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Circumferential weld specifically in thin-walled structures is a common joint type in the fabrication of structural members in aerospace, aeronautical and pressure vessel industries. This type of weld joint suffers various types of weld-induced residual stress fields (hoop and axial) and deformation patterns (axial shrinkage, radial shrinkage). These imperfections have negative effects on fabrication accuracies and result in low strength welded structures that can lead to premature failures. To precisely capture the distortions and residual stresses, computational methodology based on three-dimensional finite element model for the simulation of gas tungsten arc welding in thin-walled cylinders is presented. Butt-weld geometry with single "V" for a 300 mm outer diameter cylinder of 3 mm thick is used. The complex phenomenon of arc welding is numerically solved by sequentially coupled transient, non-linear thermo-mechanical analysis. The accuracy of both the thermal and structural models is validated through experiments for temperature distribution, residual stresses and distortion. The simulated result shows close correlation with the experimental measurements.

The local, nonuniform heating and subsequent cooling during the welding processes causes complex thermal stress/strain fields to develop that finally leads to residual stresses, distortions, and their adverse consequences. Residual stresses are of prime concern to the industries producing weld-integrated structures around the globe because of their obvious potential to cause dimensional instability in welded structures, contribute to premature fracture/failure, along with the significant reduction in fatigue strength and in-service performance of the welded structures. Arc welding with single or multiple weld runs is an appropriate and cost effective joining method to produce high-strength structures in these industries. A multifield interaction in arc welding process makes it a complex manufacturing process. A number of geometric and process parameters are contributing to significant stress levels in arc-welded structures. In the present analysis, parametric studies are conducted for the effects of a critical geometric parameter, that is, tack weld on the corresponding residual stress fields in circumferentially welded thin-walled cylinders. Tack welds offer a considerable resistance to the shrinkage and the orientation, and size of tacks can alter altogether the stress patterns within the weldments. Hence, a critical analysis for the effects of tack weld orientation is desirable.