elements has to be performed. The elements represent the physical properties of the real workpiece regarding mass,
stiffness etc. The spatial discretization is also known as meshing. Usually the meshing is performed by a separate
program called a mesher. The meshing techniques can be performed in every spatial dimension:
• 0D: point masses
• 1D: links and beams
• 2D: quadrilateral or triangular elements (for planar or axisymmetric processes)
• 3D: hexahedral or tetrahedral elements (for three-dimensional processes)
Over time different meshing strategies and theories have been created for all kind of applications which have been
implemented in different meshers. Arc welding, laser beam welding and direct energy deposition welding in Simufact
Welding strictly cover 3D simulations only, the following meshers have been implemented:
• 3D
• Hexmesh
• Sheetmesh
• Ringmesh
• Tetmesh
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• A special sheetmesher for resistance spot welding, which can be used in both 2D and 3D
Meshing in Simufact Welding is performed in the initial meshing dialog which can be opened by clicking on the
icon in the process tree. Only the deformable components can be meshed. As welding simulations typically do not
show excessive plastic strains, there is no remeshing option.
Independently from the development of different meshing strategies, different element types have been developed.
The element types do not only describe the shape of the elements (triangle, cube etc.) for the spatial discretization but
the formulas to describe the physical properties such as mass, stiffness, etc. These formulas are necessary to describe
the real behavior during the simulation. Simufact Welding offers four 3D element types and one 2D :
• 3D
• Hexahedral (7)
• Solid-Shell (185)
• Tetrahedral (157)
• Tetrahedral (134)
Figure 13.2. Example for a hexahedral (7) element
Figure 13.3. Example for a tetrahedral (134) element

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Figure 13.4. Example for a tetrahedral (157) element
Figure 13.5. Example for a solid-shell (185) element
• 2D
• Shell (25)
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2023.3 Meshing basics and application Meshers in Simufact Welding
Figure 13.6. Example for shell (25) element

In general hexahedral elements have the best accuracy while maintaining a lower number of elements compared to
tetrahedral elements. But not every geometry can be meshed using hexahedral elements. If a hexahedral mesh can
not be created due to the complexity of the geometry, then tetrahedral (157) elements should be used instead. The
tetrahedral (157) element has an additional node in the element middle and for every other node an additional degree
of freedom for pressure. Thus the tetrahedral (157) element is more accurate than the tetrahedral (134) element.
The tetrahedral (134) element should only be used if the expected plastic deformations are small. In
simulations where significant plastic deformations are to be expected, the tetrahedral (157) element will
provide better results.
The solid-shell (185) element is a 3D shell element with 8 nodes. The element uses one integration point in the shell
plane and a user defined quantity of integration points in thickness direction. In this way the element can depict the
plastic deformation due to bending. This element is recommended for sheet forming processes. Compared to common
shell elements the solid-shell (185) element is more suitable for contact on both element sides. The element has a top
and a bottom side. Furthermore it is more suitable than hexahedral elements for sheet forming processes because of
the higher quantity of integration points in thickness direction. To improve the calculation during plastic deformations
using hexahedral elements, we need to define at least three elements in the thickness direction. This can be complicated
if the workpiece thickness is relatively thin. The 2D thick-shell type (25) element is a four-node element with global
displacements and rotations as degrees of freedom. The 2D Element type saves calculation time and should be used
in big parametric studies.
For further information regarding the element types please see Marc Volume B.
13.2. Meshers in Simufact Welding

This chapter describes the basics and applications of the different meshers in Simufact Welding. Refinement boxes
are explained in the following chapter.
Different parameters can have different values when meshing a geometry. A special value is "0" or "0.0". This value
does not mean zero but will be used to determine an automatic value. Be aware when using "0" or "0.0" in the meshing
dialogs.
13.2.1. Hexmesh
The Hexmesh mesher at first meshes the inside of the workpiece using a hexahedral core. Afterwards the core will be
projected onto the workpiece surface to close the gaps between the hexahedral core and the surface. The final mesh
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2023.3 Meshing basics and application Sheetmesh
quality depends on the element size. The element size should be decreased or refinement boxes should be used if the
Hexmesh mesher is not able to create a mesh with the defined element size. The Hexmesh mesher needs at least three
elements in thickness direction to create a mesh. If this is not possible, the mesher does not mesh this area and empty
spaces could appear or the meshing could fail. When meshing segments of a workpiece, one should take care that the
segment angle is not too small. The smaller the segment angle gets the more the mesh quality might suffer.
Figure 13.7. Example of a Hexmesh core
Figure 13.8. Example of a volume mesh after projection

of the core onto the surface using the Hexmesh mesher
The Hexmesh mesher is suitable for meshing almost all geometries. With a small enough element size even complex
geometries can be meshed. However you should be aware that the number of generated elements determines the
calculation speed of your simulation.
13.2.2. Sheetmesh
The Sheetmesh mesher meshes at first the top side of the workpiece using quad elements. Hence the mesher has to
identify the surfaces and edges. The correct identification can be evaluated using the button in the upper section of
the initial meshing dialog. The volume mesh will be created by expanding the quad elements to hexahedral elements.
The user can specify the element number over thickness. The Sheetmesh mesher creates less elements compared to
the Hexmesh mesher when using the same element size.
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Figure 13.9. Example of a planar quad mesh
Figure 13.10. Example of a volume mesh due to expansion using the Sheetmesh mesher
As the name implies, this mesher is supposed to be used for sheet type geometries.
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Figure 13.11. Other examples of the Sheetmesh mesher

The Sheetmesh mesher has some limitations which have to be considered while generating a mesh:
• no big changes in thickness values,
• no sharp bending edges and
• only straight strip edges are possible
Figure 13.12. E.g. big changes in thickness values
Figure 13.13. E.g. sharp bending edges
Figure 13.14. E.g. straight strip edges
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2023.3 Meshing basics and application Ringmesh
13.2.3. Ringmesh
The Ringmesh mesher at first meshes the ring cross section using quad elements. Afterwards the cross section will
be rotated to create a hexahedral volume mesh. The element size in radial, tangential and axial direction can be set
respectively. In addition a critical part can be defined which can be meshed finer than the rest.
Figure 13.15. Example of a cross section quad mesh
Figure 13.16. Example of a volume mesh due to rotation using the Ringmesh mesher
The Ringmesh mesher is suitable for meshing rings and round, hollow geometries. It should not be used for full
cylindrical geometries as it will create elements with bad aspect ratios in the center of the rotation axis.
If you want to mesh a 90° ring segment, the segment has to be in the second quadrant of the X-Y-plane. This means
negative X direction and positive Y direction. You will also have to activate the option for the meshing of a ring
segment in the advanced settings of the mesher.
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2023.3 Meshing basics and application Ringmesh
Figure 13.17. Meshing of a 90° ring segment
If you want to mesh a 180° ring segment, the segment has to be in the second and third quadrant of the X-Y plane.
This means negative X direction and positive and negative Y direction. Furthermore the rotation entry in the advanced
settings of the mesher should be 90° or 180°.
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2023.3 Meshing basics and application Tetmesh
Figure 13.18. Meshing of a 180° ring segment
13.2.4. Tetmesh
The Tetmesh mesher at first meshes the surface with regular triangles. Afterwards the mesher creates a tetrahedral
volume mesh beginning from the surface triangles.
The user can choose whether the workpiece should be meshed with Tetra (134) or Tetra (157) elements. A special
feature of the Tetmesh mesher is the option Volume mesh directly on STL. If this option is activated, the mesher
uses the STL facets to create the volume mesh. No extra surface mesh will be created. This should not be used if the
surface facets are very elongated with high aspect ratios.
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2023.3 Meshing basics and application Meshing in resistance spot welding
Figure 13.19. Example of a volume mesh using the Tetmesh mesher
The Tetmesh mesher can mesh virtually every 3D geometry. Typically, it is used to mesh complex geometries which
could not be meshed with hexahedral elements. The mesh quality can be controlled using the advanced settings of the
Tetmesh mesher. The advanced settings are explained and listed within the infosheet "MeshingAdvancedTetSurface".
13.2.5. Meshing in resistance spot welding

In resistance spot welding Simufact Welding offers a special (re-)mesher to create meshes refined at the weld spots.
The dialog is automatically opened when clicking on a mesh in a resistance spot welding process. This functionality
can be used in 2D and 3D. It works the same way as the sheetmesher: First the top side of the workpiece is meshed
using quad elements. Hence the mesher has to identify the surfaces and edges. The volume mesh will be created by
expanding the quad elements to hexahedral elements. As Simufact Welding only allows for four-node, thick shell
element meshes as 2D geometry objects, a refined quad mesh around the weld spots can be generated. In 3D hexahedral
meshes can be generated on imported CAD-geometries as well as remeshed on imported meshes. The element types
hexahedral and solid-shells are available. In case of solid-shells, the element number over thickness is fixed to one.
With hexahedral meshing selected, the element number over thickness can be chosen by the user. A big advantage of
this meshing method is that the refinement is oriented in normal direction to the surface and the weld spot gun spots.
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2023.3 Meshing basics and application Meshing in resistance spot welding
Figure 13.20. Example of 2D shell mesh generated with the RSW shell remesher
Figure 13.21. Example of 3D sheet mesh generated with the RSW sheet remesher
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2023.3 Meshing basics and application Refinement boxes
As resistance spot welding is generally done with sheets, this remeshing algorithm is supposed to be used for sheet
type geometries and has the same limitations as the sheetmesher. It also can be applied to all components in resistance
spot welding processes by right clicking on the process and clicking on remeshing all components.
13.3. Refinement boxes

Refinement boxes are a valuable tool to refine the mesh at special areas in the model. Finer meshes lead to more
accurate results but require a longer simulation time. Therefore you should use refinement boxes instead of refining
the complete mesh. Refinement boxes are very helpful if you have already defined a process and want to adjust your
mesh to get more accurate results.
Simufact Welding offers a variety of refinement boxes:
• Hexmesh
• Cartesian (Surface): Definition of the coordinates of the refinement box in global Cartesian coordinate system.
Only the surface will be refined.
• Cartesian (Full): Definition of the coordinates of the refinement box in global Cartesian coordinate system. The
complete mesh will be refined. Typically, the surface refinement is the preferred method.
• Minimum X/Y/Z: Definition of the coordinates of the refinement box in global Cartesian coordinate system.
A minimum number of elements in X/Y/Z direction used in the refinement box can be specified here. E.g. min.
10 elements in X direction.
• Fit X/Y/Z: Definition of the coordinates of the refinement box in global Cartesian coordinate system. An exact
number of elements in X/Y/Z direction used in the refinement box can be specified here. E.g. exact 10 elements
in X direction. Even if the refinement box covers not the complete cross section of the workpiece, the box will
be applied to the complete cross section. This can be seen in the figure below.
Figure 13.22. Fit-Box with exact 13 elements
• Cylindrical X/Y/Z (Surface): Definition of the coordinates of the refinement box in cylindrical coordinate sys-
tem using X/Y/Z as rotation axis. Only the surface will be refined.
• Cylindrical X/Y/Z (Full): Definition of the coordinates of the refinement box in cylindrical coordinate system
using X/Y/Z as rotation axis. The complete mesh will be refined.
• Sheetmesh (Refinement boxes only refine the surface mesh. There is no refinement in thickness direction.)
• Cartesian (Full): Definition of the coordinates of the refinement box in global Cartesian coordinate system.
• Cylindrical X/Y/Z: Definition of the coordinates of the refinement box in cylindrical coordinate system using
X/Y/Z as rotation axis.
• Ringmesh (Refinement boxes only refine the mesh in radial and axial direction. There is no tangential refinement.
Please use the Critical part option to set a refinement in tangential direction.)
• Radial (Full): Definition of the coordinates of the refinement box in a cylindrical coordinate system. The com-
plete mesh will be refined.
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2023.3 Meshing basics and application Evaluation of the mesh quality
• Radial (Outline): Definition of the coordinates of the refinement box in a cylindrical coordinate system. Only
the surface will be refined.
• Tetmesh
• Cartesian (Surface): Definition of the coordinates of the refinement box in global Cartesian coordinate system.
Only the surface will be refined.
• Cylindrical X/Y/Z: Definition of the coordinates of the refinement box in cylindrical coordinate system using
X/Y/Z as rotation axis.
In addition to the type of refinement box, you have to define the position. This can be done for Cartesian refinement
boxes by entering two corners. These two corners will be used to span the box. For cylindrical refinement boxes you
have to enter the height, the inner and the outer radius. Moreover you can set a start and stop angle to not create a
refinement cylinder but a refinement segment which covers the defined angle.
Refinement boxes can also be scaled and positioned interactive by using the mouse. For interactive scaling you have
to select the refinement box you want to scale as shown in the figure below. If you now hover over one surface of
the refinement box, this surface will be highlighted. Now press and hold the left mouse button and move the surface
to the right position.
Figure 13.23. Interactive scaling of refinement boxes

Furthermore, the refinement level has to be entered to fully define the refinement box. A refinement level of 1 means
that the element size will be halved inside the refinement box. E.g. using hexahedral elements combined with a re-
finement level of 1 results in a 8x finer mesh. A refinement level of 2 results in a 64x finer mesh.
One can see that the refinement factor increases very fast. Please use higher refinement levels carefully
to avoid large computational times.
13.4. Evaluation of the mesh quality

The mesh quality has a huge influence on the result quality. Therefore it is necessary to create and to use a high quality
mesh. A high quality mesh can be evaluated using the principle: "An aesthetic mesh is a high quality mesh".
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2023.3 Meshing basics and application Evaluation of the mesh quality
Figure 13.24. Example for a non aesthetic mesh
Figure 13.25. Example for an aesthetic mesh

The non aesthetic mesh shows a bad quality and does not describe the workpiece geometry very accurately. Besides, the
mesh shows distorted elements. The aesthetic mesh describes the geometry very well especially the radii. Additionally,
the elements are less distorted.
To evaluate the mesh the button Compare input with output can be used. It offers the opportunity to visualize the
deviation between input geometry and output mesh. This helps to create a mesh that describes the input geometry
at its best.
Figure 13.26. Menu compare input with output

The mesh can be further evaluated using the following three criteria:
• The mesh should have at least 3 elements (better 5 elements) over the workpiece thickness to cover bending stresses.
• The mesh should be fine enough to describe the geometry and phenomena such as folds, burr/flash.
• The mesh should be fine enough to cover gradients as accurate as possible.
The Tetmesh element size can be increased if a Min. element size is defined. Thus the mesh will be
refined at corners or radii whereas regular surfaces will be meshed with coarser elements.
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2023.3 Meshing basics and application Exercise - Sample meshing
The usage of the Coons projection has to be investigated individually. There is no generally valid state-
ment regarding this parameter.
The mesh creation is an iterative process that has to be performed several times. The mesh should be refined in areas
of high gradients or peak values. Moreover result values such as forces have to be compared between the meshes. In
general a mesh independent result should be reached.
13.5. Exercise - Sample meshing

To show you the workflow of the mesh generation in Simufact Welding, we show you a simple example. We start off
with an empty laser beam welding process. We want to weld two sheets together in a simple butt joint.
As we want to use simple geometries, we can use the Basic shape feature to create them. Please right click in the
object catalog and select Geometries > Basic shape.
Figure 13.27. Adding a Basic shape
As we want to create a sheet, please select the Shape type Cube and enter the following parameters:
Parameter definition:
• Width (x): 200 mm
• Depth (y): 40 mm
• Height (z): 3 mm
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Figure 13.28. Creating the first sheet

Confirm the dialog with OK. The created geometry is automatically added to the object catalog under the Geometries.
Please right click on it, in the context menu select Rename and name it Sheet-1.
As we want to weld two identical sheets together, please create a copy of the newly created geometry. To do so, please
right click on it in the object catalog and in the context menu select Copy. A copy is created in the object catalog
and automatically named Sheet-2.
To add the geometries to the model please drag and drop them from the object catalog onto the empty components in
your process tree. Your process tree should look like this:
Figure 13.29. Copying a geometry and assigning it to the Process tree

Note, that as this is only a geometry object with surface facets, the components are still missing their mesh. This is
indicated by the greyed out icon and the red text .
However, before meshing the geometries we want to position them next to each other. Please right-click on a geometry
in the model view and from the context menu select Positioning.
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Figure 13.30. Calling the Positioning function
A new dialog opens. It is automatically in the Translation mode. Click and drag the green arrow to move one of the
sheets in y-direction so that there is a gap between the two sheets:
Figure 13.31. Translation mode
To get the two sheets in contact, we want to use the contact positioning function. To do so, please switch to the Gravity
positioner mode by clicking the icon in the positioning dialog. Select the Method Translational and change
the Direction to -Y. To start the positioning either click the icon or click the arrow in the model view which points
in the direction of the other sheet.
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Figure 13.32. Contact positioning
Instead of dragging the part and positioning it with the gravity positioner, you could also simply translate
it in -Y-direction by values or align it with the bounding box alignment function after dragging it away.
Confirm the Dialog with OK. If you made a positioning operation which you want to revert, you can always do so
with the button as long as you did not close the dialog.
Now that the geometries are positioned, we want to create the meshes. To do so please double-click on the icon
under the Sheet-1 in the process tree. A new dialog window opens where only the selected part is shown.
First, we have to select a suitable mesher for the geometry. For this sheet type geometry, the ideal mesher is the
Sheetmesh. Therefore please change the Mesher from Hexmesh to Sheetmesh. Change the Element size to 2.0 mm
and click on the Create initial mesh button.
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Figure 13.33. Uniform Sheetmesh
As you can see, the mesher has created a uniform mesh with three elements over the thickness. However, for a better
resolution in the weld area we want to refine the edge that is in contact with the other sheet. To do this we can add
refinement boxes. Please switch to the Refinement boxes tab just below the Mesh properties tab on the far left side
of the dialog. Click the button to add a Cartesian (Full) refinement box.
Different meshers offer different types of refinement boxes.
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Figure 13.34. Adding a refinement box

By default, the refinement box spans the entire part. However, we only want to refine the area near the contacting
edge. You can drag the axes of the shown triad to change its position. You can also either enter the coordinates of two
corners of the refinement box directly or drag a surface in the model view until the box is in the desired shape. When
you have finished resizing and positioning the refinement box please click on the Create initial mesh button again.
Figure 13.35. Resizing and positioning the refinement box
Each level of refinement halves the original element size. With a refinement level of 1, elements with
an edge length of 1 mm will be created instead of 2 mm. A refinement level of 2 would create elements
with an edge length of 0.5 mm.
Refinement boxes for the Sheetmesh do not refine in thickness direction.
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2023.3 Meshing basics and application Further reading and information
If you are satisfied with the created mesh click OK to accept it.
You will see that the icon under the component in the process tree changed from to .
You can also do a remeshing for geometries with prestate information. To do so double-click on the
icon and the same meshing dialog opens. Change the origin of mesh to Create mesh with cur-
rent mesher and you can create a new mesh. The prestate results will be mapped onto this new mesh
automatically.
If you want, you can save the mesh to the object catalog for further use. For example if you want to use it in another
process. From there you can also export it to use it in another project or another program:
Figure 13.36. Optional: Save the mesh to the object catalog for further use
This concludes the basic process of mesh generation in Simufact Welding. Feel free to create other Basic shapes and
try to mesh them with different meshers or meshing parameters. Some real world geometries might be too complex to
be meshed satisfyingly with the internal meshers. In these cases we recommend to use an external meshing software
such as MSC Apex.
13.6. Further reading and information

• Volume A MSC.Marc reference
• Volume B MSC.Marc reference
Additional options can be changed due to the usage of the batch files of the individual meshers. These files are located
in "<installation path>\welding\2023.3\sfTools\sfMeshing\bin". The controllable parameters
are commented in detail in the comments of these files (at "Additional Parameters").
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2023.3
14 Solid shells
2023.3 Solid shells Preface
Keywords
Laser beam welding, Solid shells, 3D
Educational basics
This chapter will teach you the basic usage of the Simufact Welding GUI and especially the setup of a welding process
using solid shells.
Prerequisites
Basic process knowledge, Basic knowledge of Simufact Welding, Advanced knowledge of simulation techniques.
14.1. Preface
Solid shells is an element type which can partially replace the usual 8-node-hexahedral element. It is especially useful
for models where a lot of thin-walled structures are present. The advantages are:
• Only one element layer over the thickness is needed
• This leads, especially for thin sheets, to better element quality
• The calculation time is usually reduced, while the result quality is still very comparable with results calculated with
hexahedral elements
• Solid shell meshes can be used in a simulation together with hexahedral meshes
There are however some disadvantages. Solid shell elements are in no way suited to represent massive cast parts. Also,
the representation of gradients of results in the thickness direction of sheets is different from hexahedrals. Furthermore,
not all hexahedral meshes can be converted to solid shell meshes, due to the fact, that solid shell meshes do have a
preferred direction (normal to the shell surface).
This example will show the way to set up a simple laser welding model using solid shells. Two thin deformed sheets
will be welded using filler material and a flange weld. The prerequisite for this chapter is that you are already familiar
with main GUI functions (creating a project, importing meshes, positioning of boundary conditions and geometries),
otherwise please refer to chapters 3 to 4 of this tutorial first.
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2023.3 Solid shells Creating a new project
Figure 14.1. Model view of the solid shells tutorial model

After launching Simufact Welding successfully, you will be able to create a new project by clicking File > New project
or simply by using the Ctrl+N keyboard shortcut.
Give the new project the name SolidShells, then choose a folder path to save and click OK. Remember the
location for future reference.

for the project and locate the folder to save it
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2023.3 Solid shells Creating a new project
project a description for future understanding of what the aim of the project is. At the bottom of the process settings
window you will find the interactive help: whenever the mouse pointer hovers over some command or parameter, the
text inside this box will change to help the user get more information about it.
Figure 14.3. Configuring the simulation- Choosing what will compose the simulation
• Process type - Laser beam welding
• Ambient temperature - 20°C
• Use gravity - Unchecked box
• Use symmetry plane - Unchecked box
• Components - 2 components
• Bearings - 2 bearings
• Fixed geometries - 0 fixings
• Fixed nodes - 0 fixings
• Clamping - 2 clampings
• Local joints - 0 local joint
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2023.3 Solid shells Importing components
• Robots - 1 robot
You may enter a description of this project inside the Comment area. This however has no effect on simulations.
process tree.
Figure 14.4. Process tree after creating the project

are the basis of the simulation and serve as guidance for clamping positioning and trajectory generation.
To import any number of components, in the Object catalog area, do a over Geometries, select Import and
navigate to the corresponding directory:

For this tutorial we will make use of
• Sheet-1_SolidShell_m.bdf, Sheet-2_SolidShell_m.bdf - Solid meshes for components
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• Fillet_m.bdf - Solid mesh for fillet
• Bearing-1_m.bdf, Bearing-2_m.bdf, Clamp-1_m.bdf, Clamp-2_m.bdf - Surface meshes for

boundary conditions
Those files are located in the example folder <installation path>\simufact\welding\2023.3\examples\Tutori-

al\SolidShells\CAD-Daten\.
As an alternative to importing meshes via the import dialog of the GUI you can also just drag and drop the correspond-
ing files directly into the object catalog of the GUI.
Figure 14.6. Importing with correct length unit- The unit

system originally selected should be used with this option
Simufact Welding will scale it wrongly and interpret incorrectly. As the mesh is purely numbers, there will be no
imported information regarding unit, material or load type. For this tutorial the geometries were prepared in meters,
please select Meter from the Length (unit) list.
This window also has some additional functionalities. Under the tab "Shell import" you have the possibility to deter-
mine as which kind of mesh the geometries should be imported. As you now import surface meshes, select the option
"Surface mesh" so that all surface meshes you selected for the import are being imported as they are and can be used
for tools (clamps, fixings and bearings). You also have the possibility to import a 2D-mesh and expand it into a 3D-
structure and this works especially for sheets. In this case the thickness of the sheet and the number of layers in the
extrusion direction can be entered. It is also possible to define if the solid mesh is to be created from mid surface or
from top or bottom surface. Be careful: even if the mesh is not suitable for the extrusion it is possible to select these
options. However, the resulting 3D-mesh might be not useful in the simulation.
The imported components will appear under Geometries in the Object catalog area.
Now we want to convert these meshes to solid shell meshes. To do so, you can right click on a mesh in the object
catalog and select "Use as solid-shell".
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Figure 14.7. Activating the conversion to solid shells
Using this option opens the component in the 3D-view and allows to redefine the orientation. The orientation should
be selected being normal to the sheet. Usually, Simufact Welding is able to find the best possible direction, but anyway
you have the possibility to change the orientation manually and to swap the direction. Upper and lower faces are
represented by red and blue color. After applying the settings a copy of the mesh is created in the object catalog, the
icon is marked with a thin red line to show that this mesh will be used as solid shell mesh.
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Figure 14.8. Visualization window - Updated with just imported components
Repeat the conversion for the second component (not for the fillet!). Now you can drag and drop these solid shell
meshes to your components.
Doing so, the model view area will update and show the participating components:
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2023.3 Solid shells Defining materials
Figure 14.9. Model view - Updated with just added components

The material library, and therefore material properties, is where all important mechanical and thermal properties of
materials are loaded from. Simufact Welding has an extensive material library, Simufact Material, readily available. In
case of need for a special material type or a customized input by the user, there is fully graphical support for doing so.
More information about the materials can be found in the tutorial chapter Material as well as in further material doc-
umentation in the corresponding infosheets. For the usage of Simufact Material please refer to the relevant documen-
tation which is linked directly in Simufact Material.
To access the material library, do a over Materials in the object catalog area, then select Library:
Figure 14.10. Material library - Opening Simufact Material
In the opening Simufact Material the application area is already selected for Welding. For this tutorial, we will use
S235-SPM_sw for the components and Cu_sw for filler. Select those two materials by holding Ctrl in the filtered
list and close the window with OK.
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Drag and drop S235-SPM_sw onto each component (Sheet-1_SolidShell_m-2 and

Sheet-2_SolidShell_m-2). Do the same and assign the material Cu-sw to the Robot. The robot will use the
assigned material for any assigned or automatically generated fillets and to calculate the temperature which is needed
to establish a "glue" contact.
Simufact Welding allows you to use single-phase and multi-phase material models for phase transfor-
mation calculations of steels. All materials having the -MPM suffix are multi-phase models, their coun-
terpart are -SPM which are single-phase models.
It is important to know the process you are going to simulate well. Phase transformations can have
significant impacts on the results. Be aware that selecting a multi-phase material model will reflect on
the calculation during and after the welding process (cooling), it is not just a final output result. More
details can be found in the respective infosheet Phasentrans_en.pdf which is linked in the Process
parameters > Process definition > Advanced material model right next to the checkbox "Use phase
transformation based on:".
Alternatively the assignment can be done via right mouse click on Process > New components > Assignment assis-
tant. The assistant checks for 3D-meshes in the object catalog and helps you to create components in a particular
process out of them. Compare the figure below.
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(4). In the list (5) you can select components you want the properties to be assigned to.
At this point, make sure your process tree looks exactly the same as the image below:
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2023.3 Solid shells Defining temperature objects
Figure 14.13. Current state of the process tree
stand and get used to this work flow in order to avoid rework.

present but you also might want to change settings or to create new objects.
Within this object you can set the initial temperature of a component or robot the object is assigned to (1). Furthermore,
you can define the convective heat transfer coefficient to the environment (2) via a constant value or via predefined
table. Same can be done to the contact heat transfer coefficient (3). In this case it is also possible to use an automatic
calculation of the contact heat transfer coefficient. The emission coefficient (4) is to be set as a constant value, gov-
erning the radiation heat losses.
For this tutorial we set the Contact heat transfer coefficient to a value of 50.0 W(m²/K).
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2023.3 Solid shells Defining the mechanical boundary
material will be used to determine the contact heat transfer coefficient for the fixation if you use the
automatic calculation. For resistance spot welding processes it will influence the stiffness of the elec-
trodes as well. If no material is assigned to the fixations the material H-13 will be used by default. This
material is a tool steel with a simplified data set of constant thermal and mechanical properties.

tions (tools or fixtures)
In Simufact Welding we consider three main types of boundary conditions: bearings, fixings (subdivided in fixed
geometries and fixed nodes) and clampings. Additionally we consider local joints which are not really a boundary
condition but connect components with each other. The placement and parameters of these boundary conditions are
important optimization parameters for real welding processes.
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Figure 14.15. Types of fixtures - There are five types of fixture available:
Bearing, Fixed geometries, Fixed nodes, Clamping and Local joints
away) from it there is a minimum threshold of 200kPa (configurable) that it should overcome to separate. This
• Fixed nodes - A fixing can be defined by means of fixed nodes, selecting a node set and adding it to a fixing. In
this case it is possible to constrain the nodes in question for each spatial direction separately. It is also possible not
only to define the deactivation time but also an activation time.
• Clamping -This type of fixture is used when there is a need for applying force on the component. It can have a
distortions. Additionally a force vector can be defined working on a clamp. Usually it appears in pairs with Bearings.
It is also possible to handle a clamping as a rigid body with movement by definition of a start and end time of
movement as well as start and end position relative to where the clamp is defined initially (moving clamp). It is
also possible to define a clamp to be glued to the component in contact, so, combined with the moving clamp, it
gives a possibility to model displacement controlled tensile tests, while in combination with forces it makes force
nodes on the component's mesh to have this behavior. Intentionally, spot or tack welds can be simplified as local
joints when the spot welding itself is not the aim of the current welding process.
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Except for Local joints, all other types of fixture can be imported from previously meshed structures or created inside
Simufact Welding.
For this tutorial purpose, we will create four fixtures: two bearings and two clampings to act as holders. We have
already imported needed geometries, so you can just drag and drop them from object catalog to fixtures in the process
tree. As an alternative you can also use the Boundary conditions assignment assistant by right-clicking on process
name and selecting New boundary conditions > Assignment assistant. Here you can select the type of fixture to be
created, filter the existing geometries and assign selected geometries to the process. This is especially helpful if you
create a large number of boundary conditions from already existing geometries.
Figure 14.16. Drag and drop of geometries to the process tree to create fixtures
Figure 14.17. Assignment assistant for boundary conditions
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After adding geometries to boundary conditions, the process tree and the model view should look like shown in the
following figure:
Figure 14.18. Process after adding geometries to fixtures

The two created bearings will support the assembly during and after welding, so they are just sitting there and there is
no need to configure them, we are done there. For clamps we need to define a stiffness and a force for each of them.
Additionally, after a certain period of time, the clamps are deactivated to allow the assembly to deform during cooling,
so we need to make some adjustments to their setup.
Double-click on the first clamp in the process tree and activate the check box controlling the end time. Set the End
time to 25.0 s (1). Set the Clamping definition to "Stiffness & force" (2). Afterwards, set the Translational
stiffness to Constant, 1000.0 N/m (3) and the Force to 100.0 N (4).
Figure 14.19. Configuring the geometry - Many

parameters are available to build the geometry
303
2023.3 Solid shells Creating welding trajectories and
defining a welding process
Additionally you have a lot more possibilities to define the behavior of clamps. The translational stiffness can be
defined as a table with respect to elongation of the attached spring, same can be done with respect to direction relative
to the main axis of the clamp. You can also add rotational stiffness to clamps and define the main axis of the clamp
manually.
After setting up the first clamp, make the same settings for the second one. Confirm the message concerning the
timings of the process.
Figure 14.20. Process time adjustment
14.7. Creating welding trajectories and defining

a welding process
In this tutorial chapter we will define a weld path, a heat source and assign a filler.
14.7.1. Definition of a trajectory

A trajectory object can be defined by right-clicking on Trajectories in the object catalog and selecting "New weld
line".
Figure 14.21. Definition of a weld line
If you have already prepared trajectories, they can also be imported.
After selecting the "New weld line" function the following window will appear:
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2023.3 Solid shells Definition of a trajectory
Figure 14.22. Weld line settings
From this window you could select the nodes describing the trajectory, but we want to place them directly on fillet,
so now we just add the empty trajectory in the object catalog and assign it to the Robot in the process tree.
Figure 14.23. Assignment of a trajectory to a robot
Now you can assign the filler from the object catalog to the Trajectory under Robot in the process tree. The filler
then also appears in the model view.
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Figure 14.24. Assignment of a fillet to a trajectory

Now you can double-click on the Trajectory in the process tree and select nodes on the fillet to be start and end
point of the trajectory.
Click on "Select nodes" button in the trajectory dialog:
Figure 14.25. Activation of node selection

A window appears allowing the selection of nodes. This window allows the full interactivity with the model view.
Turn on the visibility of the mesh, scroll to each end of the fillet and select the middle node on the surface of the fillet:
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Figure 14.26. Creating trajectories - Selection of nodes
Close the selection window with OK. The orientation should be set to Global vector and oriented along the principal
x axis. Closing this window basically finishes the definition of trajectory.
Figure 14.27. Trajectory window after the selection of start and end point
14.7.1.1. Welding parameters and heat source

Welding parameters and heat source geometry are configured in a separate object. This object is later assigned to any
number of trajectories so to reflect any changes by modifying the origin object in the Object catalog. This can be
understood as the user is making use of the same welding process for different trajectories.
To create a new welding parameter object, on Welding-parameters in the object catalog then select "New heat
source parameter".
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Figure 14.28. Welding parameter - Creating a new welding parameter

the option to choose between Transient (indirect power), Transient (direct power) and Thermal cycle. Transient
means that we have an unstationary heat source which moves along its defined weld paths. The difference between
indirect and direct power is the definition of the electrical values. For indirect power you will have to provide values
for the electrical current as well as the electrical voltage. For this tutorial we will use the direct power method and
for that we should provide a Power value. For information about the Thermal cycle mode please refer to the linked
infosheet WeldingParameter_en.pdf in this dialog. Input the following parameters:
• Velocity: 10.0 mm/s
• Power value: 2000.0 W
• Efficiency: 0.35
• Activate downramping: checked box
The Use up- and downramping option can be used to configure your heat source more detailed and is only available
for the Transient (direct power) mode.
Figure 14.29. Welding parameters - Velocity, power, ramping, efficiency
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(arc welding) or a highly focused laser heat source. For the purpose of this tutorial please select Laser, which is a
double cylinder model, a good approach for most beam welding processes.
The parameters (dimension) of the heat source are configured so to match the real heat source geometry of a weld-
ing process which can be obtained from a macrographic test of a weld bead cross-section. Nonetheless, Simufact
Welding provides approximation formulas for designing new welding processes based on expected weld bead for-
mation. These formulas are to be found in the infosheet WeldingParameters_en.pdf that is linked in this
dialog window.
For this tutorial these are the values to be inputted:
• Conical heat source upper radius ru: 0.75 mm
• Conical heat source lower radius rl: 0.3 mm
• Conical heat source depth d: 2.0 mm
• Volume heat fraction: 1.0
• Disc radius r: 0.01 mm
• Surface depth: 0.01 mm
Figure 14.30. Heat source for welding - Configuring the heat source dimension
as None.
nated. This is for information only and has no influence on the simulations.
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Figure 14.32. General properties - Description of the welding process
After configuring the welding parameter object as described above, just click OK. The new object will appear under
Welding-parameters in the object catalog and can be assigned to the trajectory in the process tree via drag and drop.
If you have several trajectories to be assigned, you can also drag and drop the welding parameter to the robot directly.
Figure 14.33. Assignment of welding parameters to the trajectory
310
2023.3 Solid shells Configuring the robot and defining the
weld beads
14.8. Configuring the robot and defining the

weld beads
We have basically added all needed information to define the process. We just need to reorient the heat source to
be normal to the surface of the fillet. Double-click on the robot in the process tree and go to the tab Trajectories.
Here you can orient the heat source by activating the check box Orientation and selecting Component center. Set a
Rotation angle of -9.0° and a small Offset of -0.1 mm. Also activate the Projection on surface checkbox.
Figure 14.34. Orientation of trajectories
Close the window with OK, we are done here.

There are some settings the user should configure in order to change the way the simulation will be handled. To access
In the second tab Parallelization the user has the option to turn on multiprocessing capabilities and a technology
called Domain Decomposition Method (DDM). These options will help to speed-up the simulation therefore reducing
wall-time getting results faster. Besides that, each core has to have a license to run the solver thread.
Check the box Parallelization and configure as:
• Method: Recursive coordinate bisection
• Shared memory parallelization - Number of cores: 2
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2023.3 Solid shells Running the model
Then go to the tab Time control, set the Analysis end time to 300.0 s to allow cooling and the time stepping
method to Adaptive to control convergence.
Close the window with OK.

Now we are done with process settings, please save the project and then click on the green arrow on the analysis
control tool bar to start the simulation.
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2023.3 Solid shells Running the model
Figure 14.37. Save and start the simulation!

Figure 14.38. Successful completion - After a successful

completion of calculation, the control tool bar shows 100% done
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2023.3
Laser Metal Deposition as multilayer

15 simulation
2023.3 Laser Metal Deposition Process definition in Simufact Weld-
as multilayer simulation ing
Figure 15.1. Example of LMD process
Keywords
Laser Metal Deposition, LMD, 3D, Multilayer welding
Educational basics
This chapter will teach you the model setup of a laser metal deposition (LMD) process. Contrary to the model setup
with the dedicated DED process type, this modelling approach shows the setup of a LMD simulation as a 'simple'
multilayer laser welding model using traditional welding simulation approaches. It considers each weld seam and
layer as an individual body that interacts with adjacent parts via contact formulation. It can also be interpreted as the
'old fashioned' way of setting up LMD models. It still fits for comparatively small models and test cases. A laser heat
source will be used to melt up a metallic material and to deposit it in layers on a metal sheet. In total 11 layers will
be deposited and between the single layers there will be a pause time for cooling of the components. A fixing will be
used to restrain all degrees of freedom of the sheet.
Prerequisites
15.1. Process definition in Simufact Welding

This chapter will show how to set up and run a LMD process in Simufact Welding. The example process consists of
a 3D process where a structure is created on a base plate. One fixing is used to hold the base plate in position.
At first a new project has to be created containing a new process according to the figure below:
Select a proper directory and change the process name to a meaningful name like LMD.
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As the LMD process is a laser based process, please select the process type Laser beam welding. For the process
we need one component, one fixed geometry and one robot.
Figure 15.3. Defining a new process of process type Laser beam welding
Now you can rename the created process to "LMD". Then we need to import the geometry for the base plate. The
CAD files are located within the project folder of the shipped LMD project. Right click on Geometries and select
Import CAD (Surface mesh).
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Figure 15.4. Import geometries
The geometries are located in <installation path>\simufact\welding\<version>\examples\Tutorial\LaserMetalDeposi-

tion\CAD-Data\. Select the file plate-mm.bdf. As this file is based on mm unit system, please select Millime-
ter for the length unit in the import dialog.
Figure 15.5. Select the import unit system
Drag&drop the plate on the component. The process tree should now look like following.
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Figure 15.6. Process tree after assigning the base plate
After the base plate is attached to the process, please import the geometry for the fixing. This geometry is based on
meter unit system. Please make sure that the correct unit system is selected for import and also activate the checkbox
Import geometries as surface meshes.
Figure 15.7. Select import unit system
Drag&drop the fixing geometry on the fixing in the process tree. The process tree should now look like this.
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Figure 15.8. Process tree after assigning the fixing geometry
Now we need a material for the base plate and the robot. Simufact Welding offers a large number of materials that can
be used. To enter the material database, please right click on Materials and select Library.
Figure 15.9. Importing a material from Simufact Material
For this example the material TiAl6V4-SPM_sw should be used. Please select this material and confirm the dialog
by clicking OK .
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Figure 15.10. Selecting the desired material in the database
Assign the material using drag&drop to the base plate and the robot. The process tree should now look like following.
Figure 15.11. Process tree after assigning the material
Now the trajectories have to be created. They can either be created manually or imported via CSV file. As this exam-
ple consists of eleven trajectories, the import function is used. The CSV files are also shipped with the example of
this tutorial and are located in <installation path>\simufact\welding\<version>\examples\Tutorial\LaserMetalDeposi-
tion\Trajectories\. Right click on Trajectories and select Import.
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Figure 15.12. Import the trajectories from CSV
Select all trajectories and click Open. In the following import window make sure to select 'dot' as decimal separator
and check the unit of the coordinates. To do so, click on the x, y and z coordinate row and make sure the unit is in
Meter [m]. To apply these setting for each of the 11 trajectory files, click on Apply to all.
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Figure 15.13. Select the unit system for trajectory import

After the trajectories are imported, they need to be configured. Right click on the first trajectory and select Configure
in the context menu.
Figure 15.14. Open configuration dialog of trajectory

The configuration dialog opens. In this dialog the global orientation vector for the trajectory needs to be 0 / 0 /
1. Change the orientation vector and confirm the dialog by pressing OK .
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Figure 15.15. Configure the trajectory
The changes do not need to be done for every trajectory. Instead the Parameter transfer can be used. Right click on
the first trajectory with the changed orientation vector and select Parameter transfer.
Figure 15.16. Open the parameter transfer for trajectories
The parameter transfer dialog opens. The reference trajectory is already pre-selected. Activate the checkbox Geometry
- global orientation and All trajectories.
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Figure 15.17. Transfer the settings from first trajectory to remaining trajectories
After confirming this dialog by pressing OK , the changes made in the first trajectory are applied to the remaining
trajectories. Now assign the trajectories to the robot by drag and drop them onto the robot. Alternatively, you can also
use the robot assignment wizard. The complete project should now look like following.
Figure 15.18. Process after assigning the trajectories
Every trajectory needs a geometry assigned. The trajectory geometries for this example are stored in BDF files and
simply need to be imported. Right click on Geometries and select Library to import all trajectory geometries. Select
all geometries named filler*_m.bdf from .../tutorial/LMD.
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Figure 15.19. Import of trajectory geometries
Make sure the unit system Meter is selected and activate the checkbox Use units for all meshes.
Figure 15.20. Select the unit system for import
After the import is completed, assign the geometries to the corresponding trajectories in the process tree by drag and
drop. Alternatively, the robot assignment wizard can be used. The process tree should look like following after all
geometries are assigned correctly.
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Figure 15.21. Process tree after assigning all geometries to trajectories
As a last item the heat source has to be defined. Right click on Welding-parameters and select New heat source
parameter.
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Figure 15.22. Creating a new heat source
A new dialog appears that let us define the heat source parameters and geometries. Switch to the second page of the
dialog to define the welding parameters. Define the parameters as described in the figure below. The parameters are
typical parameters for an LMD job using Titanium.
Figure 15.23. Heat source - welding parameters
After this we have to define the geometry of the heat source. Switch to the third page. Select the Laser heat source
from the dropdown menu and enter the values as given below.
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Figure 15.24. Heat source - heat source parameters
If the heat source is defined properly, drag&drop the heat source object directly on the robot in the process tree. A
message appears which asks you if the heat source object should be assigned to every single trajectory respectively.
This dialog needs to be confirmed by pressing Assign .
Figure 15.25. Assigning the heat source to all trajectories
The complete project should now look like this.
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Figure 15.26. Process after assigning the heat source
Now we need to define a proper timing for the trajectories in the robot dialog. Open the robot dialog by double clicking
on the robot. A new dialog appears. On the first page the trajectory timing can be entered. Until now every trajectory
starts right after the previous trajectory has finished. This is not correct for this type of process. Please enter a Pause
(end) time of 25 s for every trajectory. This means that between the end of first trajectory and the start of second
trajectory a cooling period of 25 s will be simulated.
Figure 15.27. Configure the trajectory timing
After confirming this dialog by pressing OK , the following question appears. Answer this question by clicking Yes .
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Figure 15.28. Confirming new analysis end time

The last object that needs to be defined is the process parameters object. Double click on the process parameters object
to open the process settings. On the first page that contains the general settings, no changes have to be made.
Figure 15.29. Process parameters - General settings

On the next page the parallelization settings can be defined. For a shorter simulation time we activate the parallelization
and select Number of domains: 4 and Number of cores: 2.
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The third page contains the time control of the process. The simulation should end at the latest after 2000 s. Please
enter this number in Analysis end time. Additionally we will define a temperature dependent termination criterion.
Also set the method for Time steps during welding to Adaptive and the Mechanical solution every n-th incre-
ment for welding to 3. This will perform a mechanical solution only for every third increment. It will speed up the
simulation but we will miss some accuracy. Also switch the time stepping method during welding to adaptive.
Please go to tab Advanced - Contact and deactivate the High-end contact separation and set the Search order for
component contact to Based on body ID. This allows separation of nodes only in the following time step. As we do
not have any touching contact and thus no separation in the simulation but only glue contact, this option is not needed.
By turning it of the solver can save a few cycles per increment and finish faster.
Figure 15.32. Process parameters - Advanced - Contact
Please go to tab Advanced - Cooling step size control and set the Largest ratio between time steps to a value of
10.0 to allow higher time steps and, hence, reduce the number of increments needed to calculate the 25s pause time
after each layer.
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Figure 15.33. Process parameters - Advanced - Cooling step size
Now the dialog for process parameter can be confirmed by pressing OK . Please add a Termination criteria. This way,
the simulation does not have to finish the entire 2000s of analysis time because there isn't much happening anymore
after the deposit has cooled down.
Figure 15.34. Add termination criteria
Add Termination criteria for the maximum temperature in the process tree and select the global termination criterion
to "Maximum temperature" and check the load case cooling. Check the box "last load case" and set the Temperature
value to 25.0 °C. With this option the simulation will terminate when a temperature of 25.0 °C is reached after
the last layer has been deposited.
332
2023.3 Laser Metal Deposition Post processing
as multilayer simulation
Figure 15.35. Termination criterion settings

Now the dialog for the termination criterion can be confirmed by pressing OK . The simulation is ready to run. Start
the simulation by pressing the Start analysis button in the tool bar.
15.2. Post processing

Laser metal deposition process can be post processed like every other process in Simufact Welding.
Figure 15.36. Temperature distribution of laser metal deposition process
333
2023.3
16 Postprocessing
2023.3 Postprocessing Result view
Keywords
BDF, Export, Particles, Result management, Result values, Result view, STL, THS plot, UNV, Welding monitor
Educational Objectives
This chapter will teach you how to analyze a successfully simulated model. Therefore, the "Singlefillet" model from
Simufact Demos will be used. Furthermore, this chapter decribes how to set up and to use particles, welding monitor,
THS plots, result management and the export of data.
Prerequisites
Basic computer skills, Basic process understanding, Quickstart
16.1. Result view
This chapter shows how to view results of a successfully simulated model in Simufact Welding. The results of a
process can be analyzed when a simulation successfully finished or also during a simulation. The figure below shows
the status bar of a successfully finished simulation:
Figure 16.1. Status bar of a completed simulation

After completion or during a simulation, there will be the entry in the process tree, see figure below:
Figure 16.2. Process tree with Results as entry
335
2023.3 Postprocessing Result view
For viewing the results, please double-click on , or right-click on it and then select View, or right-click on the
process name and select Result view:
Simufact Welding supports more than one result view for each process. This means you can open as
many result views as you want for a single process.
Figure 16.3. Selecting result view by right mouse-click on Results or on the process name
After selecting View or Result view your Simufact Welding interface should looks like shown in the figure below:
Figure 16.4. Simufact Welding interface with Result view
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2023.3 Postprocessing Main tool bar
In following, the Simufact Welding interface will be divided into six different areas to explain the single buttons and
their features, step by step. Furthermore in this chapter, only the important buttons for analyzing the results will be
explained in detail.
1. Main tool bar
2. Color legend
3. Process information
4. Control bar (for detailed information please consult infosheet: <installation path>\simufact\welding\2023.3\doc
\InfoSheets\JobControlToolbar_en.pdf)
5. View toolbar (for detailed information please consult infosheet: <installation path>\simufact\welding\2023.3\doc
\InfoSheets\ViewandAnimationControl_en.pdf)
6. Miscellaneous buttons
The basics about Simufact Welding GUI and general buttons and their features are provided in the chapter
of this tutorial Introducing Simufact Welding.
Figure 16.5. Simufact Welding interface with Result view - divided into six areas
16.1.1. Main tool bar

The table below contains buttons and their short description of the first area (1) Main tool bar.
(1) Main tool bar

Button Description Button Description
Show view elements - tool collection to Display mode - Shading - Activates or deacti-
control view items (please consult infosheet: vates surfaces of simulation model
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2023.3 Postprocessing Main tool bar
(1) Main tool bar

'ViewandAnimationControl_en.pdf' for more de-
tails)
Symmetry plane - Activates or deactivates the Display mode - Outline - Activates or deactivates
symmetry planes in model view contour of simulation model
Visible trajectory parts - Activates or deactivates Display mode - Mesh - Activates or deactivates
the weld path orientation and/or path points in meshes of simulation model
model view (only if trajectories exist)
Particles - Activates or deactivates the particles Display mode - Wireframe - Activates or deacti-
in model view (only if particles exist) vates wireframes of simulation model
Clamp force direction - Activates or deactivates Display mode - Transparent - Activates or deac-
the clamp force direction in model view (only if tivates transparent simulation model
clamps exist)
Measuring tool - Tool to measure distances, an- Virtual lights - Activates or deactivates virtual
gles and radii lights on simulation model
Query - Tool to measure result value (e.g. tem- Visible process components - Activates or deac-
perature) on specific position in model view tivates initial model and/or boundary conditions
in result view
Clipping tool - Tool to cut simulation model Displacement scaling factor - overscale and un-
(multiple cut planes are possible) derscale mesh deformation in the result view
Switch to turn on individual view settings only Use local system - If result transformation is per-
for initial model (only applicable if initial model formed, use this button to switch between local
is activated) coordinate systems
Expand symmetrical results - If a symmetry
plane exists in the model, use this button to mir-
ror the results across the symmetry plane (repre-
sented as a symmetrical full model)
Visible trajectory parts

This function is only available when a model view is active. With this function you can activate or deactivate the
visualization of weld path orientation and/or path points. You can also change the Point size and/or Line width of a
weld path by on a trajectory and selecting Display properties (as shown in the figure below). Then you can use the
scroll bar to modify the point size and/or line width. Alternatively you can define values to specify these parameters by
right-clicking on the corresponding trajectory in the object catalog or in the process tree and selecting Change model
attributes in the context menu. Furthermore, you can also change the color of point, line and orientation (arrow).
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2023.3 Postprocessing Color legend & Process information
Figure 16.6. Change the point size and the line width of welding path
Figure 16.7. Specify the display properties of welding path in the Model attributes window
16.1.2. Color legend & Process information

Basically, the color legend visualizes the result value in the result view, which is standardly divided into 12 color
areas. If you open the result view then the result value Temperature will be displayed as default in Simufact Welding.
Therefore, the color range will be from room temperature to melting temperature of the used material. In our example,
the room temperature is set to 20°C and the melting temperature of S235-SPM_sw is 1517.14°C, so the color
range is from 20°C to 1517.14°C.
The process information contains pieces of information of the current result view, which are the current Loadcase,
Process time, the current number of Increment and the name of a geometry, if the mouse is pointed on any geometry
in the result view.
You can open and change the result value in the Drop-Down-menu in the color legend by holding the mouse over
the color legends headline:
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Figure 16.8. Selecting result value from the Color legend drop down menu
The following result values are available in Simufact Welding. The result values are grouped in specific sections where
some of these result values are only available when phase transformation is activated or the process type resistance
spot welding has been chosen. The following list contains all result values in Simufact Welding:
The unit of each result value depends on the unit system which the user has chosen or defined. The unit
system or the unit for single dimension can be changed in Extras > Settings... > Units/Unit system.
• Standard
• Contact
• Temperature (Default)
• Peak temperature
• Total displacement
• Equivalent stress
• Global
• Geometry
• Domain ID
• Element error
• Thermal
• Temperature
• Peak temperature
• Power (external)
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• Heat flux
• X, Y, Z heat flux
• Film heat flux
• X, Y, Z temperature gradient
• Temperature gradient
• Displacements
• Total displacement
• X, Y, Z displacement
• Total displacement normal direction
• Area change
• Strains
• Equivalent elastic strain
• Effective plastic strain
• Effective plastic strain rate
• Stresses
• Equivalent stress
• Flow stress
• Maximum principal stress
• Intermediate principal stress
• Minimum principal stress
• Mean normal stress
• Contact normal stress
• Stress vector
• X, Y, Z normal stress
• XY, YZ, ZX shear stress
• Triaxiality
• Contact properties
• Contact
• Contact heat transfer coefficient
• Glue
• Phase transformation (only available when phase transformation is activated)
• Major phase index
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• Volume fraction of ...ferrite, bainite, pearlite, martensite, austenite
• Hardness
• Proof stress
• Tensile stress
• T85 cooling rate
• T85 cooling time
• Temperature rate
• Alloying elements
• Al, B, C, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, N, Ni, P, S, Si, Ta, Ti, C, W mass portion
• Electrical (Only for resistance spot welding)
• Electrical potential
• Electric current density
• Electric-thermal energy density
• Electrical contact conductivity
A more detailed description of the result values will be given in the next sections.
Depending on which result value has been selected, the color legend adjusts itself. For example, the color legend for
contact status is different to temperature. The color legend can also be modified. Please refer to the respective infosheet
ColorLegendsProperties_en.pdf for further information about color legend properties.
Non-Scalar results such as Total displacement can also be displayed as vector results. This is indicated by arrow
signs in the drop down menu. To activate vector results choose the respective result value from the drop down menu
and check the Show vector results option from the context menu of the color legend. Once the vector results are
displayed, additional option Vector settings will appear in the context menu.
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Figure 16.9. Vector results for non-scalar results
With the result scaling entry in the main tool bar the ☺results can be scaled, e.g. use a scaling factor 10.
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2023.3 Postprocessing Miscellaneous buttons
Figure 16.10. Scaling total displacement in result view
16.1.3. Miscellaneous buttons

There are few miscellaneous buttons in Simufact Welding which can be used after the simulation process in the result
view. The result view is also available during the simulation analysis or when the simulation process is not finished
(e.g. when the user stopped the simulation analysis). During the analysis which is not finished you can already open
the result view (only if results exist) and refresh the results (if new results exist) by clicking on in the right side of
the control bar (if there is no new results, the refresh button will be greyed out ). So you can update your results to
check the status of the simulation where you can decide if you want to simulate until the end or to stop the analysis
immediately (e.g. if the heat source is not created in preprocessor correctly).
Another button is the view settings . It opens a drop-down menu that allows to switch Increment description based
on Time or Increment for both the scroll bar and the drop down selector. In case of playing an animation (forwards and
backwards) it is possible to change the Animation speed by setting a Time delay in [ms] between single increments
with a slider and the user can also activate the Auto repeat function repeating the whole animation in a loop. With the
option Center automatically, the model is centered when pushing the animation button.
You can activate the info text of the active trajectory with and to show the heat source in result view with which
is shown in figure below:
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2023.3 Postprocessing Result values
Figure 16.11. Show active trajectory info text and active heat source
16.1.4. Result values

This chapter describes the result values of the simulation to better qualify the user to interpret the simulation results.
First the available result values are summarized in a general view which is structured in a similar way as the result
selection in all Simufact products. That followed, the result values are described in detail, often also explaining more
the underlying theory.
The available result values vary depending on the used software or/and the process and simulation set-
tings (FE- or FV-solver, sheet or massive metal forming process, consideration of optional physical
properties (anisotropy, rolling direction, sheet thickness, etc.)). Also some optional result values have to
be activated manually prior to the simulation start.
16.1.4.1. Overview of the available result values

In the following tables we have used abbreviations for the Simufact products:
SF: Simufact Forming
SW: Simufact Welding
SA: Simufact Additive
If the respective box is checked means that the result value is available in the specified software.
The Standard category lists the most commonly used result values for each process types. These result values can
normally also be found in another category. The following results are only included in the Standard category.
Table 16.1. Standard

English name German name Standard unit SF SW SA
Flow defects Materialfließfehler - X X
Flow defects zones Materialfließfehler (Zonen) - X
Thinning Ausdünnung % X
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AM-Layer z-Displacement AM z-Schichtverschiebung mm X
Table 16.2. Global

Geometry Geometrie - X X X
Domain ID Domain ID - X X X
Thickness Dicke mm X
Forming limit parameter (true) Grenzformänderungsparameter - X
(wahr)
Forming limit parameter (engi- Grenzformänderungsparameter - X
neering) (technisch)
Forming limit diagram Grenzformänderungsdiagramm - X
Normal distance to die Senkrechter Abstand zum mm X
Werkzeug
Element error Elementfehler - X X
Element density Elementdichte - X
Rolling direction Walzrichtung - X
Yield stress Streckgrenze MPa X
Flow stress Fließspannung MPa X
External pressure Externer Druck MPa X
Possible fold/lap Mögliche Faltenbildung - X
Possible lubricant pockets Mögliche Schmiertaschen - X
Expulsion Expulsion - X
Volume fraction Volumenanteil - X
Relative density Relative Dichte - X
Grain size in m-6 Korngröße in m-6 µm X
Table 16.3. Manufacturing issue

Recoater contact Beschichterkontakt - X
Possible failure (stress based) Mögliches Versagen (span- - X
nungsabhängig)
Possible failure (strain based) Mögliches Versagen - X
(dehnungsabhängig)
Layer offset intensity Intensität des Schichtversatzes - X
Cold and hot spots Kalte und heiße Stellen °C X
Table 16.4. Support optimization

Total optimized fraction Gesamtoptimierter Anteil - X
Tension-optimized fraction Zugpannungsoptimierter Anteil - X
Compression-optimized fraction Druckspannungsoptimierter An- - X
teil
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Shear-optimized fraction Scherspannungoptimierter Anteil - X
Table 16.5. Thermal

Temperature Temperatur °C X X X
Peak temperature Spitzentemperatur °C X X X
Heat flux Wärmefluss W/m² X X X
X/Y/Z temperature gradient X/Y/Z Temperaturgradient K/m X X X
Temperature gradient Temperaturgradient K/m X X X
X/Y/Z heat flux X/Y/Z Wärmefluss W/m² X X
Film heat flux Oberflächenwärmefluss W/m² X X X
Power (external) Leistung (extern) W X X
Thermal boundary conditions Thermische Randbedingungen - X
Temperature rate Temperaturrate 1/s X
Table 16.6. Displacements

Total displacement Gesamtverzug mm X X X
X/Y/Z displacement X/Y/Z Verzug mm X X X
Axial displacement Axialverschiebung mm X
Radial displacement Radialverschiebung mm X
Tangential displacement Tangentialverschiebung mm X
X/Y/Z velocity X/Y/Z Geschwindigkeit mm/s X
Radial velocity Radialgeschwindigkeit mm/s X
Tangential velocity Tangentialgeschwindigkeit mm/s X
Material flow Materialfluss mm/s X
Surface deviation Formabweichung mm X
Total displacement normal direc- Gesamtverschiebung in Nor- mm X X X
tion malenrichtung
Area change Flächenänderung % X X
Table 16.7. Strains

Major strain (engineering) Hauptformänderung (technisch) - X
Minor strain (engineering) Nebenformänderung (technisch) - X
Major strain (true) Hauptformänderung (wahr) - X
Minor strain (true) Nebenformänderung (wahr) - X
Mid layer major strain (engineer- Hauptformänderung Mit- - X
ing) telschicht (technisch)
Mid layer minor strain (engineer- Nebenformänderung Mit- - X
ing) telschicht (technisch)
Mid layer major strain (true) Hauptformänderung Mit- - X
telschicht (wahr)
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Mid layer minor strain (true) Nebenformänderung Mit- - X
telschicht (wahr)
Thickness strain (engineering) Dickendehnung (technisch) - X
Thickness strain (true) Dickendehnung (wahr) - X
Accumulated plastic strain Akkumulierter Umformgrad - X
Equivalent elastic strain Elastische Vergleichsdehnung - X X X
Effective plastic strain Umformgrad - X X X
Equivalent total strain Gesamtdehnung - X X X
Effective plastic strain rate Effektive plastische Dehnrate 1/s X X X
X/Y/Z thermal strain X/Y/Z thermische Dehnungen - X X X
Maximum principle total strain Maximale Hauptdehnung - X X X
Maximum principle elastic strain Maximale elastische Haupt- - X X X
dehnung
Maximum principle plastic strain Maximale plastische Haupt- - X X X
dehnung
Intermediate principle total strain Mittlere Hauptdehnung - X X X
Intermediate principle elastic Mittlere elastische Haupt- - X X X
strain dehnung
Intermediate principle plastic Mittlere plastische Haupt- - X X X
strain dehnung
Minimum principle total strain Minimale Hauptdehnung - X X X
Minimum principle elastic strain Minimale elastische Haupt- - X X X
dehnung
Minimum principle plastic strain Minimale plastische Haupt- - X X X
dehnung'
X/Y/Z total strain X/Y/Z Gesamtdehnung - X X X
X/Y/Z elastic strain X/Y/Z elastische Dehnung - X X X
X/Y/Z plastic strain X/Y/Z plastische Dehnung - X X X
XY/YZ/ZX total strain XY/YZ/ZX Gesamtdehnung - X X X
XY/YZ/ZX elastic strain XY/YZ/ZX elastische Dehnung - X X X
XY/YZ/ZX plastic strain XY/YZ/ZX plastische Dehnung - X X X
Radial total strain Radiale Gesamtdehnung - X
Radial elastic strain Radiale elastische Dehnung - X
Radial plastic strain Radiale plastische Dehnung - X
Axial total strain Axiale Gesamtdehnung - X
Axial elastic strain Axiale elastische Dehnung - X
Axial plastic strain Axiale plastische Dehnung - X
Tangential total strain Tangentiale Gesamtdehnung - X
Tangential elastic strain Tangentiale elastische Dehnung - X
Tangential plastic strain Tangentiale plastische Dehnung - X
Creep strain Kriechdehnung - X X
Strain rate vector Dehnratenvektor - X
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Table 16.8. Stresses

Equivalent stress Vergleichsspannung MPa X X X
Maximum principal stress Maximale Hauptspannung MPa X X X
Intermediate principal stress Mittlere Hauptspannung MPa X X X
Minimum principal stress Minimale Hauptspannung MPa X X X
Mean normal stress Mittlere Normalspannung MPa X X X
Triaxiality Triaxialität - X X X
Stress vector Spannungsvektor MPa X X X
X/Y/Z stress X/Y/Z Spannung MPa X X X
XY/YZ/ZX shear stress XY/YZ/ZX Schubspannung MPa X X X
Axial stress Axialspannung MPa X
Radial stress Radialspannung MPa X
Tangential stress Tangentialspannung MPa X
Friction ratio Reibverhältnis - X
Friction stress Reibspannung MPa X
X/Y/Z friction stress X/Y/Z Reibspannung MPa X
Radial friction stress Radiale Reibspannung MPa X
Tangential friction stress Tangentiale Reibspannung MPa X
Contact normal stress Kontaktnormalspannung MPa X
Yield stress Streckgrenze MPa X
Flow stress Fließspannung MPa X X X
Contact pressure Kontaktdruck MPa X
X/Y/Z contact pressure X/Y/Z Kontaktdruck MPa X
Radial contact pressure Radialer Kontaktdruck MPa X
Tangential contact pressure Tangentialer Kontaktdruck MPa X
X/Y/Z nodal reaction force X/Y/Z Knotenreaktionskraft N X X X
X/Y/Z force X/Y/Z Kraft N X
Radial force Radialkraft N X
Tangential force Tangentialkraft N X
Force vector Kraftvektor N X
Sinter stress Sinternspannung MPa X
Table 16.9. Phase transformation

Major phase index Hauptphasenindex - X X X
Volume fraction of Ferrite Volumenanteil Ferrit % X X X
Volume fraction of Bainite Volumenanteil Bainit % X X X
Volume fraction of Pearlite Volumenanteil Perlit % X X X
Volume fraction of Martensite Volumenanteil Martensit % X X X
Volume fraction of Austenite Volumenanteil Austenit % X X X
Hardness Härte HV X X
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Proof stress Dehngrenze MPa X X X
Tensile stress Zugfestigkeit MPa X X X
T85 cooling rate T85 Abkühlrate K/s X X X
T85 cooling time T85 Abkühlzeit s X X X
Temperature rate Temperaturrate K/s X X X
Table 16.10. Electromagnetic

Electric current density Elektrische Stromdichte A/m X X
Electrical potential Elektrisches Potential V X X
Electric-thermal energy density Elektrisch-thermische En- J/m³ X X
ergiedichte
Electrical contact conductivity Spezifische elektrische Kontak- 1/(Ohm*m²) X X
tleitfähigkeit
External electric current Externer elektrischer Strom A X
Magnetic potential Magnetisches Potential A X
X/Y/Z current density (real com- X/Y/Z elektrische Stromdichte A/m² X
ponent) (Realteil)
X/Y/Z electric field intensity (re- X/Y/Z elektrische Feldstärke V/m X
al component) (Realteil)
X/Y/Z magnetic field intensity X/Y/Z magnetische Feldstärke A/m X
(real component) (Realteil)
X/Y/Z magnetic induction (real X/Y/Z magnetische Induktion T X
component) (Realteil)
Magnetic permeability Magnetische Permeabilität (V*s)/(A*m) X
Relative magnetic permeability Relative magnetische Permeabil- - X
ität
Table 16.11. Damage

Absolute (Lemaitre) Absolut (Lemaitre) - X
Relative (Lemaitre) Relativ (Lemaitre) - X
Damage Schädigung - X
Lode angle parameter Lode-Winkel Parameter - X
Fracture strain Bruchdehnung - X
Lode angle parameter (averaged) Lode-Winkel Parameter (gemit- - X
telt)
Triaxiality (averaged) Triaxialität (gemittelt) - X
Table 16.12. Die wear

Die wear Verschleiß mm X
Relative sliding velocity Relative Gleitgeschwindigkeit mm/sec X
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Table 16.13. Die life

Life in repeats Lebensdauer in Wiederholungen - X
Life in equivalent units Lebensdauer in gleichwertigen - X
Einheiten
Fatigue damage Ermüdungsschädigung - X
Minimum true stress Minimale wahre Spannung MPa X
Maximum true stress Maximale wahre Spannung MPa X
Minimum total strain Minimale gesamte Haupt- - X
dehnung
Maximum total strain Maximale gesamte Haupt- - X
dehnung
Table 16.14. Microstructure

Grain size in m-6 Korngröße in m-6 µm X
ASTM grain size number Korngröße (ASTM) - X
Residual strain after softening Umformgrad nach Entfestigung - X
Fraction of dyn. recryst. (%) Anteil der dyn. Rekrist. (%) % X
Fraction of static recryst. (%) Anteil der statischen Rekrist. (%) % X
Fraction of total recryst. (%) Anteil der gesamten Rekrist. (%) % X
Dyn. recryst. grain size Korngröße nach dyn. Rekrist. µm X
Stat. recryst. grain size Korngröße nach stat. Rekrist. µm X
Accumul. fract. of recryst. (%) Gesamt-Rekristallisation (%) % X
Initial grain size Anfangskorngröße µm X
Table 16.15. Alloying elements

Mass portion Massenanteil % X X
Table 16.16. Diffusion

Concentration gradient Konzentrationsgradient wt%/m X
Mass flux Massenfluss kg/(s*m²) X
Table 16.17. Loads

External pressure Externer Druck MPa X
Table 16.18. Contact properties

Contact Kontakt - X X X
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Contact heat transfer coefficient Kontakt Wärmeübergangskoef- W/(m²*K) X X X
fizient
Glue Haften - X X X
X/Y/Z nodal reaction force X/Y/Z Knotenreaktionskraft N X
16.1.4.2. Description of the result values

In this chapter, the essential result values are described. Result values can be available as scalar values, vectors or both.
Please note, that vector results are only available for Simufact Forming. For more information about vector values,
please have a look at the end of this chapter.
In the Simufact GUI the result values always get displayed at the element nodes. For element result
values, the results get moved from the integration points onto the element nodes, where they are aver-
aged. Post particle result values are calculated by the GUI. This means that these results are identical
to the contour plot. Particle results get calculated by the solver which extrapolates the results from the
integration points to the element nodes. This way areas of singularities can be displayed better. For this
reason, the results can vary between particle and post particle/ contour plot results.
16.1.4.2.1. Standard
Every software has a slight different Standard section in which the most used revelant result values are displayed. For
the respective information, please have a look into the other sections.
16.1.4.2.1.1. Flow defects
Shows possible flow defects (piping). For this the plastic strain resp. the plastic strain tensor in normal direction
(normal out of the surface of the workpiece) is evaluated. If it points outwards, it can be a indication for possible piping.
16.1.4.2.1.2. Flow defects zones
Shows the risk for flow defects (piping) using three zones: High risk of flow defects (red), Tendency to flow defects
(yellow) and no flow defects (green).
16.1.4.2.1.3. Thinning
This result value is available, if the result value thickness is activated in the forming control and shows the thinning
of the workpiece in percent. It is calculated with the initial thickness with . The initial sheet thickness is
given in the geometry information of the workpiece and can be determined automatically (with the bounding box of
the workpiece in z-direction) or entered manually. It is only available for the FE-solver.
16.1.4.2.1.4. AM-Layer z-displacement
This result value shows the displacement of each single voxel layer. The displacement is accumulated for one layer,
starting when the layer is activated until the next layer begins. Each layer starts with a value of zero.
16.1.4.2.2. Global
16.1.4.2.2.1. Geometry
This result value displays all geometries without any specific result value.
16.1.4.2.2.2. Domain ID
Shows the decomposition of the single domains, if the DDM method is activated. This result value is discontinuous
and therefore displayed as element result instead of nodal result.
This result value is not available for the FV-solver higher order.
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16.1.4.2.2.3. Thickness
This result value shows the thickness of the workpiece and is particularly helpful for sheet components. The maximum
thickness to be considered is to be defined when activating this result value in the forming control. It is only available
for the FE-solver.
16.1.4.2.2.4. Forming limit parameter (true)
This result value is defined as the ratio of the calculated major strain to the maximum allowable major strain from the
Forming Limit Diagram (FLD) and is calculated based on true major and minor strains (available under Strains). For
more detailed information please have a look on the chapter "Forming Limit Diagram" in the Application tutorial.
16.1.4.2.2.5. Forming limit parameter (engineering)
This result value is defined as the ratio of the calculated major strain to the maximum allowable major strain from
the Forming Limit Diagram (FLD) and is calculated based on engineering major and minor strains (available under
Strains). For more detailed information please have a look on the chapter "Forming Limit Diagram" in the Application
tutorial.
16.1.4.2.2.6. Forming limit diagram
By selecting this result value the forming limit diagram is shown in the result view. The distribution of different forming
limit zones on the sheet and the distribution of the forming limit parameter on the Forming Limit Diagram is shown.
For more detailed information please have a look on the chapter "Forming Limit Diagram" in the Application tutorial.
16.1.4.2.2.7. Normal distance to die
This result value shows the maximum perpendicular distance between the workpiece and the tool surface starting at
the workpiece surface.
It must be manually activated under Output results in the forming control for the FE-solver. For the FV-Solver it is
activated as a default. The maximal displayed distance is preset to 5 mm and can be adjusted for both solvers in the
Forming control under Output results.
16.1.4.2.2.8. Element error
In case a FE-simulation aborts due to meshing errors, then this "result" value will indicate the critical elements which
have caused the meshing error. The exit code will be shown (1005 or 1009).
This information helps the user to find a suitable meshing. This can be e.g. a different element size, refinement boxes
or even a different remesher. Also other time step settings and different remesh criteria can help to avoid such errors.
This result value is only available for the FE-solver.
16.1.4.2.2.9. Element density
This result value shows the density of the material.
16.1.4.2.2.10. Rolling direction
In case an anisotropy model is used, some of the material properties are defined depending on the orientation. In order to
define the orientation, the rolling and transversal direction must be defined during the pre-processing of the simulation
model. This result value then indicates the rolling and transversal direction during the simulation considering the
material flow as well as all workpiece translations and rotations.
This result value as well as anisotropy is only available for the FE-solver .
16.1.4.2.2.11. Yield stress
The yield stress of a metal increases during plastic flow due to certain metallurgical effects. This is called strain
hardening and is represented in the flow curves by the increasing flow stress. The new yield stress describes the
increased flow stress after forming.
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The new yield stress is determined in the flow curve for 20°C and strain rate 0.01 1/s using the actual effective plastic
strain. If the smallest defined strain rate is higher than 0.01 1/s then the smallest defined strain rate is used to determine
the yield stress. The result value Yield Stress should be deactivated if the smallest defined strain rate is higher than
2.0 1/s. This will avoid misleading results. The yield stress result value is only valid for cold forming processes. The
brief description in the forming control informs the user about the above mentioned facts. If you want to get the flow
stress at the current used temperature and strain rate, please refer to the result value Flow stress.
The yield stress result value is determined independently from the material type. The user has to consider whether his
simulation settings are useful to reproduce the yield stress result values.
The yield stress result value is disabled for hot forming and heat treatment processes. In hot forming and
heat treatment processes the high temperature leads to wrong yield stress results.
16.1.4.2.2.12. Flow stress
This result value is the flow stress which is used by the solver at the current increment. This means, unlike the result
value Yield stress, this value is the flow stress at the current temperature and strain rate. Furthermore it can be de-
pendent on the peak temperature and the phase, if this dependency is defined in the material card and if the process
calculates these values.
Note: This result value is for Simufact Welding and Simufact Additive under 'Stresses'.
16.1.4.2.2.13. External pressure
In Simufact Forming: Shows the external pressure which is applied during a die load analysis. The external pressure
is taken from the forming simulation. In addition, this can display face loads applied by a boundary condition object.
In Simufact Additive: Shows the pressure of a HIP process.
You can find this result value in Simufact Additive under 'Loads'.
16.1.4.2.2.14. Possible fold/lap
The result quantity "possible fold/lap" shows places where folds may be formed. Therefor the minimum distance
between the surface node and a surface triangle of the mesh along the normal of this triangle is determined. In doing
so, only triangles are considered that are "above" the triangle. If the determined distance is greater than a default value,
this value will be used. The default value is 110% of the FV element size.
This result quantity is only available for the FV-solver and the result value is dimensionless.
16.1.4.2.2.15. Possible lubricant pockets
Possible lubricant pockets which may lead to underfills are visualized. Therefor for all points of the workpiece surface
the minimum distance to a surface element of a die is determined. For every surface triangle it is determined if the
distance of at least two of the three points exceeds a certain distance. In this case the surface triangle is marked with a
flag for "possible lubricant pocket". This flag has the values 0 (=points in contact) or 1 (=possible lubricant pocket).
Greater values than 1 arise if new pockets arise at a later time. Thus the values in the legend show a numbering of the
individual present lubricant pockets, i.e. "5" means that this marked area belongs to the fifth lubricant pocket.
This result quantity is only available for the FV-solver and the result value is dimensionless.
16.1.4.2.2.16. Expulsion
Expulsion measures whether a welding process comes to spatter or not. The color legend green stands for no expulsion
while the red marks an expulsion zone.
This result quantity is only available for 2D resistance welding processes.
16.1.4.2.2.17. Volume fraction
This result value shows the percentage value that each voxel is inside the actual volume of the geometry. Element
properties like for example the stiffness are scaled accordingly. With this method it is accounted for the bad repre-
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sentation of the geometry shape by a voxel mesh. For the supports, the relative density also has an influence on the
volume fraction.
16.1.4.2.2.18. Relative density
This result value shows the relative density of the parts, supports and setters during the process.
16.1.4.2.2.19. Grain size in m-6
This result value describes the average grain size of a volume element using the unit µm for a Binder Jetting simu-
lation. This result value is part of Simufact Additive. Simufact Forming has an identical named result value in the
Microstructure category.
16.1.4.2.3. Manufacturing issues

16.1.4.2.3.1. Recoater contact
The result value marks areas of the parts/supports where the recoater might get in contact with the part/support. This
is done by setting the AM z-layer displacement in relation with the powder layer thickness.
16.1.4.2.3.2. Possible failure (stress based)
This result value shows possible cracks during the process. It is suitable for ductile materials.
In case the result value is not displayed in the manufacturing issues section, the yield strength and the tensile strength
have to be edited in the mechanical properties section of the material.
16.1.4.2.3.3. Possible failure (strain based)
This result value shows possible cracks during the process. It is suitable for brittle materials.
In case the result value is not displayed in the manufacturing issues section, the yield strength and the tensile strength
have to be edited in the mechanical properties section of the material.
16.1.4.2.3.4. Layer offset intensity
This result value displays possible shrink lines during the printing stage and specifies the intensity of these offsets.
The higher the intensity, the higher the offset. The results are only available in increments of the build stage.
16.1.4.2.3.5. Cold and hot spots
This result value marks the cold and hot spots of the workpiece during the simulation. The red colour stands for a hot
spot, while the green colour marks a cold spot.
16.1.4.2.4. Support optimization

16.1.4.2.4.1. Total optimized fraction
The result value shows the total optimized fraction.
16.1.4.2.4.2. Tension-optimized fraction
This result value shows the optimized fraction for tension.
16.1.4.2.4.3. Compression-optimized fraction
This result value shows the optimized fraction for compression.
16.1.4.2.4.4. Shear-optimized fraction
This result value displays the optimized fraction for shear.
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16.1.4.2.5. Thermal
16.1.4.2.5.1. Temperature
This result value describes the temperature of the workpiece and the tools (if not iso-thermal). Temperature changes
due to heat conduction, radiation, heat transfer to the environment by convection and contact to tools are considered as
well as temperature changed due to dissipation, friction and if activated also due to release of latent heat in phase trans-
formations. Optionally defined external heat sources like inductive heating or furnaces are additionally considered.
The temperature also has a significant impact on the strength and flow stress of the materials. This is considered if
temperature dependent flow curves are used.
16.1.4.2.5.2. Peak temperature
The peak temperature describes the maximal Temperature which has been reached so far.
This result value is only available for the FE-Solver.
16.1.4.2.5.3. Heat flux
This result quantifies the heat flow due to conduction within a body.
16.1.4.2.5.4. X/Y/Z temperature gradient
Describes the temperature gradient, which is the increase/decrease of the temperature with respect to the length in
global X-, Y- or Z-direction.
16.1.4.2.5.5. Temperature gradient
Describes the resultant value of the X-, Y- and Z-components. Can be displayed as scalar or vector.
16.1.4.2.5.6. X, Y, Z heat flux
X, Y, Z components (in global directions) of the heat flow due to conduction within a body.
16.1.4.2.5.7. Film heat flux
Shows the heat flux between contacting surfaces
16.1.4.2.5.8. Power (external)
This result quantifies the energy that is input into the mesh. For example heat due to a welding heat source.
16.1.4.2.5.9. Thermal boundary conditions
This result value shows the thermal boundary condition of the part, base plate and inbetween. The red colour indicates
convection/radiation from parts/supports to surrounding. The blue colour indicates adiabatic condition between parts/
supports and surrounding.
16.1.4.2.5.10. Temperature rate
Shows the rate at which the temperature changes.
16.1.4.2.6. Displacements
16.1.4.2.6.1. Total displacement
This result value provides the displacement of workpieces and deformable tools. The position at the beginning of the
forming process is used as reference. The displacements are accumulated in multi-stage processes unless result transfer
for displacement is disabled in the properties of the result transfer object. Eventual displacements due to automatic
tool positioning are not considered. Can be displayed as scalar or vector.
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16.1.4.2.6.2. X/Y/Z displacement
These result value displays the X, Y or Z component of the displacement vector for workpieces and deformable tools.
The position at the beginning of the forming process is used as reference. The displacements are accumulated in
multi-stage processes. Eventual displacements due to automatic tool positioning are not considered.
These result values are only available for the FE-solver.
16.1.4.2.6.3. Axial displacement
This result value provides the axial component of the displacement vector of workpieces and deformable tools. The
axial direction is defined perpendicular to the Z-axis. The position at the beginning of the forming process is used
as reference. The displacements are accumulated in multi-stage processes. Eventual displacements due to automatic
tool positioning are not considered.
16.1.4.2.6.4. Radial displacement
This result value provides the radial component of the displacement vector of workpieces and deformable tools. The
radial direction is defined perpendicular to the Z-axis. The position at the beginning of the forming process is used
as reference. The displacements are accumulated in multi-stage processes. Eventual displacements due to automatic
tool positioning are not considered.
16.1.4.2.6.5. Tangential displacement
This result value provides the tangential component of the displacement vector of workpieces and deformable tools.
The tangential direction is defined as the circumferential direction around the Z-axis. The position at the beginning
of the forming process is used as reference. The displacements are accumulated in multi-stage processes. Eventual
displacements due to automatic tool positioning are not considered.
16.1.4.2.6.6. X/Y/Z velocity
These result value shows the X, Y or Z component of the velocity vector of the result value Material flow. This result
value is available for deformable bodies only. Translations of rigid bodies are not visualized.
16.1.4.2.6.7. Radial velocity
This result value describes the radial component of the Material flow velocity of workpieces and elastic tools. The
radial direction is defined perpendicular to the Z-axis.
16.1.4.2.6.8. Tangential velocity
This result value describes the tangential component of the Material flow velocity of workpieces and elastic tools. The
tangential direction is defined as the circumferential direction around the Z-axis.
16.1.4.2.6.9. Material flow
Describes the flow speed and direction of the material flow of the workpiece through the stationary global coordinate
system. This result value is available as scalars or vectors.
16.1.4.2.6.10. Surface deviation
This result value in the initial meshing dialog is the distance from the meshed to the original geometry, which indicates
any deviation of the mesh perpendicular to the original geometry. Positive values indicate that the mesh is outside,
negative that the mesh is inside of the original geometry. It also can be evaluated in the result view, using the shape
comparison. Here, it can be used to compare a scanned with a manufactured part and gives you an idea about the
shape deviation between simulated and manufactured part. In upsetting processes using this value directly is nearly
meaningless.
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16.1.4.2.6.11. Total displacement normal direction
This result value shows the component of the total displacement in normal direction of the surface.
16.1.4.2.6.12. Area change
The area change describes the percentaged increase and decrease of the surface area of the workpiece.
16.1.4.2.7. Strains
Strain result values are usually true/ logarithmic strains in Simufact Forming. Two exceptions are the major and minor
strains, which are given as engineering strains by the solver and are calculated into true values internally.
16.1.4.2.7.1. Major strain (engineering)
The result value major strain (engineering) is used in sheet forming. It quantifies the largest (engineering) strain in
the sheet plane and is only provided if the application module sheet forming is used. Major and minor strains are
input values for the forming limit curves and the forming limit diagram. In contrast to other strain result values, major
and minor strain are given as engineering strains by the solver. The result values major and minor strain can also be
activated for particles.
16.1.4.2.7.2. Minor strain (engineering)
The result value minor strain (engineering) is used in sheet forming. It quantifies the smallest (engineering) strain
in the sheet plane and is only provided if the application module sheet forming is used. Major and minor strains are
input values for the forming limit curves and the forming limit diagram. In contrast to other strain result values, major
and minor strain are given as engineering strains by the solver. The result values major and minor strain can also be
activated for particles.
16.1.4.2.7.3. Major strain (true)
The result value major strain (true) is used in sheet forming. It quantifies the largest (true) strain in the sheet plane
and is only provided if the application module sheet forming is used. Major and minor strains are input values for the
forming limit curves and the forming limit diagram. In contrast to other strain result values, major and minor strain are
given as engineering strains by the solver and the true strain values are internally calculated. The result values major
and minor strain can also be activated for particles.
16.1.4.2.7.4. Minor strain (true)
The result value minor strain (true) is used in sheet forming. It quantifies the smallest (true) strain in the sheet plane
and is only provided if the application module sheet forming is used. Major and minor strains are input values for the
forming limit curves and the forming limit diagram. In contrast to other strain result values, major and minor strain are
given as engineering strains by the solver and the true strain values are internally calculated. The result values major
and minor strain can also be activated for particles.
16.1.4.2.7.5. Thickness strain (engineering)
The result value Thickness strain (engineering) is used in sheet metal forming applications and is only provid-
ed if the application module Sheet forming is used. This result value describes the engineering strain perpendic-
ular to the sheet plane and is calculated with the engineering major ( ) and minor strain ( ) with
.
16.1.4.2.7.6. Thickness strain (true)
The result value Thickness strain (true) is used in sheet metal forming applications and is only provided if the appli-
cation module Sheet forming is used. This result value describes the true strain perpendicular to the sheet plane and
is calculated with the major ( ) and minor strain ( ) with .
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16.1.4.2.7.7. Accumulated plastic strain
The accumulated plastic strain is defined in analogy to the Effective plastic strain with one distinctive difference:
The effective plastic strain can be reset to zero during an heating or heat treatment operation in order to match the
recrystallization behavior and to consider the reduced flow stress. Contrary to this the accumulated plastic strain can
not be reset. This shows the plastic strain of all involved operation which allows to asses if e.g. porosity originating
from a casing operation was closed. Forging through can be analyzed independently of heat treatments to determine
whether the material has been sufficiently ''kneaded'' everywhere.
16.1.4.2.7.8. Equivalent elastic strain
The equivalent elastic train is defined in analogy to the effective plastic strain. While the Effective plastic strain is
quantifying the plastic deformation, the Equivalent elastic strain is quantifying the elastic share of deformation, which
is typically much lower than the plastic deformation.
However, the elastic deformation is not negligible, particularly for incremental and cold forming processes. During
load removal and ejection from the tools the elastic deformation is regressed largely. Only the elastic deformation due
to the residual stresses remains in the workpiece.
16.1.4.2.7.9. Effective plastic strain
The effective plastic strain quantifies the plastic deformation, which is one of the most fundamental result values in
metal forming. The effective plastic strain is computed by incrementally integrating the local straining rates. The strain
hardening of the deformed material takes place corresponding to the effective plastic strain and results in a higher
resistance against further plastic deformation (Stress-Strain correlation, described by the flow curves of the material).
This is considered in the simulation as described in the flow curves of the workpiece material.
16.1.4.2.7.10. Equivalent total strain
This result value is the total strain resulting from every influencing factors. The equivalent total strain and the compo-
nents of the total strain tensor are only available if the output of the strain tensor was requested in the forming control.
16.1.4.2.7.11. Effective plastic strain rate
The Effective strain rate is computed like the result value Equivalent stress by the method of von Mises and makes
the complex three dimensional strain rate tensor comparable. The effective plastic strain rate is used together with the
effective plastic strain and the temperature to determine the yield stress of the flow curves.
16.1.4.2.7.12. X/Y/Z thermal strain
These result values are the strains induced due to temperature changes in the corresponding direction.
16.1.4.2.7.13. Maximum, intermediate, minimum principle total strain
These result values describe the strain tensor in the principle coordinate system. The orientation of the principle coor-
dinate system is identical to the orientation of the maximal, intermediate and minimal principle stress vector. For more
information regarding the principle coordinate system refer to the principal stresses chapter. These result values are
available as scalar or vector results and they are only available if the output of the strain tensor in the forming control
was requested. Besides the total principle strain, the elastic and the plastic components are available too.
16.1.4.2.7.14. X, Y, Z, XY, YZ, ZX total strain
These result values are the components of the strain tensor in the global Cartesian coordinate system. For them to be
output, the strain tensor has to be requested in the forming control. Besides the components of the total strain tensor,
the elastic and the plastic components are available too.
16.1.4.2.7.15. Radial total strain
This result value is the strain that causes the radial stress. For more information refer to the radial stress chapter. It is
only output if the strain tensor in the forming control is requested. It is available for the total, elastic and plastic strain.
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16.1.4.2.7.16. Tangential total strain
This result value is the strain that causes the tangential stress. For more information refer to the tangential stress
chapter. It is only output if the strain tensor in the forming control is requested. It is available for the total, elastic
and plastic strain.
16.1.4.2.7.17. Creep strain
This result value is the strain that it is caused during the process. Creep is the deformation of solid materials while
being subjected to persistent mechanical stresses. It can occur due to long-term exposure to stress levels below the
yield strength of the material or due to being subjected to heat near their melting point for long periods.
16.1.4.2.7.18. Strain rate vector
This result value shows the strain rate illustrated as a vector.
16.1.4.2.8. Stresses
Stresses are the "distributed forces" acting inside a body resulting form any external force on this body. In Simufact
Forming stress result values are usually true/ Cauchy stresses. The method of sections in structural mechanics allows
to determine the area loads in any section through this body so that it is in mechanical equilibrium. The load acting
on a infinitesimal small area is called in this section stress vector :
Equation 16.1. Stress vector

Magnitude and direction of the stress vector are dependent on the orientation of the section, which can be described
by the normal vector n. Three stress vectors are obtained for sections perpendicular to the three global coordinate axis.
Additionally, each two shear stress vectors perpendicular to the section are required for the comprehensive description
of the stresses.
Figure 16.12. Analysis of an element

These Cartesian components are called normal stresses and shear stresses . The first index denotes the orientation
of the section (1 x-direction, 2 y-direction, 3 z-direction). The second index denotes the direction of the shear stress
component. , , are called normal stresses (commonly used symbols , , or , , ). All other
components are called shear stresses.
The entire stress state can be consequently described by the stress tensor :
Equation 16.2. Stress tensor
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Due to the equality of shear stresses associated with each other the stress tensor is symmetric ( ). Hence, the
stress state is described by six independent variables.
Individual stress components are not suitable to examine the combined loads on a workpiece volume. Therefore a large
number of different stresses is important for the result evaluation. The single stresses are described in the following
sections.
16.1.4.2.8.1. Equivalent stress
The equivalent stress is computed as described by von Mises using the real complex stress conditions (which is de-
scribed by the stress tensor). The equivalent stress is a comparative value allowing to compare any (complex) stress
state with the uniaxial stress condition, which is e.g. used for the flow curve descriptions.
If the equivalent stress reaches the flow stress, plastic flow is initiated (Effective plastic strain rate becomes > 0). If
the equivalent stress is below the flow stress, a reversible elastic deformation will take place, which is described by
the result value "equivalent elastic strain".
16.1.4.2.8.2. Principal stresses
Depending on the orientation of the coordinate system in an element different stress values are obtained. The mathe-
matical and physical relationship can be explained with the Mohrs stress circle.
Figure 16.13. Mohrs stress circle

The Mohrs stress circle visualizes that for every possible stress condition there is an orientation of the coordinate
system in which all shear stresses disappear and only principal stresses take effect. These specific stresses are called
Principal stresses and the corresponding (orientation of) the coordinate system is called principal coordinate system
(HST).
Figure 16.14. Stress tensor and principal stress tensor

It is defined for the principal stresses that: > > .
The principal stresses , and can be computed by solving the following equation:
Equation 16.3. Equation for principal stresses
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I, II and III are the so-called Invariants of the stress tensor. They are independent of the coordinate system and are
also used for the characterization of th stress state.
Figure 16.15. Invariants

The Principal stresses are extremal values of the Normal stresses: No Normal stress is smaller than or larger than
. The principal stresses can be displayed scalar or as vector in the result view.
Maximum principal stress
The maximum principal stress is the first (=maximal) component of the principal stress vector. This value describes
the maximal occurring principal stress. If this principal stress is positive than this is a tensile stress. Negative values
represent compressive stresses. The maximal principal stress is often used to asses a possible occurrence of damage.
Tensile stresses during any metal forming process are critical for the cohesion of the material as well as for the lifetime
of the tools. Therefore, efforts are being made in the design to reduce the potentially high tensile stresses through
appropriate measures or to transfer them into compressive stresses (e.g. by pre-stressed dies and tools).
The maximum principle stress is also also used for the evaluation of the flow pattern of the workpiece. The deformation
typically takes place in the direction of the maximal stresses.
The absolute value of the maximum principal stress can be the smallest value if the minimum and inter-
mediate stresses are negative.
Intermediate principal stress
The intermediate principal stress is the second component of the principal stress vector. It describes principal stress
perpendicular to the maximal and minimal principal stress. This result value is provided for the sake of completeness.
It is not used for the evaluation of the forming process.
Minimum principal stress
The minimum principal stress is the third component of the principal stress vector. This result values can be used for
the evaluation of a forming process: If the minimum principal stress is positive, then all principal stresses must be
positive (=tensile stresses). There is therefore in the material a particularly increased risk of emergence of a crack.
The absolute value of the minimum principal stress can be the largest value if only compressive (=neg-
ative) stresses occur.
When the option 'Show vector results' is enabled, the principal stress vectors are displayed. They indicate the direction
in which the corresponding principal stresses are acting. In particular the maximum principal stress tensor is indicating
the direction of tensile (if positive) stresses, which is important to asses the risk of cracks in the workpiece as well
as in the dies.
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Figure 16.16 shows the minimal principal stress and the corresponding minimal principal stress tensor for an friction-
less upsetting example. Due to the absence of friction only compressive stresses parallel to the z-axis are present.
Figure 16.16. Minimal principal stress and minimal principal stress tensor
Upsetting processes with friction (Figure 16.17) clearly show the alterations of the direction and magnitude of the
principal stresses.
The vectors always point towards the positive direction of the axis. In order to comply with the condition of stress
equilibrium (actio = reactio), of course stresses of the same magnitude show in the opposite direction, which are not
shown for better visibility.
Figure 16.17. Principal stress tensor for upsetting subject to friction

16.1.4.2.8.3. Mean normal stress
Next to equivalent stress the most important value is the mean normal stress. It describes the position of the Mohr's
Stress circle, but not its diameter and consequently also not the magnitude of the shear stresses. The mean normal
stress does not initiate any plastic flow, but it characterizes the stress state prevailing in the deformation zone. It is
calculated by averaging the Principal stresses of the principal stress vector:
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Equation 16.4. Stress state in the deformation zone

The mean normal stress state has a significant impact on the formability of a material. Compressive stress states
increase the formability, whereas tensile stress states decrease the formability and accelerate the development of cracks.
16.1.4.2.8.4. Triaxiality
The triaxiality is a dimensionless measure for the formability during plastic deformation. It describes the current stress
state in a 2D-plane by dividing the negative mean normal stress with the equivalent stress. Therefore positive values
indicate a tensile state and negative values a pressure state. For uniaxial stress the triaxiality has a value of 1/3 and
-1/3, for biaxial stress it has a value of 2/3 and -2/3. A value of 0 indicate pure shear stresses.
Equation 16.5. Triaxiality

16.1.4.2.8.5. Stress vector
The Stress vector is defined as the product of the stress tensor multiplied with the normal vector of the cross-section
which is used for visualization. This corresponds with the resulting force created by the given stress state in the cross-
section used for visualization.
16.1.4.2.8.6. X, Y, Z Stress
These result values are the normal stresses which act perpendicular on the sections in the workpiece or deformable
tool. The orientations of these sections are determined by the global coordinate system in Simufact Forming: E.g. the
X Stress acts parallel to the global x-Axis on the section perpendicular to the global x-axis.
Hereafter, the normal stress will be illustrated with the example of a homogeneous load, which acts on a workpiece
aligned to the global coordinate system.
Figure 16.18. Homogeneous load distribution in a frictionless upsetting
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The homogeneous load distribution in z-direction on the contact surface results in uniform contact stresses on the
entire surface of the workpiece in contact to the tools.
Figure 16.19. Normal stresses

The Z Normal stress indicates the stresses in z-direction caused by the upsetting. They are negative across the entire
volume of the workpiece, which are compressive stresses. In x-direction these stresses are (almost) zero. Also, the
are zero in y-direction (not shown). No stresses are acting in these two directions. Consequently, a uniaxial stress
state is given.
Figure 16.20. Normal stresses in an cylinder upsetting test involving friction

In case of a cylinder upsetting which involves friction also only negative normal z stresses are obtained. However, the
x normal stresses are not anymore zero, but show negative as well as positive stresses (in the area of bulging). The
positive values indicate tensile stresses in x-direction.
X Normal stress
The stress is called X Normal stress. It is the stress component which acts perpendicular to the yz-section in x-
direction. In axial-symmetric 2D simulations the X Normal stress is identical to the radial stress.
Y Normal stress
The stress is called Y Normal stress. It is the stress component which acts perpendicular to the xz-section in y-
direction. In axial-symmetric 2D simulations the Y Normal stress is identical to the tangential stress.
Z Normal stress
The stress is called Z Normal stress. It is the stress component which acts perpendicular to the xy-section in z-
direction. In axial-symmetric 2D simulations the Y Normal stress is identical to the axial stress.
16.1.4.2.8.7. XY, YZ, ZX shear stress
XY shear stress
The stress is called XY shear stress. It is the stress component which acts perpendicular to the yz-section in y-
direction. Due to the symmetry of the stress tensor the absolute value of the stress equals the absolute value of
the stress .
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YZ shear stress
The stress is called YZ shear stress. It is the stress component which acts perpendicular to the xz-section in z-
the stress .
ZX shear stress
The stress is called ZX shear stress. It is the stress component which acts perpendicular to the xy-section in x-
the stress .
These stresses have only a very minor importance for the interpretation of the simulation results.
16.1.4.2.8.8. Axial stress
The Axial Stress is oriented perpenidicular to the Z-axis.
16.1.4.2.8.9. Radial stress
The Radial Stress is oriented perpenidicular to the Z-axis. Figure Figure 16.21 shows the Radial Stress of an cupping
process. The material flow is redirected from the radial to the axial direction which causes high Contact stresses. These
contact stresses cause the high Radial stresses in the die shown below.
Figure 16.21. Radial stress

16.1.4.2.8.10. Tangential stress
The Tangential Stress is the stress component which acts in circumferential direction around the z-axis. This result
value can be used as an indicator for the danger of surface cracks:
• High tangential stresses in the workpiece reduce the formability substantially and can cause cracks.
• High tangential stresses in the tools can cause premature die failure.
16.1.4.2.8.11. Friction ratio
This result value shows the ratio between the (tangential) friction stress vector and the normal vector of the contact
stress for the friction laws Coulomb, Shear friction and and Combined friction. This result value is not supported for
the IFUM friction law.
16.1.4.2.8.12. Friction stress
Friction stresses occur in the contact surface of two bodies in not not frictionless contact. Depending on the selected
friction model the friction stresses are either computed directly in dependence of the contact stresses (Coulomb‘s
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model) or in dependence of the shear stresses (Shear stress friction). The Friction stress is the resulting stress which
is tangential to the surface. This result value can be displayed as scalar or vector.
Figure 16.22. Friction stress vectors of an upsetting experiment involving friction

Note: In 2D-simulations the Friction stress vectors are displayed perpendicular to their real direction. This increases
readability by avoiding that all vectors are in one line.
Figure 16.23. Friction vectors in 2D-simulations

16.1.4.2.8.13. X, Y, Z friction stress
The result quantities X, Y and Z friction stress represent the components of the friction stress in the particular directions
of the global coordinate system.
16.1.4.2.8.14. Radial friction stress
This is the radial friction stress component of the Friction stress vector of two contact partners in radial direction,
which is perpendicular to the z-axis.
16.1.4.2.8.15. Tangential friction stress
This is the tangential friction stress component of the friction stress vector of two contact partners in tangential direc-
tion, which is the rotational direction around the z-axis.
16.1.4.2.8.16. Contact normal stress
See 'contact pressure'.
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16.1.4.2.8.17. Yield stress
See ''Global''.
16.1.4.2.8.18. Flow stress
See ''Global''.
16.1.4.2.8.19. Contact pressure
The contact pressure describes the contact stress perpendicular to the surface of two surfaces in contact. This result
value is available as scalars or vectors.
This result value is identified in Simufact Welding as ''Contact normal stress''.
16.1.4.2.8.20. X, Y, Z contact pressure
The result quantities X, Y and Z contact pressure represent the components of the contact pressure in the particular
directions of the global coordinate system.
16.1.4.2.8.21. Radial contact pressure
This is the contact pressure component of the contact stress vector of two contact partners in radial direction, which
is perpendicular to the z-axis.
16.1.4.2.8.22. Tangential contact pressure
This is the contact pressure component of the contact stress vector of two contact partners in tangential direction,
which is the rotational direction around the z-axis.
16.1.4.2.8.23. X, Y, Z nodal reaction force
These are the reaction forces of the nodes according to the directions in space.
For this result value in Simufact Welding please check the ''Contact properties'' section.
16.1.4.2.8.24. X, Y, Z Force
These result values are only available for tools in simulations with the FV solver. They are the force components in
the x,y and z direction of the contact pressure vector.
16.1.4.2.8.25. Radial force
This result value provides the radial component of the nodal contact forces of the tool surface. The radial direction
is defined perpendicular to the Z-axis. This result value is only available for the tools in simulations computed with
the FV-solver.
16.1.4.2.8.26. Tangential force
This result value provides the tangential component of the nodal contact forces of the tool surface. The tangential
direction is defined as the circumferential direction around the Z-axis. This result value is only available for the tools
in simulations computed with the FV-solver.
16.1.4.2.8.27. Force vector
The Force vector visualizes the nodal contact forces of the tool surface. It is only available for the FV-solver.
16.1.4.2.8.28. Sinter stress
This result value shows the sinter stress, the driving force for the densification during sintering.
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16.1.4.2.9. Phase transformation

The phase transformation can be computed for heat treatment processes as well as for metal forming processes, e.g.
press hardening. The simulation of the phase transformation requires a phase diagram to be provided for the ma-
terial. Also the result value "Phase transformation" must be activated in the forming control. The material proper-
ties are calculated during the simulation based on the development of each local phase composition. Depending on
the selected option (CCT, TTT or Leblond) for calculation of the phase transformation, die result values are calcu-
lated differently. Are CCT and TTT data provides, the phases are computed using the TTT data, hardness and oth-
er result values are computed based on CCT. For more detailed information, please have a look on the infosheet
"FormingControlOutputResults(FE)" and the chapter "Mirostructure and phase transformation simulation" of the Ap-
plication tutorial.
16.1.4.2.9.1. Major phase index
The major phase index shows the phase which has the largest volume fraction. This result value is discontinuous and
therefore displayed as element result instead of nodal result.
16.1.4.2.9.2. Volume fraction of Martensite, Ferrite, Perlite, Bainite, Austenite
The percentaged volume fraction of the phases Martensite, Ferrite, Perlite, Bainite and Austenite are given. Based on
the cooling rate and the CCT, the phases are calculated at room temperature.
16.1.4.2.9.3. Hardness
This result value predicts the hardness which the workpiece would have after cooling to room temperature freezing
the local phase composition. This prediction is based on the physical properties of the individual phases. The result is
determined from the simulated tensile strength. A conversion into hardness is done according to EN ISO 18265:2003.
The first value of the hardness curve that is defined in the material is taken as start value. If the cooling rate is higher
than the last point of the defined curve, the last value will be taken.
16.1.4.2.9.4. Proof stress
Proof stress calculated using the T85 cooling time. This value is a pure post processing value and has no influence
in the simulation.
16.1.4.2.9.5. Tensile stress
Tensile stress calculated using the T85 cooling time. This value is a pure post processing value and has no influence
in the simulation.
16.1.4.2.9.6. T85 cooling rate
The T85 cooling rate is the average temperature rate in the temperature range between 800 and 500°C. Based on the
cooling rate and the CCT, the phases are calculated at room temperature.
16.1.4.2.9.7. T85 cooling time
This result value provides the time cooling time for the temperature range 800 to 500 °C. This time is important for
the phase transformation.
This result value is only available if results from Simufact Welding have been imported and can only be processes
by the FE-Solver.
16.1.4.2.9.8. Temperature rate
The temperature rate describes the current speed of cooling.
For Simufact Additive is this result value under the 'Thermal' section.
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16.1.4.2.10. Electromagnetic
The magnetodynamic simuation in Simufact Forming is a harmonic simulation that leads to the solution of a complex
system. Thus the magnetic result values are written with a real and imaginary component. The real component corre-
lates to the amplitude and the imaginary component to the displacement of phase.
16.1.4.2.10.1. Electric current density
The electric current density identifies areas where the electrical current is concentrated. Usually these are the contact
areas or areas of changing cross section. An increasing electrical current density leads mainly to an increasing heat
flux and temperature.
16.1.4.2.10.2. Electrical potential
The electrical potential describes the distribution of the electrical voltage in each body respectively. As resistance
welding processes are series circuits the electrical current is the same everywhere but not the electrical voltage. The
electrical potential can be used to verify the electrical contact conductivity. If the electrical potential is nearly equal
in all bodies, the electrical contact conductivity is too high ("Conductor"). This means the electrical current can flow
without generating any heat. If the electrical potential is nearly 0 (1e-12V) in one body, the electrical contact conduc-
tivity is too low ("Isolator"). This means the electrical current is not able to flow as the contact acts like an isolator.
16.1.4.2.10.3. Electric-thermal energy density
The electric-thermal energy density identifies areas where the electric energy is converted into thermal energy. Usually
these are the contact areas where conversion takes place due to the contact resistance and a drop in the electrical voltage.
16.1.4.2.10.4. Electrical contact conductivity
The electrical contact conductivity outputs the contact conductivity entered by the user for the contacting surfaces. If
the user has entered a constant value, this value will be shown where the two bodies have contact. If the user has entered
a table depending on temperature, the corresponding electrical contact conductivity to the current local temperature
will be displayed at the contact surface. If the automatic mode is active, the calculated electrical contact conductivity
based on the formula will be displayed for the contact surface.
16.1.4.2.10.5. External electric current
The external electric current identifies areas where the current flows. Herewith one can control, if the electromagnetic
object was assigned to all coils.
16.1.4.2.10.6. Magnetic potential
The magnetic potential describes the magnetic field penetrating the air and the nearby workpiece.
16.1.4.2.10.7. X, Y, Z current density (real component)
The real component of the current density, i.e. the amplitude of the current density is a vector quantity, thus the
components are represented in x, y, and z. It describes how dense a electric current is flowing and is a measure for
the load of a conductor caused by the current.
16.1.4.2.10.8. X, Y, Z electric field intensity (real component)
The real component of the electric field intensity, i.e. the amplitude of the electric field intensity is a vector quantity,
thus the components are represented in x, y and z. It describes the magnitude and direction of a electric field and thus
the ability of a electric field for executing a force on charges.
16.1.4.2.10.9. X, Y, Z magnetic field intensity (real component)
The real component of the magnetic field intensity, i.e. the amplitude of the magnetic field intensity is a vector quantity,
thus the components are represented in x, y and z. It describes the magnitude and direction of a magnetic field and is
perpendicular to the current density (real component) and to the electric field intensity (real component).
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16.1.4.2.10.10. X, Y, Z magnetic induction (real component)
The real component of the magnetic induction, i.e. the amplitude of the magnetic induction respectively magnetic flux
density is a vector quantity, thus the components are represented in x, y and z. It describes the areal density of the
magnetic flux, that passes perpendicular through a surface element. The magnetic induction is perpendicular to the
electric quantities (current density (real component) and electric field intensity (real component)).
16.1.4.2.10.11. Magnetic permeability
This result value is the magnetic permeability when a B-H relation is defined in the material description.
16.1.4.2.10.12. Relative magnetic permeability
Like the magnetic permeability, this result value is also only present if a B-H relation is defined. For the relative
magnetic permeability the magnetic permeability is divided by the permeability of vacuum.
Equation 16.6. Relative magnetic permeability
16.1.4.2.11. Damage
These result values display the damage values of several damage models.
The theoretical background of the damage models is the fact that during the plastic deformation of metals pores
develop at inclusions which reduce the cross-sectioal area bearing the load. These pores grow and eventually lead to
the creation of cracks. The damage models are based on the plastic deformation, which must not occur significantly
in tools. Therefore these models are not to be used to predict the tool life. Please refer to the Chapter "Damage and
Die wear" for further information about the damage models.
The damage related result values are only computed if the result value "Damage" is activated in the forming control
and a damage model is selected. The selected damage model must be parameterized in the material object/properties.
16.1.4.2.11.1. Absolute (Lemaitre)
The value Absolute D is a result value for the saturation of a volume element with pores. If D=0, then there is no
damage in the material. If D=1 then the entire cross-section is covered with pores. In cold forming applications of
common steels D can reach values between 0,1 and 0,3 until failure occurs.
For higher temperatures and more ductile materials this value can reach much higher levels, e.g. D=0,9 for hot forming
of copper.
The result value Absolute Damage shows the accumulated damage.
The ductile (absolute) damage of a material alone is not sufficient to induce a macroscopic crack. Moreover, „disad-
vantageous“ conditions must be also prevail, like e.g tensile stresses and a distinctive tensile-compression transition
in the stress state. Also inhomogeneities of the material, intermetallic inclusions or lattice defects can initiate a crack.
These parameters are of statistical nature and difficult to capture mathematically (and in the simulation). But, for the
stresses and stress state a critical value can be well defined: The so-called critical damage Dc is a reference value,
which quantifies the vulnerability of a deformation zone for the occurrence of a crack. Likewise to the macromechan-
ical criteria this is a general indicator for the crack vulnerability. The opposite range of values than for the absolute
Damage applies for Dc.
16.1.4.2.11.2. Relative (Lemaitre)
The comparison of the ductile (absolute) damage D in the material and the vulnerability of the deformation zone Dc
the real susceptibility to cracking is calculated. As soon as both values approach each other a macroscopic crack is
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induced. This "comparison" is made by the Relative damage Drel. This value is called Relative (Lemaitre) in Simufact
Forming. The closer this value reaches Drel = 1 the more likely is the susceptibility to cracking.
16.1.4.2.11.3. Damage
The damage prediction based on Cockroft & Latham and Oyane computes the damage value in the FEM analysis
locally and accumulates it permanently. The maximal value is therefore reached at the end of the simulation and there
is no critical value for the occurrence of a crack.
As some of the parameters of the damage value are independent of the temperature, the damage simulation is not
applicable to warm forming processes.
The damage value is dependent on formed geometry which results in different maximal values for different forming
operations. The damage models should be only evaluated where tensile stresses are dominating, as hardly any damage
occurs where compressive hydrostatic stresses are present. Moreover: there is a causal relationship between tensile
stresses and ductile damage.
For the damage value no material specific value can be given. Nonetheless, these models can be applied using one
of the following methods:
1. Evaluate the distribution of the damage values across the entire workpiece and consider areas with maximal values
to be more prone to failure than the others.
2. Relate the simulation results to real manufacturing processes. Simulate the maximal damage value with the con-
ditions of the real process subject to damage. Apply suitable measures (e.g. a geometrical variation of tools and
or pre-forms, etc. ) to reduce the damage value. However, all actions in the real process must be cross-checked
using real trials.
16.1.4.2.11.4. Lode angle parameter
This result value is used for the modified Mohr-Coulomb damage model. Because the triaxiality can only describe the
stress state for two dimensions, the Lode angle parameter is used to expand the definition into the third dimension,
therefore the stress state in 3D models can be predicted more accurately. Geometrically, the Lode angle describes the
smallest angle between the line of pure shear and the projection of the stress tensor on the deviatoric plane. The Lode
angle parameter is then calculated with the Lode angle by the following equation.
Equation 16.7. Lode angle parameter

16.1.4.2.11.5. Fracture strain
This result value is only shown for the modified Mohr-Coulomb damage model. It is the strain at which the fracture of
the element with the current stress state is initiated. It corresponds to the strain from the 3D plot in the material card.
16.1.4.2.11.6. Lode angle parameter (averaged)
This result value is the Lode angle parameter under consideration of the deformation history and therefore the change
of the stress state. This value should be used together with the averaged triaxiality to calibrate the fracture surface of
the modified Mohr-Coulomb damage model in the material card.
16.1.4.2.11.7. Triaxiality (averaged)
This result value is the triaxiality under consideration of the deformation history and therefore the change of the stress
state. This value should be used together with the averaged Lode angle parameter to calibrate the fracture surface of
the modified Mohr-Coulomb damage model in the material card. It is also used to calibrate the fracture curve of the
Johnson-Cook damage model.
16.1.4.2.12. Die wear

The result values are only computed if they are activated in the forming control and if a die wear model is selected.
The selected die wear model must be parameterized in the friction object.
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16.1.4.2.12.1. Die wear
This result value shows the wear of the dies for one single stroke. The geometry of the tools is not modified by the
predicted die wear values.
Please note: The precision of this result value is not as high as the precision of the other result values, because the die
wear is highly non-linear in its nature, which can not yet be described by die wear models.Nonetheless, the simulated
results can be well used for process optimizations and for the assessment of alternative tool concepts, since the tendency
of the die wear is predicted correctly.
16.1.4.2.12.2. Relative sliding velocity
The relative sliding velocity is the velocity of the workpiece surface relative to the die surface it is in contact with.
16.1.4.2.13. Die life

The result values are only computed if they are activated in the forming control and if a die wear model is selected.
The selected die wear model must be parameterized in the friction object.
16.1.4.2.13.1. Life in repeats
This result value approximates how many repeats the die will last.
16.1.4.2.13.2. Life in equivalent units
This result value approximates how many repeats the die will last and converts it to other units.
16.1.4.2.13.3. Fatigue damage
This result value shows the damage in the die caused by fatigue.
16.1.4.2.13.4. Minimum true stress
This result variable indicates the minimum stress occurring in the die.
16.1.4.2.13.5. Maximum true stress
This result variable indicates the maximum stress occurring in the die.
16.1.4.2.13.6. Minimum total strain
This result variable indicates the minimum total strain occurring in the die.
16.1.4.2.13.7. Maximum total strain
This result variable indicates the maximum total strain occurring in the die.
16.1.4.2.14. Microstructure
The recrystallization kinematics and the resulting grain size development can be simulated for hot forming processes.
The material models required for this simulation must be activated and parameterized in the material properties under
microstructure. Please refer to the chapter "Microstructure and grain size" for further details on these models.
16.1.4.2.14.1. Grain size in m-6
This result value describes the average grain size of a volume element using the unit µm. This result value is part of
Simufact Forming. Simufact Additive has an identical named result value in the Global category.
When using the MatILDa model this value develops after completion of recrystallization.
16.1.4.2.14.2. ASTM grain size number
This result value describes the average grain size of a volume element using the ASTM class.
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16.1.4.2.14.3. Residual strain after softening
Recrystallization undoes the strain hardening of the material. The residual strain is the remaining effective plastic
strain corresponding with the current level of strain hardening. The residual strain is therefore lower than the effective
plastic strain which is calculated based on the geometrical straining rate if recrystallization occurs.
16.1.4.2.14.4. Fraction of dyn. recryst (%)
This result value describes the percentage volume of an volume element which has undergone dynamic recrystalliza-
tion.
16.1.4.2.14.5. Fraction of static recryst. (%)
This result value describes the percentage volume of an volume element which has undergone static recrystallization.
16.1.4.2.14.6. Fraction of total recryst. (%)
This result value describes the percentage volume of an volume element which has undergone static or dynamic
recrystallization.
16.1.4.2.14.7. Dyn. recryst. grain size
This result value describes the grain size resulting from dynamic recrystallization using the unit µm.
When using the MatILDa model this value develops during forming.
16.1.4.2.14.8. Stat. recryst. grain size
This result value describes the grain size resulting from static recrystallization using the unit µm.
When using the MatILDa model this value develops after forming or during the interval of a multi-stage forming
process.
16.1.4.2.14.9. Accumul. fract. of recryst. (%)
This result value describes the accumulated percentage volume of an volume element which has undergone multiple
static or dynamic recrystallizations.
16.1.4.2.14.10. Initial grain size
This result value shows the grain size before the progress. This can be utilized to compare before and after results.
16.1.4.2.15. Alloying elements

The alloying elements are shown for case hardening processes. The necessary material data must be defined under
"Diffusion". The initial carbon mass concentration is defined in the material under "Chemical composition".
Currently only the mass portion of carbon is calculated. The mass portions of the other chemical elements are not
calculated and shown.
16.1.4.2.15.1. Mass portion
This result value describes the local Al/Ag/As/Au/B/Be/Bi/C/Ca/Cd/Ce/Co/Cr/Cu/Fe/Ga/Gd/H/Hf/In/La/Li/Mg/Mn/

Mo/N/Nb/Ni/O/P/Pb/Pd/Pt/Re/Ru/S/Sb/Se/Si/Sn/Sr/Ta/Te/Ti/V/W/Y/Zn/Zr concentration in weight percent.
16.1.4.2.16. Diffusion
The diffusion results are shown for case hardening processes. The necessary material data must be defined under
"Diffusion". The initial carbon mass concentration is defined in the material under "Chemical composition".
16.1.4.2.16.1. Concentration gradient
This result value describes the local concentration gradient of Al/Ag/As/Au/B/Be/Bi/C/Ca/Cd/Ce/Co/Cr/Cu/Fe/

Ga/Gd/H/Hf/In/La/Li/Mg/Mn/Mo/N/Nb/Ni/O/P/Pb/Pd/Pt/Re/Ru/S/Sb/Se/Si/Sn/Sr/Ta/Te/Ti/V/W/Y/Zn/Zr in weight
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percent per length and shows the major change of the local concentration. Usually it is normal to the surface of the
workpiece. This value is dependent on the element edge length.
16.1.4.2.16.2. Mass flux
This result value describes the mass flux of Al/Ag/As/Au/B/Be/Bi/C/Ca/Cd/Ce/Co/Cr/Cu/Fe/Ga/Gd/H/Hf/In/La/Li/

Mg/Mn/Mo/N/Nb/Ni/O/P/Pb/Pd/Pt/Re/Ru/S/Sb/Se/Si/Sn/Sr/Ta/Te/Ti/V/W/Y/Zn/Zr atoms per time unit and refer-
ence cross section. The unit is mass per time and per cross sectional area.
16.1.4.2.17. Loads
16.1.4.2.17.1. External pressure
See ''Global''.
16.1.4.2.18. Contact properties

The contact result properties describe the situation of the surfaces that are in contact
16.1.4.2.18.1. Contact
The Die contact indicates if the surface of the workpiece is in contact to a tool or not. For tools, this result value
indicates if the tool surface is in contact with the workpiece. Please note, for an exact local resolution of the contact on
the tool surfaces a fine surface mesh of the tools is required. It can be either directly created when importing the tools
by the use of the option "Quality facets" or the already imported tool surface can be refined by "Modify geometry"
--> "Surface remesh".
Contact is only possible between deformable bodies (workpieces or tools) and between deformable bodies and rigid
bodies (tools). Contact between rigid bodies (line segments / surface patches) is not provided.
The result value die contact shows the effective zone of the deformation between the workpiece and the dies. Die
fillings as well as underfills are well visible, as well as areas of folds (prior they are closed due to the material flow).
Besides the contact between workpiece and die, Simufact Forming also displays the near contact (if option is activated)
or the contact to symmetry planes or cyclic symmetry if existing.
Using the node-to-segment contact, all nodes are marked as in contact (or glued), that are identified to be in contact
(or gluing contact). Using the segment-to-segment contact all nodes of a patch are marked as in contact (or glued), if
at least one node of the segment is identified to be in contact (or in glue contact).
16.1.4.2.18.2. Contact heat transfer coefficient
This result value displays the heat transfer coefficient from workpiece to the dies. This equals the value defined in
the temperature object of the dies. If the heat transfer coefficient is set to automatic, one can check the value used
by the solver.
16.1.4.2.18.3. Glue
This result value indicates which contact surfaces are glued together if the contact type 'Glue on peak temperature'
is used. Using the node-to-segment contact, all nodes are marked as glued, that reached the peak temperature. Using
the segment-to-segment contact all nodes of a patch are marked as glued, if at least one node of the segment reached
the peak temperature.
16.1.4.2.18.4. Recoater contact
The result value marks areas of the parts/supports where the recoater might get in contact with the part/support. This
is done by setting the AM z-layer displacement in relation with the powder layer thickness.
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16.1.4.3. User-defined result values

Besides the standard result values, so called user-defined result values can be defined and evaluated. User-defined
result values are calculated using already existing results. This allows you to define user-defined result values when
the simulation is finished. The user-defined result values are located under Extras → Options → Settings → Result
values → User-defined result values. User-defined result values can also be exported and imported. The infosheet
linked in this dialog gives an tutorial on how to define user-defined result values.
Figure 16.24. Definition of user-defined result values

The following example shows the ratio of equivalent stress to proof stress from phase transformation. Some result
values need a color legend which is not defined as a default legend. In this case the user can define his own color legend.
Figure 16.25. Example of a user-defined result value
16.1.4.4. Vector results

If vector results are available for a result value, a vector symbol is placed next to its entry in the legend. Vector visibility
can be enabled and disabled with the 'Show vector results' entry in the right-click context menu of the color legend.
Furthermore, with the 'Vector settings' entry, some vector display options can be defined. Advanced display options
are available in the options menu, available under 'Extras - Options - Settings View - Result vectors'.
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Figure 16.26. Vector results availability and display settings

The following picture displays the contact pressure results. It allows to evaluate the direction as well as the absolute
value. With one of the sliders in the vector settings, the displayed results can be thinned out if the view gets to complex.
Figure 16.27. Vector results view

If in a 2D simulation, some result vectors point in the Y-direction, the view can be rotated around all three axes to
ensure a better visualization.
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2023.3 Postprocessing Particle tracking
16.2. Particle tracking
This chapter shows how to define and evaluate Particles in Simufact Welding. The Particles are also known as
Tracking points in earlier versions of Simufact Welding. The user has the possibility to define Particles in prepro-
cessing, during an analysis and in postprocessing. The functionality of Particles is to track result values during the
analysis at specific positions on geometries which the user has to define by himself.
16.2.1. Adding particles to model

You can add new Particles by on Particles in the Process tree and selecting Create particles. A new sidebar will
appear:
Figure 16.28. Create new particles
At first, you have to define a name for the particle group which also can be changed afterwards if needed. In following,
there are three methods how to define Particles :
1. Add particles by their coordinate values (x, y, z) - New particles can be added by clicking on or right-clicking
in the particles sidebar and selecting . The first entry will be displayed in the sidebar:
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2023.3 Postprocessing Adding particles to model
Figure 16.29. Particle sidebar with entries of particles
At this point, you can change the name of the particles by double-clicking on the name. Standardly, the name
of new created particles are given by "Particle-" and the ongoing number "#". Now the coordinate values (x, y,
z) can be defined by double-clicking on the single entries x, y, z. More particles can be added by using or if
minimum one particle exists the symbol is selectable which means that new added particles will be insert before
the selected particle.
2. Add particles by picking in the view - In this option, you can define the particles in the model view or result view
by directly picking them in the view. Activate the picking mode by clicking on . After that you can pick any
node in the view and a particle with the corresponding coordinates will be added to the list.
3. Import particles from CSV file - You can import particles from a CSV file by clicking on or right-clicking in
the particle sidebar and select . A new dialog will appear where you can select the path of the CSV
file. The structure of a CSV file which contains the particles is build up like in the figure below:
Figure 16.30. The structure of a CSV file with particle information
After selection of the CSV file, the particles will appear in the particle sidebar.
You can also save the created particles in a CSV file by clicking on which can then be imported
into another simulation process.
Furthermore, you can delete a selected particle by using where you can also right-click on a particle entry in the
particle sidebar and select or use the shortcut Del. The whole list of entries can be deleted at once
by using , by right-clicking in the particle sidebar and then selecting or by using the shortcut
Ctrl+Del.
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2023.3 Postprocessing Validation of particles (THS plot)
Regardless which method to create particles has been chosen, you can apply these changes by clicking on .
The particles will be marked (only if is activated) in the model view or result view with small flags within the
name of the single particles:
Figure 16.31. Particles displayed in the model view
The set of particles can be edited afterwards. Therefore, please right-click on the set of particles which should be edited
and select , the particle sidebar will appear. In this case, you can edit, add or delete single particles of a
set of particles. By changing the set of particles the button will be selectable which means that all changes
so far can be reset. But if the changes are varied as desired, you can apply the changes with again.
There is a difference of adding and editing a set of particles between in the state of preprocessing and postprocessing.
If you add or edit a set of particles in preprocessing, the particles will track the result values until finishing the analysis.
But if you add or edit particles in postprocessing, you will get a message that following changes requires saving the
process to integrate the new result into the results storage which will be done automatically after the particles are
successfully edited. You can accept this message with and after editing the particles, the analysis will be
calculated backwards to assign the result values to the added or edited particles. So please be patient, it may take
some time.
You can create as many sets of particles as wished where the particles at specific sections in the model
view or result view can be grouped. Thus, the validation of many particles can be done with better
overview than having just one set of particles which contains very much particles.
16.2.2. Validation of particles (THS plot)

The particles can be validated during or after an successfully calculated simulation. To validate the particles, please
right-click on the created set of particles in the Process tree and select . Depending on the size of the
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analysis, it may take some time to open the Particle post values. So please be patient. After successfully calculated
particles a new dialog, Particle time-history plot, will appear:
Figure 16.32. Time History plot (THS plot) of particles

The Time-History plot (THS plot) of particles and some options to modify the THS plot is shown in the figure above.
In the following, the single section with their features will be explained:
• Selection - The particles will be listed in this section where a single or multiple selection of particles is possible
to display the particle in the THS plot. You can manually check the checkboxes of the particles which should be
shown in the THS plot or you can also use the following buttons: - check all items, - uncheck all items and
- invert the check state of the items. The line color can be edited by double-clicking on the color.
• x-axis - In this section you can change the value and the limits of the x-axis. There you can switch the value and
their unit between Time ([s], [min], [h] and [ms]) and Solver increment [-]. By unchecking the checkbox
Automatic limit generation you can manually define the lower (Limit 1) and upper (Limit 2) limits. Otherwise, the
lower and upper limits will be adjusted to the range of process time or the total solver increment.
• y-axis - In this section you can change the result value and their limits of the y-axis. The post values in this list are
according to the post values that can be selected in the result view.
By unchecking the checkbox Automatic limit generation you can manually define the lower (Limit 1) and upper
(Limit 2) limits. Otherwise, the lower and upper limits will be adjusted to the range of the selected result value.
The entries of selectable post values for the y-axis are independent of the selected process where the
values will be zero if specific options are not activated. For example, if Phase transformation is not
activated the values for the result value Volume fraction of austenite will be zero.
• Graphical options - There are some few options to modify the graphic of the curve chart which can be found in
this section:
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• Result lines - You can activate this option if you want to display vertical lines which represents the result output to
a specific time or increment. Please note that the number of outputted results can be different to the total number
of calculated results. This can be modified in Process tree > Process parameters > Time control > Result
output every n-th increment.
• Grid - Show or hide the grid of the curve chart.
• Highlight selection - Highlight the selection of the cursor.
• Show points (Size: #) - Show or hide the result points of a curve where you can also define the size of a point.
Please note that the total number of result points represent all calculated results and they cannot be modified.
Thus, the displayed number of result points might be different to the number of result lines (if both options are
activated).
• Line width (Width: #) - By activating this option, you can manually define the line width of the curves.
• Result modification - There are some few options to modify the values of the curve chart which can be found in
this section:
• Averaging (value in [%]) - You can use this option to averaging the values of the curve chart where you have
to define an averaging-value in [%].
• Seg. angle (value in [rad] or [°]) - Segmentation angle
• Sum - With this option, it is possible to sum selected curves where the value of the y-axis has to be force, moment
or energy. Otherwise, it is not possible to use the sum function.
• Percentage - By activating this option, the percentage of changing of the y-axis value will be adjusted to one of
the following values: Fist value, Last value, Minimum value or Maximum value. Depending on selected starting
point, the start value will be 100%.
• Path plot
• Time History Plot - Show a time-history plot of selected particle
• Path plot - show a path plot of the selected particles by automatically calculating a specified number of interme-
diate points.
• Number of intermediate points - Defines the number of points between two particles each to smooth the curve.
• Apply - Applies the settings and displays the path plot.
• Miscellaneous Buttons (right sidebar) - The following table contains all buttons and their descriptions in the right
sidebar:

Hide or show all options Zoom (Shortcut: Shift+Z)
Copy image to the clipboard (Shortcut: Ctrl Swap axes

+C)
Save image as PNG, JPG, BMP, PPM, TIF, GIF Open additional
or XBM
Export to CSV or MMS (Shortcut: Ctrl+E)
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2023.3 Postprocessing Miscellaneous topics
16.3. Miscellaneous topics

This chapter contains the following topics:
1. Result transformation
2. Shape comparison
3. Welding monitor
4. THS plot for boundary conditions (BC's)
5. Result management
6. Export in Simufact Welding
16.3.1. Result transformation

The Result transformation interface can be used to transform existing results into a new global coordi-
nate system. Detailed information about the handling of result transformation are given in the infosheet
"ResultTransformation_en.pdf".
Typical application of result transformation in Welding is the comparison with real measurement data that were gath-
ered in a coordinate system different to the one in the simulation, for instance a measure table:
Figure 16.33. Result transformation to a new coordinate system
Another typical application is the comparison between simulation result and a reference geometry (either measured
data or CAD data):
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2023.3 Postprocessing Shape comparison
Figure 16.34. Comparison between simulation result and reference geometry
16.3.2. Shape comparison

The Shape comparison can be used based on the initial shape or an imported body in object catalog as reference
geometry.
A rough shape comparison between the initial and final shape is available in result view. After opening result view,
the initial shape can be shown by clicking in the tool bar and selecting the option Show undeformed. Alternatively
the option is also available in the context menu by in the result view.
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Figure 16.35. Showing undeformed shape in result view
It can be opened by right-clicking on in the Process tree and then selecting Shape comparison:
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Figure 16.36. Selecting Shape comparison
Afterwards a result view for Shape comparison and a dialog for this functionality will be opened:
Figure 16.37. The result view and dialog for shape comparison
In the dialog firstly select the desired part for shape comparison. The final shape of selected part is shown in result view
for shape comparison. Using the buttons and the final shape can be repositioned to fit the position of initial shape.
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Figure 16.38. Translation and rotation of final shape for shape comparison
After clicking button in the dialog the options for surface deviation is shown.
Figure 16.39. Dialog for surface deviation
In default only initial shape of the selected part is listed as best fit geometry. To add an imported geometry as reference
it should be firstly imported into Simufact Welding. Afterwards right-click on it in the object catalog and then click
the option Use as reference geometry.
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2023.3 Postprocessing Welding monitor
Figure 16.40. Use an imported geometry as reference for shape comparison
After then this geometry is listed in the drop-down menu for best fit geometries. Select either the initial shape or the
imported geometry as reference and click button to apply the best fit. The final shape from simulation will be then
repositioned to fit the position of reference body.
Under Visualization there are two buttons. While the button is active, the selected reference body is shown in the
result view for shape comparison. By clicking the button the surface deviation would be calculated automatically.
Figure 16.41. Surface deviation in shape comparison
16.3.3. Welding monitor

The Welding monitor can be used to calibrate the heat source during or after an analysis. It can be opened by right-
clicking on in the Process tree and then selecting Welding monitor > Robot:
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Figure 16.42. Selecting Welding monitor
Depending on the number of created robots and their given names in the Process tree , the current list of
Welding monitor might be different to the figure above.
After selecting Robot, the Welding monitor will be opened:
Figure 16.43. The Welding monitor
Basically, the Welding monitor shows the result value Peak temperature of a section on clipping plane in 2D
view.
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The color legend is adjusted to the melting point and the solidus temperature of the used material which is represented
by three colors: red, yellow and blue. The color red in the Welding monitor means that the Peak temperature
of these parts in the geometries is higher than the temperature of the melting point. Yellow represents the Peak
temperature which is between the solidus temperature and the temperature of the melting point and blue the Peak
temperature which is below the solidus temperature.
The Welding monitor displays a section on clipping plane in 2D view at the current position of the robot:
Figure 16.44. Result view, welding monitor and the clipping plane at different positions
The green surface in the result view represents the clipping plane which is shown in the Welding monitor. The
direction of the clipping plane is given by the direction of the heat source.
We recommend to open the result view next to the Welding monitor to see the current position of the
clipping plane which is displayed in the Welding monitor.
Furthermore, you can skip the position of the Welding monitor by using the scroll bar, the Drop-Down-menu which
can be found next to the scroll bar or the control bar. (Please note that for the latter one the Welding monitor has to be
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2023.3 Postprocessing THS plot for boundary conditions
(BCs)
the current activated view). Therefore, the information text contains the following pieces of information depending on
the current position of the Welding monitor: the process time, the active robot, the active trajectory and the distance
moved on the trajectory.
16.3.4. THS plot for boundary conditions (BCs)

The THS plot function for boundary conditions (bearings, fixings and clampings) as well as for components and robots
is available and can be used for validation of result values of the boundary conditions. This can be opened by right-
clicking on in the Process tree and then selecting :
Figure 16.45. Selecting History plot
After selecting History plot, the THS plot will be opened:
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2023.3 Postprocessing Result management
Figure 16.46. THS plot of BCs
In some cases it is advantageous to use the preselection of the BCs that should be presented in the THS
plot before starting the simulation. For example, if your process contains more than 100 BCs but you
just want to analyze some few of them where without a preselection you have to find these BCs in the
THS plot under the Selection which might take some time. Therefore, before starting the simulation,
double-click on Process parameters in the Process tree or right-click on Process parameters and then
select Show properties. Select the tab History plots in the left sidebar and then check the checkboxes
of the BCs which should be preselected in the History plot.
A detailed explanation of the History plot can be found in the previous chapter Particle tracking. The following table
contains all result values with their units which can be validated in the History plot of BCs:
Result value Result value

Rotational velocity X,Y,Z reference point
Time X,Y,Z force
Torque X,Y,Z moment
X,Y,Z velocity
16.3.5. Result management

The size of a project of Simufact Welding is in general huge where not all results of every single increment are needed.
In some cases you may need the last results of an analysis. So, why do you have to save all these results which are not
needed? And how should you send these huge size of files to others? Therefore, you can use the Result management
to reduce the size of a project which contains the important results you need. You can open the Result management
by right-clicking on in the Process tree and then selecting :
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2023.3 Postprocessing Result management
Figure 16.47. Result management
After selecting the Result management will be opened which contains all result increments of an
analysis. The list contains the ongoing number, the number of solver increment, the progress in [%], the related load
case, the time in [s], [min], [h] or [ms], the size of an increment, the total number of increment(s) and the total
value for the size of an analysis.
You can select single increments by using or Ctrl+ for multiply selection on these increments which shall be
deleted. Furthermore, you can use the buttons on the right sidebar which are listed and described in the following table:
Button Description
On Off
Select all visible increments. If all increments are selected, this button will be greyed out.
n/a Inverts the current increment selection.
Clears the current increment selection. If no increments are selected, this button will be greyed out.
n/a The Selection wizard *
Deletes the Simufact PreState (SPR) files of the selected increment. SPR files are required for
restarts of an analysis. So you should delete the SPR files of increments that you do not want to
restart from in order to save disk space.
Deletes the current selected increments. If no increments are selected, this button will be greyed out.
n/a Miscellaneous tools for the result repository.
* By selecting the Selection wizard a new dialog will appear:
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2023.3 Postprocessing Import/Export results in Simufact
Welding
Figure 16.48. Selection wizard

Within the Selection wizard you can select a specific range of selected increments which are defined by First row
and Last row and the sequence of selecting increments with Every n-th row. Three additional options for exception of
• results with prestate, which is required for a following simulation
• last load case results
• last simulation result
are available in this dialog. After defining the selection range there are two options. If no increments are selected you
can use Select to select the selecting increments, else (if all increments are selected) you can use Deselect to clear the
selected increments by the given selection range.
16.3.6. Import/Export results in Simufact Welding

The already existing results can be imported to current selected process by right-clicking on the process name in the
Process tree and then selecting Import results.... Then in the opening dialog the folder saving results can be selected.
Figure 16.49. Import results...
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There are a lot of types of exporting data from Simufact Welding (e.g. exporting particles, geometries, ...). Following
the export functions of geometries (STL (Ascii or Binary) and BDF) containing only geometries, and geometries
with results (UNV) containing meshes and their result values are explained.
16.3.6.1. Geometry export (STL/BDF)

The export function of geometries can be used for exporting the final contour of geometries at the last increment of a
load case. There are two options to export these geometries: only the deformed surface of a geometry (STL) or only
the deformed mesh (BDF).
To export deformed meshes they must be added to the object catalog first. To do this, right-click on Geometries in
the object catalog and select From result from the context menu.
Figure 16.50. Add mesh from result to object catalog
Select the source you want to add from, meaning the available process and the time step (Only processes that have
prestate data will show up). Then chose the bodies and solids you want to add to the object catalog. The deformed
components will be added to the object catalog.
Remark: When using the option 'Copy from Result' from the context menu of an already finished process, a copy of
all deformed components that are attached to this process will be added to the object catalog automatically.
Components that have results will be marked with . Please on the geometries which shall be exported and select
Export :
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Figure 16.51. Export geometry from object catalog
By selecting Export a new window will appear where you can select the path, name and the file type for the exported
geometry. By on the group name Geometries and selecting Export all, a new dialog is open, in which the desired
geometries with a give unit can be exported at once. Also the File format has to be defined. Click on Export you
will be asked for export location.
Figure 16.52. Export multiple geometries from the object catalog
It is also possible to export geometries (deformable bodies and solids) from the process tree. Click on a component or
a boundary condition object and chose Export from the context menu.
In contrast to the export via the object catalog, a result time step can be selected for this export, if available. This
allows to export also deformed geometries without adding an extra copy to the object catalog.
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Figure 16.53. Export geometry from the process tree
16.3.6.2. UNV export

You can use UNV export to export a geometry which includes the mesh information and the result values at certain
increments. These UNV files can be imported to other FE programs. In the UNV export dialog you can modify i.a.
the Result value IDs from Simufact Welding to a specific simulation program. To open the UNV export dialog, please
right-click on Results in the Process tree and select UNV export. The UNV export dialog will be opened:
Figure 16.54. Selecting UNV export
The UNV export dialog contains some pieces of information which are explained in the following:
• Selection - Geometries, Increments and Result values *which will be explained in detail later.
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• Input result information - Result information about currently checked components and selected increment.
• Export options -
• Unit system - The unit system defines the units of the exported data. Beside the standard unit systems you can
also choose the unit system that has been defined in the application settings. This makes it possible to export the
result values and the mesh into the unit system that is used in the whole application environment.
• Export element values at - select if element values at nodes or integration points for export.
• Export degenerated hexahedral elements as - The input result mesh contains hexahedrals which could be con-
verted into pentahedrals. By selecting this option the hexahedrals will be kept during the export.
• Exported name - It can be selected if the display or internal names are used to name the exported entities.
• Write undeformed mesh (checkbox) - If this option is checked, the undeformed mesh of the current selection will
be exported to the universal file. Otherwise, the deformed mesh will be exported.
• Export based on time (checkbox) - If checked, the time of the exported increment instead of the increment number
is used. This allows you to export results at similar times even if increment numbers do not correspond between
several models.
• Write as single file (checkbox) - Write all selected geometries to one single UNV file.
• Selection for export - Infomation about the number of selected components and increments that will be exported
including the selected result values will be represented here.
• UNV export settings control - JSON file defining export settings for batch mode and settings transfer. This file
can be used for batch mode allowing an automatic UNV export. The file can also be used to transfer the settings
to compatible processes and/or workstations without the need of process changes. Thus, you can use the buttons
Load from file or Save to file .
*The index tabs are shown in the following figure:
Figure 16.55. UNV export dialog
• Index tab Geometries - The Index tab Geometries lists all components which are used in the process. You can select
those components which shall be exported by checking the checkboxes or by using the buttons** in the right sidebar.
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• Index tab Increments - The Index tab Increments lists all increments and the related time value in [s] of the
whole analysis. You can select the certain increments by checking the checkboxes or by using the buttons** in
the right sidebar.
• Index tab Result values - The Index tab Result values lists all result values and the related Result type ID in
Simufact Welding. You can select the certain result values by checking the checkboxes or by using the buttons**
in the right sidebar. Furthermore, you can modify the Result type ID by double-clicking on it which will be changed
during the export. The following table shows all result values and their related Result type ID:
Result value Result Result value Result

type ID type ID
Displacement 27 Intermediate principal stress (vector) 1315
Peak temperature 87 Maximum principal stress (scalar) 1053
Stress 45 Maximum principal stress (vector) 1317
Temperature 20 Mean normal stress 1044
Area change 1130 Minimum principal stress (scalar) 1052
Contact status 1001 Minimum principal stress (vector) 1316
Critical elements 1165 Radial distortion 1237
Displacement vector 1423 Radial stress 1233
Domain ID 1086 Stress vector 1222
Effective plastic strain 1039 Tangential distortion 1238
Effective strain rate 1042 Tangential stress 1234
Effective stress 1040 Total distortion 1091
Element error 1422 Triaxiality 1321
Equivalent elastic strain 1076 X temperature gradient 1401
Glue 1271 Y temperature gradient 1402
Heat (external) 1143 Yield stress 1041
Heat flux 1108 Z temperature gradient 1403
Intermediate principal stress (scalar) 1051 Surface deviation 1465
**The buttons and their descriptions are listed in the table below:
Button Description
On Off
Clears the current selected items. If no items are selected, this button will be greyed out.
Select all visible items. If all items are selected, this button will be greyed out.
n/a Inverts the current selected items.
All checked result values with an incorrect result type ID will be corrected. Note: An incorrect
result type ID could be caused by a missing input or by an ID that is already in use. Also, the
result type ID 0 is not allowed. If all IDs are correct, this button will be greyed out.
The result type IDs of all custom result values will be set to default. Note: Please be aware that
n/a
all existing IDs will be overwritten.
After selecting the geometries, increments and result values you can export the UNV file by clicking on
where you can choose the folder to save to. Basically, the given name of an exported UNV file is composed by
*component_name*_*increment_number*.unv which includes all selected result values. Furthermore, the settings of
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UNV export will be also saved as unv_result_export.json. The number of the exported UNV files depends on the
number of selected geometries times the number of selected increments. So, please note that the more selected items
the more the total size of all UNV files will be increased.
For more information on UNV export, please also consult the respective infosheet: <installation path>
\simufact\welding\2023.3\doc\infosheets\UNVExport_en.pdf
16.3.6.2.1. UNV formatting for MpCCI mapper

It is possible to write out UNV file in a format that can be processed by the MpCCI mapper: To generate .unv files
processable by MpCCI Mapper the following options in the UNV Export dialog need to be set:
1. Select geometries and increments as desired. All result values in the available list are not supported by the mapper,
hence the user should manually select only the supported standard results: Recommended results supported by MpCCI
Mapper:
• Stress
• Temperature
• Contact
• Displacement
• Thickness
• Hardness
• Volume fraction (austenite, bainite, ferrite, martensite, ferrite, perlite - if needed)
• Stress
• Temperature
• Contact
• Displacement
• Thickness
• Hardness
• Volume fraction (austenite, bainite, ferrite, martensite, ferrite, pearlite-if needed)
2. Export options:
• Supported Unit system: International system of units (SI system).
• Export element values at integration points (recommended).
• Export degenerated hexahedral elements as hexahedral only (recommended).
3. Check ‘Write as a single .unv file’ option and uncheck ‘Export based on time’ (default).
4. Click Export to save the .unv file at a desired location.
Note: Using UNV Export settings control, the above-mentioned settings can be saved as default for re-use.
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2023.3
17 Material for welding simulation

2023.3 Material for welding simulation Introduction
Keywords
Material data base
Educational basics
This chapter describes the definition of proper material data as well as the handling of some advanced settings for
material modeling
Prerequisites
Basic process knowledge, Basic knowledge of Simufact Welding, Basic knowledge of Simufact Material, Experience
with material models
17.1. Introduction
Simufact Welding offers a material data base as well as a GUI (Simufact Material) which helps with editing and
preparing of material data for welding simulation.
The data base includes a number of iron, aluminum, nickel, cobalt and titanium based alloys for welding simulation.
However it is not possible to provide data for every alloy that might be needed for a simulation process. The needed
data can be provided by user, out of experimental results or out of JMatPro material simulation software. This data
has to be prepared to be used in the welding simulation.
This tutorial chapter describes the possibilities of definition of own data as well as requirements the data needs to meet
in order to be useful in the simulation.
17.2. Selecting the correct material from the

data base
Simufact Material offers a data base which contains over 700 material definitions. However, only approximately 40
of them are suitable for the welding simulation. Such materials can be filtered using the "Area of application" filter
and selecting "Welding".
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2023.3 Material for welding simulation Selecting the correct material from the
data base
Figure 17.1. Selecting an appropriate area of application
Additionally, you can filter by
• Material group (main balance element)
• Temperature (entering a temperature which is covered by the temperature range defined in the material data)
• Material condition ((heat) treatment condition)
• Standards (classification according to AISI, JIS or DIN if present)
• Plasticity model (analytical plasticity models for flow curve)
• Material properties (present material data, i.e. metallurgical transformations for steels)
• Import source
• Import date
In some cases it is useful to assign materials that are not defined for welding to your welding simulation, but mostly
only if they are assigned to components that are not getting welded and do not experience high temperatures. The
defined temperature range is always visible in the General properties window of the material in question. For welding,
the minimum temperature should lie at least near room temperature and the maximum temperature should be at least
near the melting temperature of the material.
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2023.3 Material for welding simulation Modifying existing materials and en-
tering your own data
Figure 17.2. Checking the defined material temperature range
17.3. Modifying existing materials and entering

your own data
If you need to set up a model with materials only slightly different from some material in the data base, it might be
convenient to edit an already existing material instead of defining an entirely new one.
To do so, please copy an existing material (data delivered with Simufact Welding is write-protected and cannot be
edited, a lock symbol in the list illustrates this fact) in the Simufact Material GUI.
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Figure 17.3. Copying a selected material
Afterwards you can open the copy by double-clicking on it and edit the properties in question.
In most cases material properties for welding simulation are to be defined with respect to temperature, so most prop-
erties are represented by a table. Some (like melting point or solidus temperature) are just values.
If a property is defined via table, the "Show table" button is active.
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Figure 17.4. Tabular data for temperature dependent values

Clicking on it opens an X-Y-plot of the property in question. From here you have the possibility to edit the table,
digitize a given X-Y-plot if you have a diagram, load and save the data as a CSV-file or completely delete the data.
Figure 17.5. Graphic representation and editing functions

Selecting "Edit table" will open a window, where you can directly change the values and also see the resulting X-
Y plot in real time. If the material is defined with phase transformation data you can edit the values for each phase
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separately. Clicking on "Modify the curve data" opens a dialog where you can define a function which depends on the
X and/or Y data of the table and apply this function to all table entries.
Figure 17.6. Editing data
After opening the plot digitizer you can open an image with a X-Y diagram of the property in question. Afterwards
one can define the units and ranges of both axes of the plot. By double-clicking on the curve you can add the values
to the table.
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Figure 17.7. Importing curves from scanned plots
If it comes to definition and editing of stress-strain data the approach is a bit different. Here the data might depend
on strain, temperature, strain rate, peak temperature and metallurgical phases, so the number of tables to be edited is
huge. If the material you want to create is not very different from the material already defined in the data base you
can also use flow curve scaling. If you know the Rp0.2 and Rm values of the material in question (i.e. from a material
certificate), you can enter these values in the Flow curve scaling dialog.
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2023.3 Material for welding simulation How a material data should be defined
Figure 17.8. Flow curve scaling dialog
The stress-strain-curve with the smallest temperature will be used as reference. The definition of a new Rp0.2 value,
regardless if as a number or as a scaling factor, shifts the curve in the way so it's origin is defined at the calculated or
entered Rp0.2 value. Additionally, the complete curve is scaled with this scaling factor. After entering the Rm data the
hardening part of the curve is scaled in order to allow the maximum of the curve to achieve the given value. Calculated
scaling factors are then applied to all other curves, so you get a consistent data set.
17.4. How a material data should be defined

For welding simulation a high number of thermophysical and thermomechanical data sets are needed. In this chapter
we explain the meaning of this data as well as recommended values, if there are any. Please keep in mind that if
the temperature in the model exceeds the range defined in the material data, the boundary values are used for this
temperature areas.
If the material data is entered with tables, there is no need to define sampling points (temperatures) with very small
steps. In most cases it is enough to define data for every 50°C or 100°C. The data is then interpolated between defined
values, if needed. Large tables are afterwards difficult to edit.
Chemical composition is at the moment only an informative data set and does not need to be entered. However,
Simufact Material GUI is able to calculate equivalent values that can provide knowledge about metallurgical behavior
of the alloy in question.
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Figure 17.9. Chemical composition of a material
Thermal conductivity governs the heat transport in the material. It is also used for automatic calculation of heat
transfer coefficient between components. It should be defined with respect to temperature. From the point of view
of calculation stability, thermal conductivity governs the level of non-linearity of the heat transfer equation, thus, the
definition should be as smooth as possible (which is also not wrong for all other data).
Specific heat capacity relates the temperature of the material with the thermal energy it can save. Thus, high values
mean that the material needs a lot of energy to heat up and also has to lose a lot of energy to cool down. It should be
defined with respect to temperature. Please note that in the attached example the curve has a maximum in the middle.
This is typical for materials that undergo solid state phase transformations (i.e. TRIP steels). The phase transformation
itself has a transformation enthalpy, thus allowing the material to absorb energy without heating up significantly.
The transformation enthalpy of solid-liquid phase transition is entered directly in the GUI and is not needed to be
considered while defining the specific heat capacity data.
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Figure 17.10. Sample diagram of a specific heat capacity over temperature
Density can be provided as constant value or as temperature dependent data.
Solidus temperature and melting temperature are mandatory in the welding simulation. Those values decide if
two welded components are joined or not. They are also used to govern mechanical properties of materials near the
melting point as well.
Evaporation temperature can be set optionally if latent heat for evaporation is to be considered in the simulation.
Latent heat for melting, also known as transformation enthalpy, describes the thermal energy the material absorbs
during solidus-liquidus phase change. This value should always be considered, if possible (the simulation will also
run without it though, but the results might be rather questionable).
Latent heat for evaporation describes the thermal energy consumption for liquid-vapour phase change. It is an
optional value. If no value is set, evaporation is not considered.
Young's modulus describes the elasticity of the material and is highly temperature dependent. Young's modulus is
very low near melting temperature, however it is not recommended to use values smaller than 5 GPa. Such values
would make the simulation highly unstable.
Poisson's ratio basically describes the volume change of the material under mechanical loading. Typical values for
metals lie between 0.25 and 0.35. It is recommended to enter this value as a constant without considering temperature
dependency, the influence on results is usually rather small but the stability of the calculation is highly improved.
Please be careful, it is possible that material data calculated with respect to temperature contains Poisson's ratio with
values near 0.5 (usually near melting point of the material). While this is correct physically for fluids, a FE solver
might not be able to use such values and the simulation will stop.
Thermal expansion coefficient is a highly sensitive parameter for thermo-mechanical analysis. As shown in the figure
below, it is recommended to have a defined zero value at the beginning and at the end of the curve. The reason is that
the thermal expansion coefficient is basically a derivative of thermal strains. If the material heats up to, say, 2000°C
and the thermal expansion coefficient is defined until the melting point of 1500°C with the last value being not zero,
thermal strains are continuing to grow which is not realistic.
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2023.3 Material for welding simulation Creating and importing material data
with JMatPro
Figure 17.11. Sample diagram of a thermal expansion coefficient over temperature

Flow stress data describes the stress-strain relation of the material. The data should be entered with temperature
dependency, steps of 50 K or 100 K are sufficient. The first value is always at plastic strain zero. It is possible to
define the data with strain rate dependency, if so, please take care to have relatively small strain rates in the data
base as those are typical for welding processes. Additionally, it is possible to define the data with respect to achieved
peak temperature. This might help for instance in case of aluminum, where the strength of the heat affected zone
changes because of experienced temperature history, especially peak temperatures. At high temperatures (depending
on material approx. above 0.7 x melting point) almost no hardening occurs, so the stress-strain relation above this
temperature should be rather "flat" and show somewhat constant values of stress over strain. At melting temperature
(or slightly below) the strength of material decreases to almost zero, in this range stress values should lie at 5 MPa to
10 MPa (which is not zero but which stabilizes the simulation without compromising the results).
Electrical resistivity and electrical conductivity are needed for resistance spot welding only. Those values are rec-
iprocal to each other, so it is enough to enter one of them, the other one is recalculated automatically.
Creep data describes the time and temperature dependent plastic deformation under certain load conditions like resid-
ual stresses. Creep effects decrease the residual stresses by transforming them into plastic deformation. Creep data is
only required for the proper simulation of stress relief heat treatment processes.
17.5. Creating and importing material data with

JMatPro
Material simulation software JMatPro has the capability of calculating material properties of many alloys, especially
aluminum alloys and steels, based on the chemical composition. However, the software is designed to calculate prop-
erties of material for heat treatment processes.
In order to get proper material data with JMatPro one should consider following suggestions
• Please generate the data for a single, relatively low strain rate, i.e. 0.01 1/s, which is typical strain rates in welding.
• Make temperature steps at 100°C.
• The heat treatment temperature in JMatPro should be set to a value near the melting point, i.e. 0.9 * melting tem-
perature.
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with JMatPro
After generating and importing a JMatPro material it needs further modifications for application in Simufact Welding.
Firstly the latent heat for melting in Thermal properties tab shall be added. For steel in general the latent heat for
melting is 256 400 J/kg. For Aluminum it is in general 396 000 J/kg. If the JMatPro material is generated as single
phase, the solidus and melting temperature shall also be given manually.
Figure 17.12. Thermal properties - latent heat

Additionally please modify the specific heat capacity and remove the values above solidus temperature, as this effect
is already covered by latent heat for melting.
Figure 17.13. Thermal properties - specific heat capacity

In mechanical properties tab please make certain that Young's modulus above solidus temperature stays at a significant
level e.g. 20 GPa. For multi-phase material only Young's modulus of austenite has to be modified.
Figure 17.14. Mechanical properties - Young's modulus
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with JMatPro
Also in mechanical properties tab please change the poisson's ratio from table to constant. A typical value for steel
is 0.3.
Figure 17.15. Mechanical properties - Poisson's ratio
In addition make certain that the thermal expansion coeff. above solidus temperature is set to 0. For multi-phase
material only austenite has to be modified.
Figure 17.16. Mechanical properties - thermal expansion coeff.
In flow curves tab reduce number of strain rates and keep only tables for strain rate 0.01 1/s. For multi-phase material
this modification shall be done for all phases.
Figure 17.17. Flow curves
For multi-phase material, the transformation strains in phase transformation tab shall be also modified. The value
of transformation strains above A3 temperature (typically 800°C for steel) shall be 0 and the value at A3 shall be
substrated from all other values. To do this please firstly choose Transformation strains curve for TTT diagram, then
select a phase to modify the curve (see below). After then click the Edit/show table button , set the values above
A3 temperature as 0 and substrate the value at A3 from all values. This modification should be done for all phases.
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2023.3 Material for welding simulation Hardening model
Figure 17.18. Phase transformation - Volume change
17.6. Hardening model

Currently Simufact Welding supports three hardening models: isotropic, kinematic and mixed. The main difference
between those models is the approach how stress-strain-relations are handled.
In case of isotropic hardening, the yield stress grows due to mechanical loading in a certain direction (work hardening).
If the direction of the load is reversed, no further hardening happens until the yield stress limit from the previous load is
achieved, then the material hardens further until the Rm limit is reached. Thus, the linear range of stress-strain-relation
grows with each loading that overcomes the local flow stress until Rm is reached. In case of kinematic hardening, the
yield stress in case of reversed loading is reduced by the amount the yield stress increased due to previous loading.
Real materials show some kind of mixed behavior. Because of the fact that different materials behave in a different
ways, also depending on recent temperature, the setting can be done in the component properties for each component
in the project separately.
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2023.3 Material for welding simulation Hardening model
Figure 17.19. Work hardening definition for deformable bodies

Activating either isotropic or kinematic hardening model sets the proportion of the activated model to 100%. Activating
both allows selecting a fraction for each model.
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2023.3
18 Batch mode and python interpreter

2023.3 Batch mode and python interpreter Introduction
Keywords
Batch mode, unv, json, export, python, terminal, script, results
Educational basics
This chapter will teach you the usage of the batch mode of Simufact Welding.
Prerequisites
Advanced process knowledge, advanced knowledge of Simufact Welding, knowledge of scripting and batch mode
18.1. Introduction
Simufact Welding can be started in batch mode from the command line. This can be used to:
• Automatic loading of a project, writing of the solver input files (*.dat) and starting of selected processes
• Automatic result export to universal files (*.unv)
The batch mode shall not be used to start several jobs consecutively using a queue, this can be done easily using
Simufact Monitor.
Be careful: No model check will be performed when starting a process in batch mode.
Simufact Welding also has a basic python API that can interpret python commands or execute entire python scripts.
18.2. Batch Mode

The batch mode can be started from the command line with: simufact.welding.exe [options].
18.2.1. Available options
The available options are listed below:
-importProject <file> Automatically imports the specified project with the name file (*.swproj).
-startProcess <processNames> Automatically starts all specified processes.
-writeInput <processNames> Automatically writes the solver input files (*.dat) of all specified processes.
-script <script_file> Automatically executes all commands of the script with the name script_file
(*.proc).
-start3DDisplay Simufact Welding will be opened with an empty dummy 3D-view open.
-close Simufact Welding will be closed after processing all GUI commands.
-exit or -quit or -q Simufact Welding will quit immediately after processing all commands.
-exportResults <json_file> Exports all defined results specified in json_file (*.json) into a universal file
format (*.unv).
A *.json-file can be generated and exported in Simufact Welding by on Results and selecting UNV export. The
components, increments and result values can be selected for the export.
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2023.3 Batch mode and python interpreter Examples
The generated *.json-file contains the component names and the increment numbers of the result values that shall be
exported. If the result values shall be exported for the last increment, one may have to adapt the increment number. It
also contains the project path, the process name and the export path. This parameters might have to be adjusted, too.
Figure 18.1. Exporting a *.json-file
18.2.1.1. Commands for the script file

>open project <file> Automatically opens the project file (*.swproj) in Simufact Welding.
>cleanup <processName> Automatic clean up of the process processName, i.e. existing results will be
deleted.
>run <processName> Automatically starts the specified process processName.
>writeinput <processName> Automatically writes the solver input files of the specified process process-
Name.
>wait <processName> Script waits till the simulation of the process processName is finished.
>exit Simufact Welding will quit immediately after processing all commands.
18.2.2. Examples
simufact.welding.exe -importPro- Automatically imports the project file, writes the input of the process process-
ject <file> -writeInput <process- Name and closes the GUI.
Name> -close
simufact.welding.exe -importPro- Automatically imports the project file, starts the processes processName_1 and
ject <file> -startProcess <process- processName_2 consecutively and closes the GUI. The processes are then run-
Name_1> <processName_2> -
close
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2023.3 Batch mode and python interpreter Python interpreter in Simufact Weld-
ing
ning simultaneously. The GUI closes after executing all commands and does
not wait till the simulations are finished.
simufact.welding.exe -exportRe- Automatically exports the results specified in json_file and closes the GUI.
sults <json_file> -close
simufact.welding.exe -script Automatically runs the script script_file and executes all commands defined
<script_file> there.
An example for a script file is shown below:
>open project <file>
>cleanup <processName_1>
>cleanup <processName_2>
>writeinput <processName_1>
>run <processName_2>
>wait <processName_2>
>exit
This script will open the project file, cleanup the processes processName_1 and processName_2, write the solver input
file of the process processName_1, start the process processName_2, wait till the process processName_2 has finished
and exit.
Remark: If there are blanks in the path name, the path name must be in quotation marks. For example: "..\Program
Files\simufact\welding\2020\bin\simufact.welding.exe"
18.3. Python interpreter in Simufact Welding

In addition to the batch mode commands, the GUI has its own python interpreter (based in Python 3.10.8, no external
Python installation is needed) that can interpret python commands. Simufact Welding also provides python command
for GUI functions to speed up and automate the modelling process. Scripts can be executed either via the Python
Terminal of the Simufact Welding GUI or by calling a python script file using "C:\Program Files\simufact\weld-
ing\2023.3\bin\runscript.bat" script.py.
18.3.1. Python Terminal

Python commands and python script files can be executed in a specific terminal that can be called via the 'Python-
Terminal'-button (1). From the buttons drop down menu you can open a script file or directly call a recently executed
script from a list. In the python terminal you can directly type in python commands line by line or call and run entire
python files by clicking the 'Select script file' button (2). The clean up button (3) will clear the terminal window but
will keep all variables! The 'Cancel current script execution' button will stop the script immediately (4). To call this
Tutorial Chapter click on the tutorial button (5). A detailed, html-based documentation about the Simufact GUI script
commands can be called from the info-button (6).
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2023.3 Batch mode and python interpreter Python Script Example 1: 'WebOn-
Plate'
Figure 18.2. The Python-Terminal in Simufact Welding
18.3.2. Python Script Example 1: 'WebOnPlate'

This tutorial example is based on the WebOnPlate arc welding example. To do this tutorial please open the respective
project file (to be found in: <installation path>\simufact\welding\<version>\examples\arc_welding\WebOnPlate). The
goal is to generate a new process and change the clamping properties.
Open the python terminal and start by defining a python object of the current project.
proj = current_project()
In addition an object of the used process(es) should be generated:
proc = proj.process("Web-on-Plate")
In the next step the selected process is copied:
WebOnPlateNew = proc.copy()
This process is used to demonstrate how to change the clamping setting with python script. In order to change the
settings of all clamps, iterate over all clamping object using a FOR loop:
for clamp in WebOnPlateNew.all_clampings:
clamp.definition="stiffness"
clamp.trans_stiffness = simufact.Table([[0, 1000.0], [0.5, 1100.0], [1, 1500.0]], ["mm", "N/m"])
Please note that the commands inside the loop have to be indented with a space! It is necessary to import the
simufact class to use the table values and assign units. In order to execute and exit the loop an empty column has to
be entered. The terminal input should look like this:
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2023.3 Batch mode and python interpreter Python script example 2: 'Four-Ro-
bots'
Figure 18.3. FOR loop

The three dots are indicating that the terminal input is inside an python element and not yet completely executed. The
empty column will close and execute the loop.
Type in a second FOR loop to change the end time for all clamps.
for clamp in WebOnPlateNew.all_clampings:
clamp.end_time=25
The clamping settings (e.g. in the model object named "Clamping") should now look like this:
Figure 18.4. Clamping settings

As a last step the project should be saved with the following command:
proj.save_as(r'<YOUR FOLDER>\NewWebOnPlate.swproj'')
please complete the command with an appropriate path.
The file 'WebOnPlatePyScriptTutorialExample.py' works comparable (please complete the script file
by filling in any missing path information before executing it). It can be found in <installation path>
\simufact\welding\<version>\doc\Scripting\Examples\WebOnPlatePyScriptTutorialExample.py
18.3.3. Python script example 2: 'Four-Robots'

In this python script example the example model '3-Robots' will be changed into a 4-Robot model using imported
trajectory files. In addition changes in the trajectory sequence and the time configuration of the robots will be demon-
422
bots'
strated. Please open the '3Robots' example model (to be found in: <installation path>\simufact\welding\<version>\ex-
amples\arc_welding\3Robots)
First an object of the current project and the respective process should be generated like in the last example.
proj = current_project()
proc = proj.process("3-Robots")
In the next step the list of trajectories of the robot "Robot" is exported as a csv-file with the command:
proc.robot("Robot-1").export_trajectories_list(r'<YOUR FOLDER>\traj-Robot1.csv')
It's also a possibility to generate an object of a specific robot, e.g. 'Robot-2' by using
robot2=proc.robot("Robot-2")
and to then export the trajectories list of "Robot-2" using
robot2.export_trajectories_list(r'<YOUR FOLDER>\traj-Robot2.csv')
For the sake of completeness, also export the trajectories of 'Robot-3':
proc.robot("Robot-3").export_trajectories_list(r'<YOUR FOLDER>\traj-Robot3.csv')
This serves mainly to demonstrate the export function. We will not use the exported files but will instead import new
trajectories from csv files.
Before that, please create a copy of the process "3-Robots":
FourRobotNew = proc.copy()
and copy one of the robot objects (here we take Robot-3) to add a fourth to the new process.
RobotNew=FourRobotNew.robot("Robot-3").copy()
In the next step the trajectories of the robots in the new process are deleted. Therefore iterate over all robots and all
trajectories using FOR loops.
Figure 18.5. double for loop example
423
bots'
for robot in FourRobotNew.all_robots:
for trajectory in robot.all_trajectories:
robot.delete_trajectory(trajectory)
Again, note that the commands inside the FOR loop have to be indented with a space. In case you have a FOR
loop inside a FOR loop, you will need two spaces. Enter an empty column to execute the entire loop.
In the next step the new trajectory lists are imported. For that, we need the 'Examples' location of the Simufact Welding
installation. To get it, define a variable:
import simufact
import os
exam_path = os.path.join(simufact.welding.get_installation_path(),'doc/Scripting/Examples')
Next, import the trajectory lists for each robot using:
FourRobotNew.robot("Robot-1").import_trajectories_list(os.path.join(exam_path,'Robot1_new.csv'))
In order to change the sequence of the trajectories the index has to be changed.
FourRobotNew.robot("Robot-1").trajectory("Trajectory-03").index=2
Remark: In python every index begins with 0.
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bots'
Figure 18.6. Process

The process tree of the new process should look comparable to the picture.
The next step is to apply changes to the time settings of the robots and trajectories.
In this case in Robot-3 and Robot-4 the lead time of all trajectories is changed.
for trajectory in FourRobotNew.robot("Robot-3").all_trajectories:
trajectory.lead_time=0.5
for trajectory in FourRobotNew.robot("Robot-4").all_trajectories:
425
2023.3 Batch mode and python interpreter Python script example 3: Set up 'We-
bOnPlate' from scratch
trajectory.lead_time=0.5
In addition the start time of Robot-1 and Robot-2 and the pause time at the beginning of trajectory-08 and trajectory-05
is changed.
FourRobotNew.robot("Robot-1").start_time=1
FourRobotNew.robot("Robot-2").start_time=1
FourRobotNew.robot("Robot-1").trajectory("Trajectory-07").pause_time_start=1
FourRobotNew.robot("Robot-2").trajectory("Trajectory-08").pause_time_start=1
As a last step the example is renamed and then saved:
FourRobotNew.name='4-Robots'
proj.save_as(r'<YOUR FOLDER>\FourRobots.swproj')
The file 'FourRobotsPyScriptTutorialExample.py' works comparable (please complete the script file
by filling in any missing path information before executing it). It can be found in <installation path>
\simufact\welding\<version>\doc\Scripting\Examples\FourRobotsPyScriptTutorialExample.py.
The file 'FourRobotsPyScriptTutorialExample2.py' executes the regrouping of the trajectories with-

out using the external new csv-files but instead export and import of existing trajectories
(please complete the script file by filling in any missing path information before execut-
ing it). It can be found in <installation path>\simufact\welding\<version>\doc\Scripting\Exam-
ples\FourRobotsPyScriptTutorialExample2.py.
18.3.4. Python script example 3: Set up 'WebOnPlate'

from scratch
This section gives an example of how to set up a model completely from scratch. It will show you how to set up the
already known 'Web-on-Plate' model entirely through scripting commands.
We are going to set up a 'Calibration' (thermal only) model first before we create a thermo-mechanically coupled copy
named 'Web-On-Plate' and then start the 'Calibration' model.
Open a blank Simufact Welding GUI (don't create a new project) and open the Simufact Python terminal.
First, we are going to import the simufact and os packages.
import simufact
import os
To set up the model we need to have all the entities (meshes, heat sources, trajectories, process settings) stored in
an external data folder. For this example, the data can be found in the <installation path>\simufact\welding\<ver-
sion>\doc\Scripting\Examples\fromScratch folder. We access the folder by using:
data_path = os.path.join(simufact.welding.get_installation_path(),'doc/scripting/Examples/fromScratch')
Next, we create a new project and process:
proj=simufact.welding.new_project("Web-on-Plate-from-scratch",r'<YOUR FOLDER>') #(e.g. C:\Users\<USER>

\Desktop)
proc=proj.new_process(name="Calibration",process_type="arc-welding",gravity=[0,0,9.80665])
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In the next step, all geometries, the material definition, trajectories and the heat source parameters need to be imported
to the object catalog:
Import geometries for components from data_path:
webGeom=proj.import_geometry(data_path+"/Web_mesh_m.bdf",unit="m")
plateGeom=proj.import_geometry(data_path+"/Plate_mesh_m.bdf",unit="m")
Import geometries for boundary conditions from data_path:
bearingGeom=proj.import_geometry(data_path+"/Bearing_m.bdf",unit="m")
clamping1Geom=proj.import_geometry(data_path+"/Clamping-1_m.bdf",unit="m")
fixing1Geom=proj.import_geometry(data_path+"/Fixing-1_m.bdf",unit="m")
fixing2Geom=proj.import_geometry(data_path+"/Fixing-2_m.bdf",unit="m")
Import geometries for weld beads from data_path:
wealdbeadLeft1Geom=proj.import_geometry(data_path+"/Weldpath-left-1-weldbead_m.bdf",unit="m")
wealdbeadLeft2Geom=proj.import_geometry(data_path+"/Weldpath-left-2-weldbead_m.bdf",unit="m")
wealdbeadRight1Geom=proj.import_geometry(data_path+"/Weldpath-right-1-weldbead_m.bdf",unit="m")
wealdbeadRight2Geom=proj.import_geometry(data_path+"/Weldpath-right-2-weldbead_m.bdf",unit="m")
Import material definition from the Simufact Material library:
mat=proj.import_material_from_library("Al99.5_sw")
Import the heat source XML file:
heatSource=proj.import_heat_source_parameters(data_path+"/Heat-source.xml")
Create temperature objects:
t20=proj.new_temperature(name="20C",contact_htc="auto")
temp=proj.new_temperature(name="TemperatureC",convective_htc=20,contact_htc=1000,emission_coefficient=0.6)
Create new weld lines and import trajectory points:
weldlineLeft1=proj.new_weld_line(name="Weldpath-left-1")
weldlineLeft1.import_points(data_path+"/Weldpath-left-1_m.csv")
weldlineLeft1.orientation="local-vector"
weldlineLeft2=proj.new_weld_line(name="Weldpath-left-2")
weldlineLeft2.import_points(data_path+"/Weldpath-left-2_m.csv")
weldlineLeft2.orientation="local-vector"
weldlineRight1=proj.new_weld_line(name="Weldpath-right-1")
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weldlineRight1.import_points(data_path+"/Weldpath-right-1_m.csv")
weldlineRight1.orientation="local-vector"
weldlineRight2=proj.new_weld_line(name="Weldpath-right-2")
weldlineRight2.import_points(data_path+"/Weldpath-right-2_m.csv")
weldlineRight2.orientation="local-vector"
We are then able so set up the model and create the components using:
web=proc.new_component(name="Web",geometry=proj.geometry("Web_mesh_m"),temperature=temp,material=mat)
plate=proc.new_component(name="Plate",geometry=proj.geometry("Plate_mesh_m"),temperature=temp,material=mat)
The boundary conditions are added and configured with:
bearing=proc.new_bearing(name="bearing",geometry=proj.geometry("Bearing_m"),temperature=t20)
fixing1=proc.new_fixed_geometry(name="fixing-1",
geometry=proj.geometry("Fixing-1_m"),
temperature=t20,
end_time=60)
fixing2=proc.new_fixed_geometry(name="fixing-2",
geometry=proj.geometry("Fixing-2_m"),
temperature=t20,
end_time=60)
clamping1=proc.new_clamping(name="clamping-1",
geometry=proj.geometry("Clamping-1_m"),
temperature=t20,
end_time=30)
temperature=t20,
end_time=30)
temperature=t20,
end_time=30)
428
temperature=t20,
end_time=30)
clamping1.force=250
clamping2.force=250
clamping3.force=250
clamping4.force=250
Similar to the demo model we want to create two robots in the model. Create and configure the left robot:
robotLeft=proc.new_robot("Robot-left")
robotLeft.material=mat
robotLeft.temperature=temp
traLeft1=robotLeft.new_trajectory(weldlineLeft1)
traLeft2=robotLeft.new_trajectory(weldlineLeft2)
traLeft1.new_geometry(proj.geometry("Weldpath-left-1-weldbead_m"))
traLeft2.new_geometry(proj.geometry("Weldpath-left-2-weldbead_m"))
robotLeft.assign_heat_source_parameter(heatSource,True)
Once the left robot is set up, we can calculate the orientation and project the trajectory points to the surface of the
weld bead meshes.
traLeft1.calculate_all_orientations(mode="component-center")
traLeft2.calculate_all_orientations(mode="component-center")
robotLeft.calculate_all_projections()
Repeat the same procedure to the second robot:
robotRight=proc.new_robot("Robot-right")
robotRight.material=mat
robotRight.temperature=temp
traRight1=robotRight.new_trajectory(weldlineRight1)
traRight2=robotRight.new_trajectory(weldlineRight2)
traRight1.new_geometry(proj.geometry("Weldpath-right-1-weldbead_m"))
traRight2.new_geometry(proj.geometry("Weldpath-right-2-weldbead_m"))
robotRight.assign_heat_source_parameter(heatSource,True)
traRight1.calculate_all_orientations(mode="component-center")
traRight2.calculate_all_orientations(mode="component-center")
robotRight.calculate_all_projections()
All model entities are now created and configures, the only thing missing is the set up of the numerical parameters.
429
For this example we just import a predefined process parameters set:
proc.process_parameters.time_control.analysis_end_time=200
proc.process_parameters.import_all_settings(data_path+"/Calibration_advanced.xml")
The Calibration model is now completely set up and ready to be solved.
Before starting the model, we create a thermo-mechanical copy of the 'Calibration' model and rename it to 'Web-On-
Plate':
proc2=proc.copy()
proc2.name="Web-on-Plate"
proc2.process_parameters.import_all_settings(data_path+"/Web-on-Plate_advanced.xml")
Once both models are created, the Calibration model can be started after performing a model check:
result=proc.check_model()
if result.ok:
print(result)
proc.start_analysis()
Starting the simulation will also save the project.
Alternatively you can call and execute the file 'WebOnPlateFromScratch.py' in Simufact Python Ter-
minal (please complete the script file by filling in any missing path information before exe-
cuting it). It can be found in <installation path>\simufact\welding\<version>\doc\Scripting\Exam-
ples\WebOnPlateFromScratch.py.
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2023.3
Data exchange with heat source sim-

19 ulation software and databases
2023.3 Data exchange with heat source Choosing a heat source to be exported
simulation software and databases
This chapter will show the export function of heat sources from Simufact Welding in XML file. The basic idea of this
function is the data exchange of heat sources between simulation softwares and databases.
19.1. Choosing a heat source to be exported

The export function can be selected with a on Heat source > Export SI in Simufact Welding GUI. After on
Export SI, a new dialog appears where you can choose the filename (e.g. heatSource.xml) where the format is XML:
Figure 19.1. Selecting export of heat source and export in XML-file
The exported XML-file contains all properties and parameters of the heat source in SI units which are defined in the
Simufact Welding GUI. The structure of this XML-file is equal to the structure of the heat source dialog in the GUI,
which is divided into 3 sections:
1. General heat source properties,
2. Welding parameters and
3. Heat source data.
In the following these sections will be separately explained in detail.
There are 2 types of heat source export available in Simufact Welding: Export and Export SI . Both of
them use the XML format, however the structures are different. The function Export uses an internal
XML structure which could change for the next version whereas the Export SI function will maintain
the XML structure. So the XML file generated by using the Export SI function is backwards compatible
for upcoming versions of Simufact Welding.
19.2. General heat source properties

The first section contains all general heat source properties which are purely information for the user and not needed
for the simulation. If some pieces of information are not needed, it is possible to deactivate these by doing a on
and unchecking the desired boxes. By doing a on Apply or OK, these items will not be displayed anymore and the
entry enable="true" in the XML file will change to enable="false". The user can define a large number of
properties (e.g. process type, thickness of materials, import source and filler material). All these pieces of information
will be saved in the exported XML file, see figure below:
432
2023.3 Data exchange with heat source Welding parameters
Figure 19.2. Selecting the general heat source properties to be exported
Furthermore the user can choose one of the welding positions in the dropdown menu which is shown in the figure
below:
Figure 19.3. General heat source properties: Welding positions
19.3. Welding parameters

The second section contains the welding parameters of the heat source. The entries in the XML file depend on which
welding mode and heat source the user has chosen and where the Goldak heat source is used in this section. There
are 3 modes to choose from:
1. Transient (indirect power),
2. Transient (direct power) and
3. Thermal cycle.
433
2023.3 Data exchange with heat source Welding parameters
Figure 19.4. Welding modes: Transient (indirect & direct Power) & Thermal cycle
The important entries in the XML-files are marked in green in the figure above. Therefore, based on the welding modes,
3 different XML files were created. The figure shows the 3 different selectable welding modes (1 - Transient
(indirect power), 2 - Transient (direct power) & 3 - Thermal cycle) in the Simufact
Welding GUI and the entry for velocity (section 0).
If Transient (indirect power) is selected the following entries are needed:
• Velocity [m/s],
• Efficiency [-],
• Voltage [V] and
• Electric current [A].
By selecting Transient (direct power) the user needs to define the following parameters:
• Velocity [m/s],
• Power value [W],
• Upramping properties (duration [s] and target value [%]) (If used) and
• Downramping properties (duration [s] and target value [%]) (If used).
For example: If the welding mode Transient (indirect power) is selected and exported then
the XML file contains the efficiency, electric current and voltage but no entry for the power value. And
434
2023.3 Data exchange with heat source Heat source data
if Transient (direct power) is selected and exported then the XML file contains the power value and
efficiency whereas electric current and voltage are missing.
When welding mode Thermal cycle is selected then a new block of entries will be created. This block contains the
following pieces of information, see also figure below:
• Velocity [m/s],
• Full thermal cycle (active - <fullCycle enable="true"/> or inactive - <fullCycle

enable="false"/>),
• Number of subdivisions (Only required if Subdivisions: Constant is selected),
• Subdivision mode (Selectable between Automatic - <subDivisionMode>auto</subDivision-

Mode>, Constant - <subDivisionMode>constant</subDivisionMode> or No subdivision -
<subDivisionMode>noDivision</subDivisionMode>) and
• Data points from the table of thermal cycle (Time [s] and factor of melting temperature [-] per data point).
Figure 19.5. Welding mode: Thermal cycle (table)
The table of the thermal cycle can be edited by doing a on Edit if a thermal cycle table already exists.
19.4. Heat source data

The third and last section contains the data of the heat source. Basically, Simufact Welding supports 2 different geo-
metrical types of heat sources, see also figure below (therefore, the important blocks of entries are also marked in
green):
1. Goldak's heat source (so called Conventional in Simufact Welding GUI) and
2. Laser heat source.
435
Figure 19.6. Geometrical types: Goldak's (Conventional) and Laser heat source
In case that Goldak's heat source is selected, the XML-file contains the following pieces of information:
• Shape of Goldak's heat source [m] (depth, front length, rear length and width),
• Type of distribution (uniform distribution - continuousDistribution="true" or normal distribution -

continuousDistribution="false") and
• Gaussian parameter [-] (Only required if normal distribution - continuousDistribution="false" is

used.).
In case a Laser is used as the heat source, the energy input is divided into:
• 2a. Volumetric heat source and
• 2b. Surface heat source
which causes 2 different blocks of entries. The block of 2a. Volumetric heat source contains the following pieces
of information:
• Volume heat fraction [-] (e.g. in this case <volumeRatio>0.96</volumeRatio>)
• Shape of volumetric heat source [m] (depth, upper radius and lower radius)


used.).
And the block 2b. Surface heat source contains the following pieces of information:
• Shape of surface heat source [m] (radius and depth)
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used.).
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2023.3
20 User defined heat sources

2023.3 User defined heat sources Introduction
Keywords
Heat source, Heat flux distribution, 3D, Welding parameter
Educational basics
This chapter describes the usage and adaptation of a user defined heat sources via FORTRAN subroutines.
Prerequisites
Basic process knowledge, Basic knowledge of Simufact Welding, Programming, FORTRAN.
20.1. Introduction
Simufact Welding already offers a high flexibility if it comes to definition of heat sources out of the GUI. It is possible
to define conical, circular and Goldak (double ellipsoidal) heat flux distributions by defining their shapes as well as
Gaussian parameter (also called "concentration factor").
Nonetheless, sometimes it is useful to create own heat sources that offer even more flexibility. Using a FORTRAN
subroutine allows basically free definition of shape and heat flux distribution and also a combination of several heat
sources in one routine. The data needed can be partially extracted from the DAT-file of a process or be defined
completely by user. The main purpose of a user defined heat source is the definition of heat flux input into the model
with respect to the position of nodes relative to the moving center of the heat source. The movement itself is described
via GUI and DAT-file. Please note, that in the subroutine you should use the SI unit system. An example subroutine
can be found in the folder docs/Subroutine which you can find in the installation directory. The existing subroutine
describes a flat disc heat source. In this chapter the subroutine gets adapted into a ring heat source definition.
The workflow of the solver if it comes to calculation of heat input into the model can be described as following:
The solver checks for every integration point of deformable bodies of the model, if the particular integration point
fulfills some defined condition. The condition might be for instance the distance of the integration point from the
origin of a (moving) heat source, its global position or if it belongs to some set of nodes or elements. This condition
and the resulting calculations for the heat source distribution are stated in the subroutine.
20.2. Prerequisites
In order to use FORTRAN subroutines you need a proper compiler environment installed on your machine. For current
Simufact Welding release the requirements are specified in the related installation guide. Please make sure that these
applications are properly installed and running, the setup is mandatory to compile the subroutines for the solver out
of the FORTRAN files. Further information for the installation of compiler environment can be found in the Simufact
Welding Installation Guide. You can check your setup by compiling the subroutine compile_test.f which you can
find in the folder sfMarc\tools\test in the installation directory. The usage of this test subroutine is described in the
header of the file.
20.3. Editing the DAT-file for subroutine imple-

mentation
Once a process is created in Simufact Welding GUI, please write the DAT-file as usual by clicking "Write program
input" in the analysis control tool bar.
Open the DAT-file with a text editor of your choice and search for WELD FLUX card, which contains the heat source
definition. Usually, the WELD FLUX card looks similar to
439
2023.3 User defined heat sources Editing the FORTRAN file
10 WELD FLUX
20 2 0 1 1
30 1 6000 6 4000 5000 0weld_flux_6000_welding
40 0.0000000000000E+00 0.0000000000000E+00 0.0000000000000E+00
0.0000000000000E+00 0.0000000000000E+00 5.0000000000000E-03 0 0
1.2000000000000E+00
50 7.6440000000000E+03 9.0000000000000E-01 3.0000000000000E+00
7.5000000000000E-03 6.5000000000000E-03 6.0000000000000E-03
1.5000000000000E-02 3.0000000000000E-02
60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
70 0 10
80 1
90 all_elements_set
100 1 6001 6 4001 5001 0weld_flux_6001_welding
110 0.0000000000000E+00 0.0000000000000E+00 0.0000000000000E+00
0.0000000000000E+00 0.0000000000000E+00 5.0000000000000E-03 0 0
1.2000000000000E+00
120 7.6440000000000E+03 9.0000000000000E-01 3.0000000000000E+00
7.5000000000000E-03 6.5000000000000E-03 6.0000000000000E-03
1.5000000000000E-02 3.0000000000000E-02
130 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
140 0 10
150 1
160 all_elements_set
Line 10 and 20 are headers, the first entry of the line 20 describing the total number of heat sources in the model.
Lines 30 to 90 describe the first heat source, lines 100 to 160 the second one and so on (if more heat sources exist in
the model). The third entry of lines 30, 100 and so on describe the heat source type. Set this value to 3 to include a
user defined subroutine for the heat source in question.
Additionally one has to keep in mind that per default the solver calculates the applied heat source power in every
increment and checks if it matches with the power set by GUI. If the power differs (this can happen due to different
mesh densities or geometry corners and gaps), the power is scaled to match the user input. The value is visible in the
first entry of lines 50, 120 and so on. If you redefine the heat source in a way that this functionality is not needed, you
can turn this scaling off by putting a "0" into the third position of the line 20. Please note that this setting is applied
for all heat sources in the model.
20.4. Editing the FORTRAN file

For defining a user defined heatsource, the marc subroutine UWELDFLUX is used.The description of the marc sub-
routine can be found in Marc Volume D, see Help -> Technical references. We provide an example of a simple user
defined heat source implementation, see disc.f. The file is basically subdivided into three blocks, the obligatory header
defining input variables and return values, the block where the calculations are done as well as the output block. In
440
2023.3 User defined heat sources Header of the FORTRAN file
addition, many lines in the file are marked as comments (they are marked with "c" at the beginning of a line or with
"!" in the middle of the line), so they explain the program code.
20.5. Header of the FORTRAN file

The header contains information about input and output data and should not be changed.
marc subroutine uweldflux(f,temflu,mibody,welddim,time)
subroutine uweldflux(f,temflu,mibody,welddim,time)
#ifdef _IMPLICITNONE
implicit none
#else
implicit logical (a-z)
#endif
c include "weld.cmn" !dmaxweld
include "pival.cmn" !Value of PI
real*8 f
integer mibody
real*8 temflu, time, welddim
dimension mibody(*),temflu(*),welddim(*)
c* * * * * *
c
c user subroutine for weld flux input.
c
c INPUT:
c temflu(1,2,3) local integration point coordinates
c (with respect to heat source origin)
c temflu(4,5,6) global integration point coordinates
c mibody(1) element number
c mibody(2) distributed flux type
c mibody(3) integration point number
c mibody(4) weld flux index
c welddim(1) weld width
c welddim(2) weld depth
c welddim(3) weld forward length
c welddim(4) weld rear length
c welddim(5) weld flux power
c time time at end of incement
c
c OUTPUT:
c f weld flux value
c
c* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
real*8 WID_IntP, DEP_IntP, LEN_IntP ! Integration point coordinates
wrt. origin of the source
real*8 WID_SRC, DEP_SRC, LEN_SRC ! Heat source dimensions
real*8 POWER ! Heat source power
real*8 RADIUS, AREA
In this header input and output variables are defined and explained in the comments. The subroutine UWELDFLUX
returns the weld flux "f" and uses a number of variables to estimate the weld flux. The vector "temflu" contains
integration point coordinates in the local coordinate system of a moving heat source (first three entries) and in the
global coordinate system of the model (last three entries). The vector "mibody" contains element number, weld flux
type, number of integration point as well as weld flux index respectively. The vector "welddim" contains heat source
width, depth, forward and rear length as entered in the WELD FLUX card and in the GUI. You can use this data in
your heat source definition. The header additionally contains the definition of local variables such as radius and area
which are used for the calculation.
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2023.3 User defined heat sources Output of the FORTRAN file
20.6. Output of the FORTRAN file

The subroutine returns the value of variable "f" describing the heat flux with respect to the position of an integration
point relative to the heat source center, so in the last line of the FORTRAN file you should assign the result of your
calculation to the variable f.
20.7. Calculation of heat flux distribution

Between those two sections you can calculate the distribution with respect to process time, position of the integration
point etc. Depending on the input parameters of the subroutine one can describe the heat flux experienced by an
integration point.
For instance, let us assume we have a heat source moving strictly in X-Z-plane and we want to distribute a constant
heat flux over the complete disc with the radius 1 mm around the center of the heat source. The position of the heat
source is described by the local coordinate system of the heat source saved in the state variable temflu. The first entry
describes the relative position perpendicular to the welding direction on the plane, the second entry the position of an
integration point out of the plane and the third one the position along the weld path (see header information). Thus
it is possible to define:
WID_IntP = temflu(1) !Position perpendicular to weld line (in plane)
DEP_IntP = temflu(2) !Position in depth
LEN_IntP = temflu(3) !Position along the weld line (in plane)
describing the positions of integration points with respect to local coordinate system of the heat source in length, width
and depth directions and
WID_SRC = welddim(1) !Width
DEP_SRC = welddim(2) !Depth
LEN_SRC = welddim(3) !Length
describing the dimensions of the heat source.
Further the radius of the heat source is specified via
RADIUS = 0.003 !SI-Unit m
If the integration point in depth direction does not lie within the heat source geometry we can directly abort the
execution because then it does not experience any heat flux:
It is assumed, that the depth of the heat source is defined such that only the first layer of integration points is inside
the definition
if(DEP_IntP.ge.DEP_SRC) return
If the integration point in plane direction is outside the radius of the heat source, we can also directly abort:
if(SQRT(LEN_IntP**2+WID_IntP**2).ge.RADIUS) return
Now we need to calculate the area of the heat source and divide the given power by the area to get the heat flux in
each integration point:
AREA = PI*RADIUS**2
f = POWER/AREA
The variable f describes the heat flux and is returned. Please note, if the density of integration points changes, the
solver will try to adjust (scale) the heat input to achieve given power value.
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2023.3 User defined heat sources Compiling the solver
Of course, more sophisticated code is possible, please check a FORTRAN manual of your choice to get deeper insight
into programming with FORTRAN. Please keep in mind, that used variables are to be declared previously to their
usage.
This is how disc.f is defined and applied. All points have been checked if they are within area or not and then the
heat flux is applied to given points.
As an exercise, we now adapt the disc into a ring. Therefore we have to add an inner radius and add some constraint
to the script:
In this example we assume a ring with an inner radius of 1.5 mm and an outer radius of 3 mm. Therefore we introduce
two variables, one for the inner radius INNER_RADIUS and for the outer radius we rename and adapt RADIUS
accordingly to OUTER_RADIUS (variables have to be defined in the header). Then we adapt the calculation of the
heat flux accordingly:
Check if integration point is outside heat source (in depth direction):
if(DEP_IntP.ge.DEP_SRC) return
Check if integration point is outside outer radius of heat source (in plane direction):
if(SQRT(LEN_IntP**2+WID_IntP**2).ge.OUTER_RADIUS) return
Check if integration point is inside of inner radius of heat source (in plane direction):
if(SQRT(LEN_IntP**2+WID_IntP**2).le.INNER_RADIUS) return
Calculate heat flux:
AREA = PI*OUTER_RADIUS**2-PI*INNER_RADIUS**2
f = POWER/AREA
20.8. Compiling the solver

In order to execute the solver with your subroutine edit the run.bat file in the _run_ directory of the process in question.
Add a parameter -user name_of_fortran_file to the call of the solver, i.e. "...\run_sfMarc.bat" -
nthread_solver 16 -nthread_elem 16 -ddm 1 -nps 4 -user mycode -j Mechanical-3.dat
If you want to save the compiled solver, you can also add -save yes to the call of the solver. Please refer to solver
manual volume A, chapter "Program Initiation" for further information.
20.9. Quick result comparison

As a last step we need to verify, if our subroutine is correctly used in the solver. Therefore we look at the results of
an arbitrary process where the subroutines were used. In the first example the disc was used to estimate the heat flux
and in the second one the ring was applied.
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2023.3 User defined heat sources Quick result comparison
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2023.3
21 Advanced welding tutorial

2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Introduction
21.1. Introduction
Accurate simulation of welding processes poses high computational demands. Typical processes are characterized by
high thermal gradients, extremely fast heating and cooling rates, mechanical loads due to thermal loads and external
tools, as well as microstructural influences such as phase transformation or diffusion. As illustrated in the figure below,
all of these physical phenomena are interconnected, and thus require sophisticated modeling methods.
Figure 21.1. Possible interactions in a welding process
The finite element method (FEM) provides a powerful and versatile tool for solving a broad variety of engineering
problems. In this spirit, Simufact Welding is based on the MSC Marc solver with its capability to efficiently solve the
finite element equations arising in a welding simulation.
It is the strength of the FEM to break down a complex problem, e.g. a welding process, into discrete chunks of time and
space. Spatial discretization is realized via the underlying FEM mesh, while time is divided into a sufficiently large
number of small time increments. For each time increment, the MSC Marc solver runs distinct passes based on model to
evaluate the underlying equations. Following are typical passes involved in a general simulation in Simufact product:
1. In the diffusional pass, local changes of chemical composition are evaluated. In the electromagnetic pass, the input
energy from current is calculated.
2. In the thermal pass, heat transfer is evaluated.
3. In the mechanical, stresses pass and strains are evaluated.
A schematic illustration of this scheme is shown in the figure below. Each of the blue blocks represents a full pass of the
solver in which parameters are optimized until convergence is reached. Depending on the selected type of simulation,
not all passes are performed, e.g. diffusional pass is involved in case hardening process and electromagnetic pass is
involved in resistant spot welding or induction heating. After a pass has reached convergence, the results are then
handed to the following solver pass. Additionally, Simufact welding offers the option to consider phase transformation
in multi-phase materials via a metallurgical model. It is calculated after thermal pass to determine phase changes
and the effects on stress/strain are calculated in the following mechanical pass. Interactions as those shown in the
figure above take effect by repeated evaluation of all equations during solver passes and metallurgical modeling in
subsequent time increments.
This document aims to explain the underlying models that are applied in Simufact Welding. Here, the emphasis lies on
the implemented equations and the corresponding input for the MSC Marc solver. For detailed instructions regarding
the usage of Simufact Welding via the Simufact Welding graphical user interface (GUI), please refer to the provided
Simufact Welding Tutorial.
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2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Material data
Figure 21.2. Solver passes and metallurgical modeling in Simufact Welding
21.2. Material data

In Simufact Welding, material properties enter the simulations via the materials assigned to the individual components.
The required material data is managed via Simufact Material. When running a simulation, this material information
is translated into the MSC Marc specific card format, which is written into the UMT file in the _RUN_ folder of the
simulation. This file does not only contain information about physical material properties but also determines which
material models are applied.
Simufact Welding is shipped with a basic set of predefined materials that are directly not editable. New materials
can be imported or created within Simufact Material from copies of existing data sheets. Typically, material data is
generated with the external software JMatPro® provided by Sente Software as this process results in reliable and
consistent material models.
For a detailed introduction to the utilities provided by Simufact Material, please refer to the Simufact Material Tutorial.
In the following, the focus lies on the content of a typical material data sheet as it is applied in welding simulations.
21.2.1. Mechanical properties (isotropic materials)

Typical welding simulations are based on isotropic structural material properties. Such a material behavior is charac-
terized by the following material parameters:
• Young’s modulus,
• Poisson’s ratio,
• Density,
• Thermal expansion coefficient,
• Yield strength,
• Kinematic hardening fraction.
All of the above parameters can be associated with constant values. Alternatively, for all parameters except the density
tables are available to specify temperature-dependent material behavior. If the material model exhibits more than one
phase (multi-phase material), all the above parameters are independently specified for each phase.
Information on structural properties can be found in the ISOTROPIC, STRUCTURAL card within the UMT file.
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2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Thermal properties (isotropic materi-
als)
The flow stress is typically given as a function of temperature, plastic strain, and plastic strain rate. The corresponding
flow curves can be found in the FLOW STRESS card within the UMT file.
21.2.2. Thermal properties (isotropic materials)

For coupled thermal mechanical simulations, such as welding simulations, the above mechanical properties must be
accompanied by the corresponding thermal parameters. These are the following:
• Thermal conductivity,
• Specific heat capacity,
• Thermal dissipation factor,
• solidus and liquidus temperature,
• Latent heat for melting.
As for the mechanical counterparts, these parameters can be associated either with a constant value or a tempera-
ture-dependent table (except for the solidus, liquidus temperature and latent heat for melting). If the material model
exhibits more than one phase, all of the above parameters are independently specified for each phase (except for the
solidus, liquidus temperature and latent heat for melting).
Information on structural properties can be found in the ISOTROPIC, THERMAL card within the UMT file.
Latent heat for melting refers to the thermal energy released or absorbed during a first-order phase transition at constant
temperature. Simufact Welding explicitly includes the latent heat of fusion that is associated with the phase transition
from the solid to the liquid phase.
Note that Simufact material data sheets designed for other types of simulations may also contain the latent heat of
evaporation that is associated with the phase change from the liquid to the gaseous phase. However, incorporation
of the latent heat of evaporation into welding simulations is currently not recommended due to a significant increase
of simulation time.
Specification of the latent heat for melting requires the begin of the phase change (lower limit, solidus temperature),
the end of the phase change (upper limit, melting temperature), and the latent heat parameter.
The corresponding parameters appear in the LATENT HEAT card within the UMT file.
21.2.3. Multiphase materials

If multiple phases are defined within a specific material data sheet, phase transitions can be defined between these
phases. As soon as suitable phase transition data is included in the material data sheet, phase transitions will be incor-
porated in the welding simulation.
The required material data is written in the MICROSTRUCTURE card within the UMT file. Although Simufact
Material supports more representations of the material data, material information given below corresponds to that used
by the simulations.
The current implementation of the phase transition model is tailored to the needs of steels and is applicable to materials
with five distinct phases:
1. Austenite (A),
2. Ferrite (F),
3. Pearlite (P),
4. Bainite (B),
5. Martensite (M).
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2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Multiphase materials
During heating, phase transformations from ferrite, pearlite, bainite, and martensite to austenite are considered. The
relevant parameters are:
• Austenitization temperature A1 (simplified austenitization model),
• Austenitization start temperature Ac1,
• Austenitization end temperature Ac3.
During cooling, both CCT and TTT tables can be defined for phase transformations from austenite to ferrite, pearlite,
bainite, and martensite. If phase transformations are treated based on TTT curves, the following data is required:
• TTT curves
• For the transformations , TTT curves for 1% and 99% of the phase transformation need to
be given as a function of time vs. temperature.
• If desired, the phase transformation is specified in terms of the transformed volume fraction as a function
of temperature.
• Latent heat:
• For each of the transformations , the latent heat associated with the transformation
can be specified as a function of transformation temperature.
• Transformation strains:
• Each of the transformations is associated with a specific transformation strain that

can be specified as a function of transformation temperature.
• TRIP coefficient
• For each of the transformations , the TRIP coefficient associated with phase TRans-
formation Induced Plasticity is specified as a function of the transition temperature.
• Maximum volume fraction:
• Optionally, for each phase a maximum volume fraction can be specified as a function of temperature. This data
is mainly required for the CCT approach and to improve the ferrite phase fraction as obtained from the TTT
approach.
Figure 21.3. Typical isothermal TTT diagram as managed in Simufact

Material. Note that the Ferrite (99%) curve is not shown because the
ferrite phase fraction is limited by other criteria as outlined in section 6 .
If phase transformations are treated based on CCT data, the following information is required:
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2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Discretization methods
• CCT phase fraction:
• For each of the transformations , the resulting phase fraction is specified as a function
of the cooling rate. If calculated via JMatPro, this data is consistent with the corresponding TTT curves.
• 0.2% Proof stress:
• The 0.2% proof stress is specified as a function of the T8/5 cooling rate.
• Tensile stress:
• The resulting tensile stress is specified as a function of the T8/5 cooling rate.
• Hardness
• The resulting hardness is specified as a function of the T8/5 cooling rate.
The CCT curves can be also defined with Leblond model, which requires the following parameter
• : retardation parameter. It controls the transformation rate and has to be defined as table with temperature depen-
dency.
• : the equivalent phase proportion (the phase proportion in an isothermal case at a given temperature). It controls
the transformation rate and has to be defined as table with temperature dependency.
• : a correction function controlling the transformation rate with respect to the cooling or heating rate. Changing
this value for a certain temperature change rate will also alter the transformation rate. Higher values increase the
transformation rates while lower values decrease them.
• Latent heat
• TRIP coefficient
• Transformation strains
21.3. Discretization methods

Discretization is a key concept for finite element analysis. This section introduces the theoretical concepts and appli-
cation of the discretization techniques for space and time that are applied within Simufact Welding.
21.3.1. Spatial discretization

The name Finite Element Method (FEM) already represents the key idea of the method: the subdivision of a continuous
workpiece into a finite number of discrete subregions – the elements. These elements do not only represent the shape
of the object, but also carry its physical properties, such as mass, stiffness, etc. Creation of such a spatial discretization
is also known as “meshing” and it is performed by computational tools referred to as “meshers”.
Mesh definition involves both the placement of individual geometric points, the nodes, and their logical connection
into elements. Hence, a valid mesh definition involves both nodal positions as well as information regarding their
connectivity and element type. Within the DAT file, mesh information is entered via the CONNECTIVITY and CO-
ORDINATE cards. The DEFINE option allows to group both nodes and elements into sets for convenient use in later
model definition options, such as boundary conditions.
The following section introduces the element types for discretization within Simufact Welding. Mesh definition and
special meshing capabilities applied within Simufact Welding are covered in subsequent sections.
21.3.1.1. Element types in Simufact Welding

Simufact Welding utilizes a sub-set of element types available in the MSC Marc solver, focusing on 3-dimensional
continuum elements. Welding simulation involves both thermal and structural aspects. Hence, all the heat transfer
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2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Spatial discretization
element types available in Simufact Welding have a complementary stress element type to ensure compatibility in
data exchange during a coupled thermo-mechanical analysis.
In FEM analysis, discrete solutions are obtained for all nodes of the mesh. To estimate the physical quantities inside
the elements, appropriate interpolation functions need to be chosen, the so-called shape functions. In large deforma-
tion analysis, linear elements (with linear shape functions) are preferred due to their robustness with respect to mesh
distortion. For this reason, no higher order element types are available in Simufact Welding. As welding simulations
typically do not show excessive plastic strains, there is no remeshing option.
Each element type provides its unique characteristics, such as the number of nodes, the number of integration points,
or the number of degrees of freedom. According to the required element functionality, the following element types
are available in Simufact Welding:
• Hexahedral (element type 7/43),
• Solid-Shell (element type 185/175),
• Tetrahedral (element type 157/135),
• Tetrahedral (element type 134/135).
Here, element numbers refer to the MSC Marc element IDs for structural/thermal analysis. In a coupled analysis, heat
transfer capabilities are invoked via the structural element ID.
Within the DAT file, elements are defined via the CONNECTIVITY card, specifying nodal IDs in the correct order.
In the following, characteristics of the available elements will be outlined.
21.3.1.1.1. Hexahedral element (7/43)

As illustrated in the figure below, this element is defined via 8 nodes at the corners of an isoparametric hexahedron
with a total of 8 integration points. Each node is associated with three degrees of freedom in a mechanical pass. The
heat transfer element 43 used in the thermal pass has one degree of freedom for the temperature. Three direct stresses
and shear stresses are allowed, each.
Figure 21.4. Element type 7 is an 8-node hexahedral element. Nodes 1 to 4 and 5 to 8

represent the corners of two opposing faces in counterclockwise order. Node 5 lies on the
same edge as node 1. Integration points are shown for 8- and 4-point Gaussian integration.
Mapping occurs from the space into a 3-dimensional cube in the space via the following relations:
(21.1)
(21.2)
Either the coordinate or the function can be expressed in terms of the nodal quantities via the trilinear interpolation
functions
451
(21.3)
where
(21.4)
(21.5)
(21.6)
(21.7)
(21.8)
(21.9)
(21.10)
(21.11)
The element uses eight-point Gaussian integration and four-point Gaussian integration for distributed fluxes as illus-
trated in the figure above.
Generally, this element type requires a relatively fine mesh because of limited shear and bending capabilities. Due to
the trilinear interpolation functions, thermal gradients tend to be constant throughout the element.
21.3.1.1.2. Solid-Shell element (185/175)

The solid-shell element 185 available in Simufact Welding is the 8-node hexahedron that is shown in the figure below.
Figure 21.5. Solid-shell element type 185.

The stiffness of this element is formed via one integration point in the element plane and a variable number throughout
the element thickness. This way, plasticity under bending can be captured by a single element. Accordingly, it is
recommended to apply this type of element for thin geometries, such as required for sheet forming processes. As
compared to common shell elements, element type 185 is better suited for contact on both element sides.
21.3.1.1.3. Tetrahedral elements (157, 134/135)

As illustrated in the figure below, element types 134 and 157 are 4- and 4+1-noded tetrahedral elements.
452
Figure 21.6. Tetrahedral element types 134 and 157. For both element
types, nodes 1 to 3 define the base of the tetrahedron, while node 4
represents the opposing vertex. Node 5 lies in the center of element type 157.
Although both elements are tetrahedral elements with linear governing behavior, the element type 157 is superior for
most applications due to its additional central node. For both element types, the number of allowed direct and shear
stresses is three.
For element type 134, each node has three spatial degrees of freedom. There is one degree of freedom for the tem-
perature in the heat transfer element 135. Integration of the stiffness matrix and distributed loads utilizes a single
integration point in the center of the element or on its face, respectively. It is associated with linear interpolation
functions, so that the strains and thermal gradients are constant throughout the element. This results in limited shear
behavior requiring relatively fine meshes. Note that this element type is not applicable for incompressible or nearly
incompressible behavior, such as plasticity. Therefore, element type 157 is recommended for most applications.
Element type 157 is based on the Herrmann formulation, being designed for incompressible or nearly incompressible
applications. Each of the four corner nodes has three spatial degrees of freedom, plus an additional degree of freedom
for pressure. This element type utilizes a cubic shape function that is evaluated via four Gaussian integration points.
The degrees of freedom of the center node are condensed out on the element level before the assembly of the global
matrix.
21.3.1.1.4. General remarks

Hexahedral elements (element type 7) tend to have the best accuracy while maintaining a lower number of elements as
compared to tetrahedral elements (element types 134 and 157). The hexahedral element contains 8 integration points,
while the tetragonal element has only 4. From an elementary computational point, this makes the hexahedral element
comparable to two tetragonal elements. It is not possible to mesh each geometry via hexahedral elements. If it is not
possible to apply a hexahedral mesh, it is recommended to select tetrahedral elements of type 157 as these perform
better than element type 134 in the presence of plastic deformation.
Whenever thin structures need to be modeled, such as in sheet forming processes, element type 185 may be a good
choice. To capture the bending of a sheet with hexahedral elements, a minimum of three elements needs to be applied
in the sheet thickness direction. These may be replaced by a single element of type 185 due to the variable number
of integration points in thickness direction. Thus, the required number of elements can be significantly reduced by
the use of element type 185.
21.3.1.2. Mesh generation

Simufact Welding can import fully meshed components (e.g. from external meshers such as MSC Apex) or provides
basic meshing capabilities via several build-in meshers. Designed for the needs to mesh 3D components with the
available element types, the implemented meshers are Hexmesh, Sheetmesh, Ringmesh, and Tetmesh.
453
Hexahedral (element type 7) and solid shell (element type 185) meshes can be generated with the Hexmesh, Sheetmesh,
or Ringmesh meshers. Tetrahedral meshes (element types 134 and 157) are produced by the Tetmesh mesher. Meshing
output is directly translated into the required CONNECTIVITY and COORDINATES cards within the DAT file.
21.3.1.2.1. Hexmesh
The Hexmesh mesher is capable of meshing almost all 3-dimensional geometries with hexahedral elements. As illus-
trated in the figure below, it applies a two-step meshing approach:
1. Meshing of the core with regularly shaped hexahedral elements,
2. Projection of the core onto the surface and closure of the remaining gaps between core and surface with adapted
elements.
Note that this procedure requires a minimum of three elements across the workpiece thickness: one core element and
one on each side bounding the workpiece surface.
Figure 21.7. Mesh generation with the Hexmesh mesher: 1. Meshing

of the core region. 2. Final mesh after creation of the surface elements.
21.3.1.2.2. Sheetmesh
The Sheetmesh mesher is particularly designed for thin structures. As illustrated in the figure below, the meshing
follows a two-step routine:
1. Identification of the workpiece surface and its meshing with quadrilateral (quad) elements.
2. Expansion of the 2-dimensional surface elements into a user-specific number of 3-dimensional hexahedral ele-
ments.
Figure 21.8. Mesh generation with the Sheetmesh mesher: 1. Creation

of a 2-dimensional surface mesh. 2. Final mesh after expansion
of the surface mesh into 3-dimensional hexahedral elements.
454
Typically, the Sheetmesh mesher can mesh thin structures with a smaller total number of elements than the Hexmesh
mesher, but is prone to several design limitations:
• Limited changes in sheet thickness,
• Limited capability to mesh sharp bending edges,
• Limitation to straight sheet edges.
21.3.1.2.3. Ringmesh
The Ringmesh mesher is particularly designed for rings and round, hollow geometries or their segments. As illustrated
in the figure below, the meshing follows a two-step approach:
1. Creation of a 2-dimensional quadrilateral mesh for the cross section of the part.
2. Rotation of the initial mesh to generate 3-dimensional hexahedral elements.
The Ringmesh mesher can handle different element sizes for radial, tangential, and axial directions. Additional mesh
refinement for critical parts of the workpiece is possible. Note that full cylindrical geometries should not be created
with the Ringmesh mesher due to the singularity at the center of rotation.
Figure 21.9. Mesh generation with the Ringmesh mesher: 1. Meshing of the
workpiece cross section. 2: Final mesh after rotational creation of the initial mesh.
21.3.1.2.4. Tetmesh
The Tetmesh mesher is designed for the creation of tetragonal elements (element types 134 and 157). Mesh generation
follows a two-step procedure:
1. Meshing of the workpiece surface with regular triangles.
2. Creation of the tetrahedral volume mesh beginning from the surface.
Alternatively, creation of the triangular surface mesh can be avoided by directly using the STL facets to generate the
volume mesh. Generally, the Tetmesh mesher is applicable for all 3-dimensional geometries.
21.3.1.2.5. Refinement boxes

Typical welding simulations require fine meshes in regions of high loads. However, fine meshes are computationally
more expensive. Within all the meshers available within Simufact Welding, it is therefore possible to specify refine-
ment boxes to increase the mesh density within selected regions.
For each of the meshers, several types of refinement boxes are available that allow to modify the mesh within the
surface, outline or volume of the specified region. Depending on the specific mesher and type of refinement box, the
mesh is then refined according to the specification of box position, refinement level and optional parameters.
21.3.1.2.6. Mesh quality

As the mesh represents both the physical shape of the modeled structure as well as its physical properties, the quality
of the mesh has a significant influence on the quality of the simulation results. Hence, it is crucial only to apply high
quality meshes. The following design guidelines should be followed for meshing:
• Unless solid shell elements are used, the workpiece thickness should be divided into a minimum of 3 to 5 elements.
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2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Discretization features for welding
analysis
• The mesh should be fine enough to capture gradients as accurately as necessary.
• The mesh should be fine enough to represent all features of the geometry with the required accuracy.
Facilitating the design of quality meshes, Simufact Welding can display the deviation between input geometry and the
resulting mesh. If the build-in meshers do not yield satisfactory meshes, it is advisable to resort to external meshing
software, such as MSC Apex. Note that mesh generation is an iterative process if the mesh needs to be redefined based
on simulation results. For quality meshes, the final simulation results should be virtually independent of the mesh.
21.3.2. Discretization features for welding analysis

21.3.2.1. Adaptive mesh refinement
Adaptive mesh refinement is available for a subset of the element types available in the MSC Marc solver. In Simufact
Welding, the hexahedral elements (type 7 and 185) as well as the tetrahedral element of type 134 are compatible with
local refinement. For example, first-level refinement of hexahedral elements results in a subdivision of each individual
element into eight hexahedra. Within Simufact Welding, specification of the refinement level, objects for refinement,
and adaptive refinement criteria allow to selectively increase the resolution within special areas of interest.
Mesh refinement can be selectively applied to user-specific objects, such as components or robots. The refinement
level n determines the number of subdivisions per element. For an initial mesh with total number of elements , the
total number of adapted elements follows as
(21.12)
In case of solid shell elements, the refinement is not applied in thickness direction, so that the total number of adapted
elements follows as
(21.13)
Several refinement criteria control the refinement behavior. Refinement of the selected objects can be performed prior
to the simulation start. Alternatively, adaptive refinement can be based on simulation data, such as
• The temperature and temperature gradient,
• The position of the welding heat source,
• The von Mises equivalent stress
Thus, the precision of the results can be selectively increased in regions of high loads. Adaptive coarsening allows to
lift the refinement if the simulation results fall below the specified thresholds. This way, the total number of elements
can be kept to a minimum while retaining the required level of refinement.
Information regarding adaptive mesh refinement is translated into the ADAPTIVE card within the DAT file.
21.3.2.2. Quiet elements

Sometimes it is not required that all elements participate in all simulation increments. This is particularly true for the
elements of the weld filler in welding simulations. Prior to the analysis the entire weld filler needs to be meshed and
all of its elements are assembled into a contact body. Nevertheless, filler elements should not be subjected to boundary
conditions or participate in heat transfer or structural analysis prior to their physical creation by the weld source.
Simufact Welding takes advantage of the Quiet Element Method of the MSC Marc solver. In order to ensure that
contact conditions are maintained throughout the analysis, filler elements always participate in the analysis. However,
their physical properties are reduced until they are required. As long as an element is quiet, its thermal expansion is
set to zero, and all other material properties (except yield stress, specific heat and thermal mass density) are scaled
down (default factor is ). The scaling is applied to the reference (lowest available) temperature data, and all
temperature-dependences of the material properties are ignored.
The heat source is associated with a filler bounding box that is specified in a local cartesian coordinate system attached
to the heat source. Thermal properties of elements falling within this bounding box are automatically restored.
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For the restoration of the mechanical properties of quiet elements, two options are available. As for the thermal prop-
erties, they can be restored as soon as the element falls into the filler bounding box. Alternatively, mechanical prop-
erties are activated as soon as the local temperature reaches a given threshold. The default options for this criterium
are the solidus temperature or liquidus temperature, but user-defined input is possible, too.
If the simulation involves weld filler elements, Simufact Welding translates the required parameters into the WELD
FILL card within the DAT file.
21.3.2.3. Mesh distortion

Large deformations can lead to heavily distorted elements, up to turning elements “inside-out”. In this case, integration
point coordinates in the cartesian coordinate frame are outside of the element domain. This leads to abortion of the
simulation because no stress recovery can be performed in such situation. Simufact Welding offers two options to
handle such situations.
1. On-the-fly deactivation of problematic elements. The simulation is continued even though elements go inside-out
or material instabilities are met. These are removed from the simulation and the analysis is continued. This option
translates into the IO-DEACTIVATION flag within the DAT file.
2. The Arbitrary Lagrange-Eulerian (ALE) approach can be selected for weld fillers. In case of high distortions,
the inner nodes of fillers are moved to establish a better mesh quality. This can help if filler elements are going
inside-out during the simulation. This option translates into the ALE card within the DAT file.
Note that both options should be handled with care as they can compromise the results obtained by the simulation.
They are deactivated as a default and need to be selected in the advanced analysis settings.
21.3.3. Time stepping schemes

As space is discretized in space, time is broken down in to discrete time steps . In a welding load case, the time
stepping controls the movement of the heat source. The computational solution is divided into a huge number of single
time steps (transient analysis), as it is illustrated in the figure below.
For this kind of time division, three distinct procedures are available:
• Fixed time stepping with a user-specific time step,
• Automated fixed time stepping,
• Adaptive time stepping.
All corresponding options entered in the Simufact Welding GUI are translated into the AUTO STEP card within the
DAT file.
Figure 21.10. Discretization of time. With each time step, the

welding heat source is moved a small increment along the weld path.
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21.3.3.1. Adaptive time stepping

The MSC Marc solver offers an adaptive time/load stepping scheme that is implemented for welding simulations.
During the calculation, the time step is automatically adjusted based upon the current value of the corresponding
parameter, the temperature increment, with respect to a user-defined maximum. If the prescribed criterium is not met,
recycling occurs with a reduced time/load. After the increment has converged, the program initiates the next increment.
The parameters controlling the adaptive time stepping scheme will be described in the following.
Unless specified by the user, the maximum allowable time step is automatically set according to the specific load case.
For cooling load cases, the default value is , for load cases in stress relief HT processes, the default value
is set to 10% of the load case length. For welding load cases in thermal cycle, the maximum time step is equal to the
load case length, . Otherwise, it is determined based on the heat source dimensions.
The weld source overlap factor may take values between 0 (full overlap) and 1 (no overlap). Unless otherwise
specified, the heat source overlap factor is taken as . Note that the weld source overlap factor can have a
significant influence on the stability of the analysis and on the result quality. Higher values lead to shorter time steps,
increasing the required number of increments and required computational resources. Too small heat source overlap
may result in inhomogeneous temperature fields or a “jumping” heat source.
Unless specified by the user, the default value for the minimum time step is for welding load cases and
for cooling load cases and all load cases in stress relief HT process.
Time step changes are limited by the smallest allowable ratio between time steps. Unless specified by the user, the
default value is 0.1 or 0.01 if adaptive refinement is active. Likewise, the step change can be limited by the largest
allowable ratio between time steps
If the user-specific convergence criteria are not satisfied during an increment, the time step is reduced. This procedure
is limited by the maximum number of time step cut-backs. Unless specified by the user, the default value is set to a
maximum of 10 cut-backs. For unstable simulations, this value may be increased. Unless specified by the user, the
default factor for time step reduction is set to 2.
The temperature control value for time stepping schemes is used in the thermal pass of an analysis. The time step
is adjusted based upon the quotient between the calculated temperature change and the given parameter. According
to the load case, automatic specification of the temperature control parameter is based on the materials solidus
temperature :
• Welding load cases: ,
• Cooling load cases: ,
where n specifies the refinement level of the model.
Unless specified by the user, the initial time step is determined according to the load case. For cooling load cases, the
default value is set to or is adopted from a previous cooling load case. For all load cases in stress relief HT
processes, the default value is set to 10% of the load case length. For welding load cases in thermal cycle, the initial
time step is identical to the load case length . Otherwise, the initial time step is identical to the maximum
time step . The initial time step may be scaled via the scale factor for automatic welding time stepping schemes
which has a default value of 1.
Additional settings concern the treatment of user criteria and additional physical criteria for the time stepping scheme.
User criteria may be used either as limits on behavior within an increment or additionally as a target for time step
adjustment of the next increment. If user criteria are used, it is recommended to use the latter choice. Additional
physical criteria (strain-based in large displacement and creep analysis or stress-based in creep and thermal stress
analysis) can be added by the solver. Here, the following choices for physical criteria and continuation of the analysis
are available:
• No automatic physical criteria are added. The program continues even if user criteria are not satisfied (default
setting).
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• No automatic physical criteria are added. The program stops if user criteria are not satisfied, and the calculation
will be aborted.
• Automatic physical criteria are added, and the program continues even if these or the user criteria are not satisfied.
• Automatic physical criteria are added. The program stops if these or the user criteria are not satisfied, and the
calculation will be aborted.
Besides the load case time length, a temperature-based termination criterion is available for cooling load cases. If
specified, the load case is closed if the temperature falls below a specified temperature threshold. For numerical
reasons, it is advisable to select a threshold larger than the ambient temperature.
21.3.3.2. Fixed time stepping (manual and automated)

In the fixed time stepping scheme (manual), the program is forced to work with a fixed time step that is specified
by the user. With prescribed load case length , the total number of time steps follows as the (rounded to the
next integer) ratio between and the time step length:
(21.14)
The automatic time stepping scheme runs analogous to the adaptive scheme but sets the total number of time steps to
(21.15)
This way the option of time step cut-backs is retained in case user criteria are not met.
21.3.3.3. Result times

Besides the above time stepping schemes, time steps can be enforced by the user via specification of individual result
times. Each added result time will create a new load case within the DAT file, for which one of the above time stepping
schemes is applicable. This way it is ensured that output is written at specific times. Accordingly, this option can be
used to manipulate the time stepping, e.g. to enforce a smaller time step for certain simulation stages.
21.4. Thermal analysis

In general, the thermal calculations in Simufact Welding utilize the transient heat transfer analysis capability of the
MSC Marc solver code. This capability allows to obtain temperature distributions in a structure for linear and nonlinear
heat transfer problems. Welding processes show strong nonlinearities like temperature-dependent properties, latent
heat (phase change) effect, heat convection and nonlinear boundary conditions (convection and radiation). The com-
puted temperature distributions can, in turn, be used to generate thermal loads due to thermal expansion or shrinkage
in a stress analysis.
21.4.1. Finite element discretization of heat transfer

equations
The temperature represents the central quantity for thermal calculations. With given nodal temperatures , the tem-
perature distribution inside an element is interpolated via the shape functions as
(21.16)
As both the material’s heat capacity and thermal conductivity may depend on the temperature, the governing
equation for heat transfer follows as
(21.17)
where denotes the heat flux vector.
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The backward difference scheme is applied to divide the time into discrete time steps .For each increment number
, nodal temperatures then result from the following expressions:
(21.18)
Solution of this expression requires evaluation of the temperature-dependent matrices and . At the beginning
of a new increment, an appropriate estimate is provided by linear extrapolation from the temperatures obtained from
the two preceding time steps. For each time interval within the current time increment, the required temperature
follows as
(21.19)
During subsequent iteration of a given increment, the temperature within that time interval is based on the correspond-
ing temperature from the preceding iteration:
(21.20)
With the above estimates for the nodal temperature, it is possible to obtain an average of the desired temperature-de-
pendent material’s property for the entire time interval
(21.21)
21.4.2. Thermal boundary conditions

21.4.2.1. Heat sources
The MSC Marc solver knows two distinct types of heat sources: prescribed temperatures or prescribed heat input. In
welding simulations, the heat input is modeled as a spatially varying distributed heat flux. In this sense, welding heat
sources are modeled as a temperature heat flux moving along the weld path. Two types of volumetric heat sources
are available in Simufact Welding: a conventional heat source applicable for arc welding and a highly focused laser
or electron beam source.
21.4.2.1.1. Conventional welding heat source

The Goldak’s double ellipsoid is used to model the conventional heat source. To determine the shape of heat source
the following parameter are required
• : the front length
• : the rear length
• : the width
• : the depth
Figure 21.11. Goldak's double ellipsoidal heat source
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For a given nodal position with respect to local coordinate system of the heat source described by the upper figure
(x,y,z), the first step is to decide if the node is inside the heat source and then if it is in front of or behind the center
of the heat source.
The auxiliary values for front and rear position are calculated as below, respectively:
The peak intensity parameter is calculated as below
where is the heat source power. It can be given with two methods.
The first method (named as transient (indirect power) in GUI) is to give current, voltage and efficiency, then the power
is calculated as below:
where
• : efficiency
• : voltage
• : current
The second method is to give the power directly instead of voltage and current.
As the following two terms are the same in this equation, the peak intensity in front and rear position is the same.
Then the heat flux at a given position inside the heat source can be calculated as below
(21.22)
(21.23)
where is the Gaussian parameter. This parameter controls the concentration of heat flux along the local direction.
With a value as the heat flux is flat within heat source. A higher value results in a stiffer distribution of heat flux.
Typically the Gaussian parameter is in the range
21.4.2.1.2. Laser heat source

In laser or electron beam welding, the heat source is more focused. The beam illuminates the material’s surface but
also penetrates the material. Within Simufact Welding, this is represented via a combined surface and volume heat
source (see the figure below).
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Figure 21.12. Combined surface and volumetric

heat sources for laser and electron beam welding.
The volume heat source is represented via a conical heat source that is characterized by the following parameter
• : conical heat source upper radius
• : conical heat source lower radius
• : conical heat source depth
In this heat source the intensity distribution is the same in direction at the same height. The heat flux of a node
inside the heat source is then depended on its distance to the center and the depth, described as following equation
(C.S. Wu and H.G. Wang, 2006):
where is the radial coordinate of the node and is the Gaussian parameter.
Figure 21.13. schematic of the volume heat source for laser beam
is the distribution parameter and calculated with the following equation
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where is the diameter on the top and at the bottom. is the current depth of node. Now the opening question is
how to determine the max. heat intensity at current depth.
With a given power input , can be described with following equation:
Regarding the surface heat source the heat flux at a local node is calculated as below
Where r is the radial coordinate of local node.
The Gaussian parameter in this heat source is in the range . 0 means flat distribution and 3 means a very stiff
distribution. As the surface heat source for example, With The heat flux on the surface is calculated as below:
It can be seen that the radial coordinate of local node has no longer influence on its heat flux.
In all equations above is the power input for volume heat source and is for surface heat source. With a total
power input they are calculated as below:
where is the volume heat fraction with a range ,. As 1.0 it means no heat for surface heat source.
21.4.2.1.3. User defined heat sources

The above heat sources are conveniently available within the Simufact Welding GUI. Additional heat input can be
specified directly via modification of the DAT file or user-defined subroutines. For detailed information on DAT file
syntax, please see Marc Volume C. Additional information regarding the application of user-defined heat sources is
given in Chapter 18 of the Simufact Welding Tutorial.
Once a process is created in the Simufact Welding GUI, the corresponding DAT file is written by selection of “Write
program input” in the analysis control tool bar. Within the resulting DAT file, the heat sources are created in the card
WELD FLUX. The weld flux type is selected in the third field of the third line as
1. Double ellipsoidal shaped volumetric weld flux (Goldak heat source),
2. Disc shaped surface weld flux,
3. User subroutine defined weld flux,
4. Cylinder shaped volumetric weld flux.
Further flux type specifiers are reserved for heat sources defined via the Simufact Welding GUI, such as the combined
surface and volumetric heat source implemented for beam welding applications.
Fixed temperature boundary conditions can be added via the FIXED TEMPERATURE card defining a prescribed
temperature for a given set of nodes. Likewise, distributed (surface and volumetric) fluxes can be specified via the
DIST FLUXES card. Both fixed temperatures and distributed fluxes are associated with a boundary condition name
that is activated within the LOADCASE history definition option.
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tion
21.4.2.2. Free boundaries

All meshed components have free boundaries over which heat losses can occur via convection (free or forced) and
radiation.
Convective heat transfer depends on the temperatures and of the surface and its surrounding environment, re-
spectively. Further, it is governed by the convective heat transfer coefficient . Accordingly, the convective heat loss
is specified per unit area as
(21.24)
Emission is considered within the Stefan-Boltzmann law depending on the temperatures and as well as the
material’s emissivity as
(21.25)
where is the Stefan-Boltzmann coefficient. Within the Simufact Welding GUI, both coefficients, and , are spec-
ified for each temperature object either as a constant or a user-defined table depending on time or temperature. They
are the governing parameters for cooling and should be chosen according to the specific process conditions.
21.4.2.3. Thermal contact

Heat losses do not only occur via convection and radiation on free surfaces. Significant heat transfer occurs between
components and rigid bodies. The contact heat transfer between two bodies of temperatures and follows the
relation
(21.26)
Here, the contact heat transfer coefficient may be specified either as a constant or via a temperature-dependent table.
Contact heat transfer depends on several external influences, such as surface quality, the involved materials, and
contact pressure. Accordingly, automatic calculation of the contact heat transfer coefficient takes all of these into
account.
21.4.3. Control parameters of thermal calculation

The results of a thermal calculation rely on several parameters that govern the convergence behavior and accuracy
of nonlinear analysis. In the Simufact Welding GUI, these parameters are adjusted within the advanced process pa-
rameters dialogue that can be accessed from the process tree. Parameters entered in the Simufact Welding GUI are
translated into the CONTROL card within the DAT file. Independent parameters can be entered for different load
case types, such as welding or cooling.
21.4.3.1. Temperature criteria

The maximum nodal temperature change allowed determines the maximum nodal temperature change that may occur
in one increment. The default value is set to 100K. Note: This parameter is overridden by the parameters entered for
step size control.
Further, it is possible to specify the maximum nodal temperature change allowed before material properties are updat-
ed. If this criterion is met, properties are re-evaluated, and matrices are reassembled. The default value is set to 100K.
The maximum allowed temperature tolerance in thermal iteration provides a recycling capability to improve accuracy
in highly nonlinear heat transfer problems involving latent heat, radiation, or thermal boundary conditions. It specifies
the maximum error in a temperature estimate as compared to the solution within an iteration used for property evalua-
tion. It should be set to the maximum temperature error that is considered acceptable. The default value is set to 20.0K.
Higher values lead to faster solution estimates (might be useful to speed up a calibration) but are not recommended
for a full analysis.
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tions
21.4.3.2. Recycling
The minimum and maximum number of recycles control the time stepping scheme of a transient analysis. After the
program obtains a solution for a step, it calculates the maximum temperature change in the step and checks this value
against the allowable temperature. If the actual maximum change exceeds the specified value, the program repeats the
step with a smaller time step and continues repeating this step until the maximum temperature change is smaller than
the specified value or until the maximum number of recycles is reached.
If a negative number is entered for the maximum number of recycles, the MSC Marc solver does a maximum of the
absolute value entered. If convergence has not been obtained, a warning is given and the MSC Marc solver proceeds to
the next increment. If a positive value is used, the simulation will abort if a single increment does not reach convergence
within the specified number of recycles. The default value is set to -50.
Additionally, it is possible to specify a minimum number of recycles during an increment for plasticity calculations.
This number is also used to match the energy of the heat source with the detected volume and integration points. The
default value is set to 2, and smaller values are not recommended.
21.4.4. Output results from thermal calculations

Thermal calculations yield information regarding the thermal distribution within the simulated part. This encompasses
not only the absolute temperature for each increment, but also quantities such as the peak temperature, the external
heat flux, film heat flux, or temperature gradient. These may then serve as thermal loads in a coupled analysis.
Output is written in ARC format. Unless specified by the user, output is recorded for every increment of all load cases
and is visualized within the Simufact Welding GUI.
21.5. Mechanical analysis

21.5.1. Governing equation
The finite element method (FEM) can be used for linear, as well as nonlinear, problems. The general, nonlinear, force-
displacement relation is given as
(21.27)
where , , and denote the force, the stiffness matrix, and the displacement, respectively.
Nonlinearities can arise in the following three cases:
• Material nonlinearities,
• Geometric nonlinearities,
• Nonlinear boundary conditions.
Material nonlinearity refers to a nonlinear relationship between stress and strain. Geometric nonlinearities arise from
the nonlinear relationship between strain and displacement as well as between stresses and forces. Finally, nonlinear-
ities can be caused by boundary conditions varying with the displacement within the model.
The high temperatures occurring during welding require to consider material nonlinearities. Likewise, complex bound-
ary conditions imposed by work tools lead to nonlinear boundary conditions.
21.5.1.1. Large strain analysis

Simufact Welding takes advantage of the Multiplicative Decomposition Updated Lagrange procedure implemented
within the MSC Marc solver that is activated via the LARGE STRAIN parameter within the DAT file. This description
is especially useful for the large strain elasticity and plastic deformation occurring in welding applications.
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The Updated Lagrange formulation differs from the typical (total) Lagrange formulation in that it takes the reference
configuration at time . Constitutive relationships are formulated in terms of the Cauchy (true) stress and its
energetically conjugate true strain measure. The deformation gradient is multiplicatively decomposed into its elastic
and plastic parts. For further details, please refer to Marc Volume A.
21.5.1.2. Convergence
This field allows to specify how the convergence test is performed. The following options are available:
• Residual: Convergence is reached when residual forces satisfy the convergence criterion.
• Displacements: Convergence is reached when displacements satisfy the convergence criterion.
• Residual forces or displacements: Convergence is reached when either residual forces or displacements satisfy the
convergence criterion.
• Residual forces and displacements. Convergence is reached when both residual forces and displacements satisfy
the convergence criterion.
Usually, the test is done on relative values. For most process types and load cases there are low force and displacement
limits defined. If forces or displacements in the model are below the limit, the test switches to absolute values. In some
cases, with very low forces or displacements, the test is skipped.
Convergence criteria are specified as relative residual and relative displacement tolerances. These parameters corre-
spond to the maximum allowable value of the maximum residual force divided by the maximum reaction force and the
maximum allowable value of the change in displacement divided by the displacement increment, respectively. Default
values are set to 0.1 and 0.05 for the relative residual tolerance and the relative displacement tolerance, respectively.
21.5.1.3. Initial stress stiffness

This parameter controls how the initial stress stiffness is handled. The following options are available:
• Normal-full contribution: The initial stress stiffness matrix will be computed.
• No initial stress: No initial stress stiffness is computed.
• Increment beginning: The stress is used at the beginning of the increment, but not at the last iteration.
• Only positive stresses: Only positive stresses are included in the initial stress stiffness during the equilibrium iter-
ation. Besides faster convergence, this option facilitates a stable analysis of very thin shell structures.
The default is set to normal-full contribution.
21.5.2. Contact
A variety of mechanical boundary conditions are available for welding simulations. Tools, such as tables or fixations
can be modeled as rigid bodies that interact with the components via specified contact conditions. This way, the
modeled components are subjected to the same constraints as the real workpiece, capturing all relevant strains and
deformations. In the following, a brief introduction to the concept of contact is given. For further details, please refer
to the MSC Marc volume A, chapter 8.
21.5.2.1. Imposition of contact conditions

Contact is a phenomenon commonly encountered in physical systems, and it can occur at all interfaces between sep-
arate objects. Contact is characterized in terms of separation as well as contact forces and heat transfer. The MSC
Marc solver allows to define different types of contact bodies and procedures for contact evaluation which will be
introduced in the following.
The contact information entered via the Simufact Welding GUI is translated into the following cards of the DAT
file: CONTACT, CONTACT TABLE. Note that Simufact Welding automatically determines between which bodies
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contact occurs based on the contact tolerance available in the advanced processing parameters dialogue. Contact in-
formation is written to the DAT file if the initial distance between two bodies is less than 20 x the contact tolerance.
21.5.2.2. Contact bodies

The MSC Marc solver knows two types of contact bodies: deformable and rigid. However, the distinction involves
more than that. Deformable bodies (also referred to as meshed bodies) are those that are defined with an underlying
finite element mesh (see section 3). Rigid bodies (also referred to as geometric bodies) are merely defined in terms
of their geometric shape, such as their 3-dimensional surfaces.
In Simufact Welding, components are always treated as deformable bodies, while boundary conditions such as bear-
ings, clampings, or fixed geometries are introduced as rigid bodies. If deformability of a tool is explicitly required
within a specific model, it should therefore be included as a component.
In case of deformable bodies, the solver automatically detects those nodes and elements of a body that make out
its bounding surface. The applied algorithm is based on the connectivity information that allocates nodes to fewer
elements at the surface than on the interior of the body. Accordingly, definition of a contact body requires that each
node and element may only belong to a single contact body. Adequate definition of deformable bodies is taken care
of automatically by Simufact Welding.
Rigid bodies are composed of 3-dimensional surfaces for structural analysis or meshes with thermal elements for
coupled problems. Rigid bodies may contact deformable bodies but contact between rigid bodies is not considered.
Simufact Welding offers a set of simple geometric entities for the generation of rigid bodies. Additionally, import of
external geometries as rigid bodies is also supported.
21.5.2.3. Types of contact

There are two distinct types of contact that determine how contact between two bodies is established in the spatial
discretization of the finite element mesh:
1. Node-to-segment contact
2. Segment-to-segment contact.
Within the node-to-segment contact, each node of a contacting body is checked for contact with contacting segments,
namely the faces of other deformable or rigid bodies. As it is unlikely that a node exactly touches a segment, a con-
tact tolerance is associated with each surface. A node is considered touching the surface if it falls within this contact
tolerance Note that the magnitude of this contact tolerance can have a significant impact on the computational cost
and accuracy of the solution. Manual adjustment via the advanced process parameter settings is therefore only rec-
ommended for users.
Within the segment-to-segment contact, each segment of a contacting body is checked for contact with eligible con-
tacting segments. For each contact body, contacting segments are defined via a set of auxiliary points that are arranged
along the body boundary marking nodal positions and free edges. Contact is established by checking both the distance
and the direction between those auxiliary points and other contacting segments. First, the distance between an aux-
iliary point and its closest point projection on a contacting segment is determined and compared with the specified
contact tolerance and bias factor (default bias is 0). If the distance is sufficiently close, contact is established if the
angle between the normal vector at the auxiliary point and the normal vector at the tested segment is larger than the
specified threshold value with default of 120°.
The node-to-segment contact is the default option used within Simufact Welding. However, it may exhibit a number
of disadvantages, such as limited capabilities handling solid shell elements. Segment-to-segment contact may resolve
such issues and tends to show enhanced separation behavior. While increasing the computational efficiency, it is found
to be numerically less stable.
21.5.2.4. Glue contact

A special type of contact is the glue condition. It suppresses all relative motion between bodies and fixes all displace-
ment degrees of freedom of the nodes in contact. Additionally, it imposes ideal transport conditions for thermal and
diffusional analysis. In Simufact Welding, glue conditions are applied between filler and workpiece bodies.
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ulations
21.5.2.5. Contact separation

After contact between two surfaces is established, it is possible for the surfaces to separate in a subsequent iteration
or increment. Separation between deformable bodies (workpieces) occurs as soon as the contact stress exceeds a user-
defined value. The default setting for this contact separation stress amounts to 200 kPa. A separate threshold can be
defined for the contact separation from a bearing, where the default separation stress amounts to 10 Pa.
In many cases, the contact forces are small. Due to the finite element procedure, this could result in numerical chat-
tering. Accordingly, Simufact Welding can apply the following rules for contact detection:
1. If a node experiences a stress greater than the separation stress, separation does not occur at the end of the current
increment, but at the beginning of the subsequent increment.
2. A node coming into contact during an increment may not separate during the same increment.
For thin walled sections and sheets, these settings may be undesirable. Selection of the high-end contact separation
flag in the advanced process parameters dialogue disables both of the above criteria. If prevent chattering is selected in
combination with the high-end contact separation flag, only the second criterion is active. This represents the default
setting.
A special case of separation is the intentional release of all nodes from a rigid body. This type of contact separation
may be used to simulate the removal of the deformable workpiece from the rigid tools and is typically applied in one
of the final load cases of a simulation.
21.5.3. Boundary conditions for welding simulations

Simufact Welding makes use of rigid bodies and mechanical boundary conditions to capture the different characteris-
tics of external tools surrounding the welding workpieces. The special properties of each such feature will be outlined
in the following.
21.5.3.1. BC Type Bearing

The purpose of a bearing is to prevent contacting nodes to move into the bearing. As illustrated in the figure below,
separation as well as tangential motion (friction) are not restricted. As outlined above, the separation behavior is
governed by the bearing contact separation stress set in the advanced process parameters dialogue.
Figure 21.14. A bearing prevents a contacting body

to move into it. Separation and sliding are possible.
21.5.3.2. BC Types Fixed geometry and fixed nodes

The purpose of a fixed geometry is to prevent any relative movement of contacting nodes as illustrated in the figure
below. Due to an infinite separation threshold, contact to a fixed geometry cannot be broken during the simulation.
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Figure 21.15. A fixed geometry prevents all relative motion of contacting nodes.
Contact to a fixed geometry is likely to increase the stress within the contact area. Therefore, it is also possible to
use fixed nodes instead. In this case, it is possible to directly restrict individual degrees of freedom of selected nodes
of a deformable body.
21.5.3.3. BC Type Clamping

In Simufact Welding, clamps are used to model tools that enforce forces, stresses or motions onto the workpiece. Two
distinct types of clampings are available:
1. The stiffness/force driven clamping puts a constraint on the normal degree of freedom of a contacting node in
terms of a spring stiffness or a force. Such a clamping may be used as a spring that opposes its movement with
a displacement-dependent force. Alternatively, such clampings can be used to directly impose a force onto the
surface of a workpiece in order to press it against another contacting body.
2. A moving clamp is characterized by its initial and final position with corresponding times. Such moving clamps
may be used to prescribe the displacement of the workpiece as enforced by an external tool, e.g. in a tensile test.
21.5.3.4. BC Type Local joints

Local joints are used to define local glue contact between two components. If required, the meshes of these components
will be adjusted as to create stress-free contact.
21.5.3.5. BC Springs
The MSC Marc solver offers linear and nonlinear springs (dashpots) as boundary conditions. The incremental spring
force is
(21.28)
where denotes the spring stiffness, and and represent the displacements and both ends of the spring.
Typically, Simufact Welding applies springs to bodies that have no kinematic boundary conditions other than contact
to other bodies. The springs hold the body in place even if contact is lost during the simulation, and rigid body motion
is avoided.
21.6. Metallurgical model

Simufact Welding provides metallurgical models for steel that monitor the current phase composition throughout the
simulation and by which phase-dependent material properties can be considered. Phase modeling is tailored to the
simulation of steels that exhibit 5 distinct phases, namely austenite, ferrite, pearlite, bainite, and martensite. As a
prerequisite for such metallurgical simulations, the required material data must be provided by the user (see section
469
2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Heating: austenitization
2). Besides the current phase composition, output quantities encompass hardness, proof stress and tensile strength of
the material. In the following, the metallurgical models implemented within Simufact Welding will be introduced.
21.6.1. Heating: austenitization

Currently, two distinct austenitization models are implement in Simufact Welding:
• Simplified austenitization,
• Linear austenitization.
Both models have their specific caveats, and care must be taken in their correct application.
Input parameters available for austenitization are
• The Ac1 temperature (A1 in case of simplified austenitization):
• This temperature marks the begin of austenitization in a heating process.
• The Ac3 temperature:
• This temperature marks the final completion of austenitization in a heating process.
• The austenitization volume change:
• The strain parameters , , , refer to the linear strain imposed on the crystal lattice due to a
phase transformation between austenite and ferrite, pearlite, bainite, or martensite, respectively.
Note that the austenitization temperatures may not correspond to the equilibrium values A1 and A3. They can be
modified as to account for a temperature overshoot during the heating process.
Typically, the strain parameters for volume change take negative values for austenitization due to a shrinkage of the
material. Phase transformation to ferrite, pearlite, bainite, or martensite during cooling applies the same volume strain
parameters, but with reversed sign.
21.6.1.1. Simplified austenitization model

The simplified austenitization model acts as a switch that is solely based on the Ac3 Temperature. As soon as the
temperature reaches Ac3, namely , the phase fraction is set to 100% austenite.
Note that the following effects are not implemented for the simplified austenitization model:
• Volume change,
• Latent heat,
• TRIP effect.
Hence, the modeled austenitization occurs instantaneously without accounting for the volume change and other rep-
resentative effects that mark the physical process of austenitization.
Currently, the simplified austenitization model is the default option implemented for welding simulations.
21.6.1.2. Linear austenitization model

The linear austenitization model allows for a gradual increase of the austenite volume fraction between the austeniti-
zation start temperature Ac1 and the austenitization end temperature Ac3. It is assumed that austenitization is a linear
function of temperature, and the austenite volume fraction is adjusted correspondingly.
The linear austenitization model allows for the following physical effects:
• Volume change,
470
2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Cooling
• Latent heat,
• TRIP effect.
Note that the linear austenitization model requires a fine time step to resolve the phase transformation, rendering it
unsuitable for welding simulations. A large time step or a fast heating rate can lead to a skipping of the austeniti-
zation temperature range whereby the austenitization volume change is omitted. In this case, the behavior of linear
austenitization model is identical to that of the simplified austenitization model.
Consider the example illustrated in the figure below. At time step , a node in the vicinity of the welding
heat source experiences the temperature . In the subsequent time step, , the same node
has reached the temperature . In this case, austenitization happens instantaneous at time . As
the temperature is already above the austenitization end temperature Ac3, no volume change is applied to the elements
that experience the phase change (see figure below).
Figure 21.16. Temperature in the vicinity of the

welding heat source in subsequent time steps.
Figure 21.17. Linear expansion of a test sample subjected to a constant heating rate.
At a given time step, the volume change due to austenitization is only applied to those
elements that experience a temperature . As the element passes from time
step to , this temperature regime is skipped. At time , 100% austenite volume
fraction of austenite is applied without accounting for the accompanying volume change.
21.6.2. Cooling
For cooling, two distinct approaches are available, based on the
• Time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagram,
• Leblond
• Continuous-cooling-transformation (CCT) diagram
471
Although either of the two approaches can be exclusively selected, a typical metallurgical simulation is based on a
combination of both. Then, the TTT-approach yields the phase composition, while cooling information and related
properties are evaluated according to the CCT-approach.
21.6.2.1. TTT-Approach
Phase transformations during cooling are treated analogously to austenitization. A schematic representation of the
corresponding subroutine is shown in the figure below. At the end of each time step of length , a loop runs over all
elements probing the temperature change that the elements experience during that time step. If an element experi-
ences a negative temperature change , transformation of austenite into ferrite, pearlite, bainite, and martensite
will be considered. In order to derive correct phase fractions, the entire time step is subdivided into
(21.29)
substeps
(21.30)
so that the temperature decrease per substep equals 1 Kelvin. At each substep, it is checked whether austenite should be
transformed into ferrite, pearlite, bainite, or martensite. If so, the current phase fractions will be calculated as described
below.
Figure 21.18. Schematic representation of the subroutine

that is called to apply phase transformations during cooling.
21.6.2.1.1. Diffusion-controlled transformation
Ferrite, pearlite, and bainite formation are diffusion-controlled processes that are implemented according to the mod-
el introduced in (Şimşir and Gür 2008). The Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (JMAK) equation describes the kinetics of crys-
tallization, and particularly apply to the diffusion-controlled isothermal transformation from austenite into ferrite,
pearlite, and bainite.
Here, the following assumptions are applied to derive the JMAK equations:
• Nucleation occurs randomly and homogeneously in the entire austenite phase,
• The growth rate does not depend on the extend of transformation,
• Isotropic growth of the transformed phase.
In this case, the JMAK equation is typically expressed as
(21.31)
where denotes the transformed phase fraction, and and are material parameters. A double-logarithmic represen-
tation of this equations allows to determine the transformed phase fraction via a linear function of with slope
as illustrated in the figure below.
472
Figure 21.19. Schematic representation of the isothermal

phase transition according to the JMAK equation.
Simufact employs the following representation of the JMAK equation that also accounts for the available austenite
volume fraction and introduces a fictitious time that is determined via the transformed phase fraction of the previous
step. For each substep, the current phase fraction is computed as illustrated in the figure below.
Figure 21.20. Incremental phase transformation based

on fictitious times within the isothermal TTT diagram.
For step j-1, the temperature and volume fraction of phase are known from the previous step. Also known
are the time increment and the change of temperature . As the isothermal TTT diagram does not account
for a change of temperature, a fictitious time is introduced. It represents the time that the material would have needed
to reach the phase fraction at constant temperature . A suitable expression for the fictitious time
directly follows from the JMAK equation as it is solved for the time
(21.32)
To account for the situation that other phases than austenite and the currently formed phase are present, the maximum
phase fraction
(21.33)
is introduced. It scales the normalized result obtained via the JMAK equation to the actual phase fraction that is present
after transformation of the available austenite.
With given time step and temperature , it is now possible to determine the material parameters and
that are required to determine the current phase fraction. The double-logarithmic representation of the JMAK equation
473
in the figure above demonstrates that, for each temperature, the equation is fully determined by two points, e.g. the
phase fractions and that mark the start and end of the transformation in the TTT diagram. In the supplied material
data sheets, these correspond to the 1% and 99% TTT curves so that and . With this information,
the required parameters follow as
(21.34)
(21.35)
According to (Carlone, Palazzo, and Pasquino 2010) , the current phase fraction of phase in the jth time step then
follows as
(21.36)
The current austenite phase fraction is adjusted to account for the incremental increase of phase as
(21.37)
Note that special conditions apply to the formation of ferrite. To prevent excessive formation of ferrite at high temper-
atures, the ferrite phase fraction is restricted by the maximum allowable ferrite phase fraction that is defined in
the material data sheet. If the ferrite phase fraction calculated for the jth time step exceeds this upper bound, it is fixed as
(21.38)
Also, the ferrite formation is discarded as soon as the pearlite or bainite phase fractions exceed 5%.
21.6.2.1.2. Diffusionless transformation

The martensitic transformation is a diffusionless transformation that occurs upon quick quenching of the austenite
phase. It is characterized by the martensite start and end temperatures, and , respectively. Currently, there are
two alternative models implemented.
21.6.2.1.2.1. Koistinen-Marburger model
Currently, the Koistinen-Marburger (Koistinen and Marburger 1959) model is the default option to treat the martensitic
transformation as this represents a widely accepted model for the martensitic phase transformation. For each 1K sub-
increment, the current martensite phase fraction is determined as
(21.39)
where and refer to the martensite start and end temperatures, respectively. The Koistinen-Marburger parameter
is determined as
(21.40)
The parameter
(21.41)
474
2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Output results from metallurgical cal-
culation
scales the normalized Koistinen-Marburger equation to the maximum martensite fraction that can be present in the jth
step: the sum of the available austenite and the already existing martensite.
21.6.2.2. Leblond
For diffusion-controlled phase transformation, Another option is Leblond-Devaux model (Leblond and Devaux 1984).
It is based on the JMAK equation for transformation of phase into phase :
(21.42)
Here, the reaction velocity parameter controls the time delay of the transformation. corresponds to
the equilibrium phase fraction after the transformation is completed. For the case of , the above equation
differentiates at constant temperature to yield
(21.43)
corresponds to a correction function that accounts for the influence of the cooling rate.
For the Leblond-Devaux model, the reaction velocity parameter , the equilibrium phase fraction , and
the correction function are required for each phase combination . The incremental change of phase
is calculated for the 1K sub-increment as
(21.44)
The phase fractions of both phases and are then adjusted accordingly to
(21.45)
(21.46)
For diffusionless phase transformation (Austenite to Martensite) the Koistinen-Marburger model same as above is
applied.
21.6.2.3. CCT-Approach
The CCT diagram describes the phase transformation under continuous cooling conditions with constant cooling
rate. CCT-based modeling of phase transformation represents a simplified treatment of phase changes by means of
a decoupled method. This means that the final phase composition is only evaluated after the cooling rate has been
determined. Accordingly, no phase dependent material properties can be included in the simulation, and the final phase
composition is purely informational.
The material data sheet provides the final phase composition for constant cooling rates between 800°C and 500°C,
the so-called t8/5 cooling rate. If CCT-based phase modeling is selected, the t8/5 cooling rate is evaluated after each
time increment if the final temperature lies below 500°C. If the element has cooled enough to allow evaluation of
the t8/5 cooling rate, the final phase composition is assigned according to the corresponding tables within the material
data sheet.
21.6.3. Output results from metallurgical calculation

21.6.3.1. Phase volume fractions
The most fundamental information resulting from metallurgical modeling is the volume fraction of all considered
phases. Depending on the particular model used for the simulation, this information is available at all times during the
475
2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Output results from metallurgical cal-
culation
simulation and may even serve as input for phase-dependent material properties. In the results view of a multiphase
simulation, the spatial distribution of individual phases can be selected for display as illustrated in the figure below.
Figure 21.21. Display of the volume fraction of martensite.

A general overview of the phase distribution is available via the major phase index that locally identifies the phase
with the highest volume fraction, as shown in the figure below.
Figure 21.22. Display of the major phase index.

In case of CCT-based phase transition modeling, CCT-phase composition is available after cooling to below 500°C.
21.6.3.2. Related quantities

As outlined above, phase transformation modeling relies on the cooling rate. Accordingly, the t8/5 cooling time and
cooling rate are also part of the available output. These refer to the time needed to cool the material from 800°C to
500°C and the corresponding temperature rate, respectively.
A typical JMatPro multiphase material data sheet contains the hardness, proof stress and tensile stress as a function
of the t5/8 cooling rate. If this information is available, spatial resolution of these quantities over the entire workpiece
is readily evaluated as demonstrated in
Figure 21.23. Display of the spatially resolved cooling t8/5 cooling time.
476
2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Benchmark simulations for phase tran-
sition models
Figure 21.24. Display of the spatially resolved hardness

derived from the t8/5 cooling time displayed above.
Figure 21.25. Display of the spatially resolved proof stress

as derived from the t8/5 cooling time displayed above.
Figure 21.26. Display of the spatially resolved tensile stress

as derived from the t8/5 cooling time displayed above.
21.6.4. Benchmark simulations for phase transition mod-

els
In order to verify the validity of the metallurgical models implemented in Simufact Welding, they are benchmarked
against the JMatPro input data which is expected to represent well the behavior of the real material. If this assumption
is not valid, the material input data must be edited.
A suitable benchmark scenario is a dilatometric test in which the linear expansion of a material sample is measured
during a well-defined heating and cooling cycle. This virtual dilatometric test is performed both in JMatPro and with
the Simufact Software, and the resulting linear expansion is compared. In the following, such a test and its implications
will be presented.
Consider a specific steel with initial phase fractions of 75% pearlite and 25% ferrite that is subjected to the temperature
profile shown in the figure below. For this type of virtual dilatometric test, JMatPro yields the linear expansion of the
477
sition models
material as illustrated in the figure below. The data clearly marks characteristic volume changes due to austenitization
during heating, melting/solidification, and the martensitic transformation upon cooling.
21.6.4.1. Validation of phase models

The figure below displays the same JMatPro reference data as shown in the figure below, but as a function of time.
Additionally shown are the results obtained by a corresponding Simufact simulation. Three critical phase change
regions are highlighted:
• Austenitization:
• The linear austenitization model implemented in Simufact Welding simplifies the expected material response.
Different austenitization behavior of individual initial phases is not accounted for as well as the true austenitiza-
tion dynamics. Instead the austenite phase fraction is increase linearly between Ac1 and Ac3. Nevertheless, the
linear austenitization model reproduces correctly the linear material expansion that is expected after austenitiza-
tion is completed. Hence, the model fully serves the purpose of efficient simulation of complex process.
• Melting and solidification:
• Simufact Welding does not account for volume changes upon melting or solidification. The implemented cutoff
of material expansion as well as some mechanical properties guarantees numerical stability at temperatures above
the melting point. As the temperature falls below the melting point, full material properties are restored, and the
correct behavior is obtained.
• Martensitic transformation:
• The martensitic transformation as implemented in Simufact Welding does neatly reproduce the correct marten-
site phase fraction during cooling. Thus, the expected linear expansion of the material sample is obtained at all
temperatures.
Figure 21.27. Temperature profile of a benchmark dilatometric

test performed on the material sample shown in the inset.
Figure 21.28. Linear expansion in a virtual dilatometric test as calculated with JMatPro.
478
sition models
Figure 21.29. Benchmark dilatometric test. The phase models implemented in

Simufact Welding correctly reproduces the material response predicted by JMatPro.
21.6.4.2. Special case: austenitization in welding simulations

Nevertheless, application of these models to welding simulations requires special care due to the Section 6.4.1 demon-
strates the validity of the phase models implemented in Simufact Welding. discretization of time.
For the dilatometric test outlined above, the figure below illustrates when phase transformation induced volume
changes are applied by the solver: this is only implemented for increments and elements for which the temperature
lies between the transformation start and end temperatures.
Figure 21.30. Application times for phase transformation induced volume changes.
Welding simulations are characterized by fast heating rates. At the same time, time steps must be chosen large enough
to efficiently capture the heat source motion in as little discrete steps as possible. Consequently, the time resolution
is not fine enough to resolve the small temperature range in which austenitization occurs. Elements close to the heat
source can be heated from to in a single increment. Such elements that experience the full austeni-
tization in a single increment will be assigned an austenite phase fraction of 100% once they reach the temperature
. However, these elements lie outside the temperature regime in which the austenitization volume change is
implemented, and the volume change parameters , , , and are ignored.
To avoid inhomogeneous application of the austenitization volume change, the simplified austenitization model is
currently applied to welding simulations. Hence, no austenitization volume change is accounted for, and the linear
expansion during a virtual dilatometric test follows the yellow curve illustrated in the figure below.
479
sition models
Figure 21.31. Comparison of different austenitization models in a virtual dilatometric test.

The consequence is an offset in the linear expansion of the material sample that is maintained throughout cooling and
which may cause an unphysical stress distribution after a welding process. In this case, a workaround is recommended
as introduced in the following section.
21.6.4.3. Modified martensitic transformation for welding simula-

tions
Currently, there is no option to apply the austenitization volume change if an element experiences 100% austenitization
in a single increment. The recommended workaround reintroduces the missing volume change with the phase changes
during cooling. In a virtual dilatometric test, the modified material data set then results in the green curve illustrated
in the figure below.
Figure 21.32. Virtual dilatometric test with the modified phase model. After final cooling,
the correct linear expansion is restored, even if simplified austenitization is applied.
The required phase model is prepared as follows.
1. The JMatPro volume change parameters , , , and are plotted vs. temperature (figure below,
dark blue curve).
2. Identification of the volume change parameter , , , and associated with

the austenitization temperature Ac3 (figure below, light blue arrow).
3. The original temperature-dependent data for parameter , , , and is shifted by the

corresponding austenitization value , , , and . Negative values are set to
zero (figure below, green curve).
480
2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Bibliography
Figure 21.33. The modified volume change parameter (green) for the martensitic
transformation is obtained by shifting the original curve (dark blue) by its value at the
austenitization temperature Ac3 (light blue). The negative part of the curve is set to zero.
In a virtual dilatometric test, the modified phase model restores the correct linear expansion of the cooled sample as
illustrated in the figure below. Note that a small residual offset may remain if the initial and final phase compositions
differ. This offset arises due to finite differences between the volume change parameters of the different phases at
austenitization temperature, namely , , , and .
Figure 21.34. Final linear expansion in a virtual dilatometric

test after cooling (magnification of the figure above).
21.7. Bibliography
C.S. Wu, H.G. Wang and Y. M. Zhang, "A New Heat Source Model for Keyhole Plasma Arc Welding in FEM Analysis
of the Temperature Profile", Welding Research: 284-291. https://app.aws.org/wj/supplement/wj1206-284.pdf
Carlone, P., G.S. Palazzo, and R. Pasquino. 2010. “Finite Element Analysis of the Steel Quenching Process: Temper-
ature Field and Solid–Solid Phase Change.” Computers & Mathematics with Applications 59 (1): 585–94. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.camwa.2009.06.006.
Koistinen, D. P., and R. E. Marburger. 1959. “A General Equation Prescribing the Extent of the Austenite-Marten-
site Transformation in Pure Iron-Carbon Alloys and Plain Carbon Steels.” Acta Metallurgica 7 (1): 59–60. https://
doi.org/10.1016/0001-6160(59)90170-1.
481
2023.3 Advanced welding tutorial Bibliography
Leblond, J. B., and J. Devaux. 1984. “A New Kinetic Model for Anisothermal Metallurgical Transfor-
mations in Steels Including Effect of Austenite Grain Size.” Acta Metallurgica 32 (1): 137–46. https://
doi.org/10.1016/0001-6160(84)90211-6.
Şimşir, Caner, and C. Hakan Gür. 2008. “3D FEM Simulation of Steel Quenching and Investigation of the Effect
of Asymmetric Geometry on Residual Stress Distribution.” Journal of Materials Processing Technology 207: 211.
https://doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2007.12.074.
482
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Introduction, Examples of all applications,

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U.S. Patent No. 10,740,910

6.6. Creating trajectories ...................................................................................... 115

9.10. Postprocessing ........................................................................................... 238

16.3.1. Result transformation ........................................................................ 383

21.6.1. Heating: austenitization ..................................................................... 470

Simufact Welding Tutorial

Simufact Welding is a high performance finite-element-based software with state-of-the-art solver

1.1. About welding simulation

Figure 1.1. Structural welding simulation results: Deformations, Stresses, Temperatures

2 Introducing Simufact Welding

2.1. About Simufact Welding

2.2. Understanding welding simulation

Radaj has classified the approach in three interconnected domains:

Figure 2.1. Research fields of welding simulation according to Radaj (2002)

Figure 2.3. Undesirable impacts caused by distortion

2.3. Structural welding simulation

Figure 2.4. Comparison of the distortion between

2.4. Best welded strategy

• To calculate the global temperature field

• Show the structural behavior of components

• Visualize the residual stress due to structural changes

• Deliver in details the ongoing process to the user

With Simufact Welding the user is able to:

2.5. Overview of the power tools

Figure 2.5. Simufact Welding main screen - user

Here is what you can perform with Simufact Welding:

• All beam processes: LASER, Electron etc.

• All brazing processes

• Resistance spot welding processes

• Direct energy deposition processes

• Stress relief heat treatment processes

• Simple cooling & clamping process

• Multi-layer welding: Root pass and overlapped joints

• Cladding and deposition processes

• Tack welds with or without filler material

• Quick definition of welding paths using mouse clicks

• Quick definition of heat source orientation: Customized torch angle

• Quick thermal-only calculation with all metallurgical phase transformation

• Decoupled mode for thermal-mechanical pass independence

• Any combination of welding sequences, direction or time periods

• Multiple or single robots/operators simultaneously with time managed separately

• Fully automatic contact calculation between all bodies

• Virtual welding of components with adaptive local contact condition

• Gap formation is calculated intrinsically regarding fixture concept

• Non-conformal mesh is fully supported, there is no need to match or merge nodes

• Friction is automatically applied through included models

• Automatic mesh refinement according to specified criteria

• Weight due to gravity can be part of the simulation

• Direct interface with JMatPro for customized material

• Universal file format available to import/export results from/to third-party applications

• Multithreading and multiprocessor distributed architecture available at a mouse click

• Flat learning curve, the interface is very user friendly

• And a lot more...

Figure 2.6. Temperature, distortion and effective stress

2.6. GUI functions

Figure 2.7. Main screen - overview of the available interaction areas

• Licenses - This dialog page gives an overview of the license settings.