Welding distortion control of automobile engine stator by finite element method

In this paper, a thermal elastic-plastic finite element method (FEM) is used to simulate the plasma welding process in order to predict the welding distortion of automobile stator iron core. Six spatial symmetrical welding torches are adopted in the welding process so as to make the iron core rings welded firmly and the distortion symmetric. The effect of rigid clamp on actual welding process is replaced by the contact function between rigid body and deformation element in the MSC software, MARC. The welding process restrained by clamp and deformation analysis after the removal of clamp was successfully simulated. The predictions show good agreement with the test results when the rigid clamps are taken into account in the welding simulation, which satisfies the design requirement for manufacture.