MODELING AND SIMULATION OF SEAM WELDING ON ALUMINIUM ALLOY (AA5454) SHEET METALS

Major Advisor: Dr. Harish Kumar (PHD)

ABSTRACT Seam welding method is an inexpensive and efficient which has made it popular in the making of sheet joints. Seam welding process uses the heat generated from the resistance to the flow of current. This heat is used to obtain the weld. Seam welding process requires continuous flow of current. Hence the large current consumption is one of the drawbacks of this process. The objective of this research is to provide new insight about the physical understanding of seam welding on aluminum alloy (AA5454) sheet metals. This thesis also focuses on the investigation of the thermo-mechanical characteristics of aluminum sheet metal through scientific, structure, and systematic way by using COMSOL software by using finite element method. Finite element method (FEM) is a powerful and efficient way to explore the thermal behavior and effect of input parameters. The heat energy generated during the seam welding process mainly depends on the resistance between the electrodes, welding current, rotational speed and the geometry of the electrodes. The three dimensional model developed in this paper is a step towards selecting the appropriate welding parameters so as to produce a good welding nugget. The researcher is going to see some properties of aluminum and its properties as well as reveals why AA5454 aluminum sheet alloy is selected. The outcome of this thesis is better understanding about the physics of Seam welding process which serve as a basis for further experimental works.