Welding is a commonly used and effective method for making structural joints between metal parts. However, the nature of the welding process means that these weldments generally have a fatigue strength that is inferior to that of the parts being joined together. The result is that, even in a well-designed structure, the welded joints are likely to fatigue. Any evaluation of the durability of a welded structure must therefore place a high priority on a fatigue assessment of the welded joints.
DesignLife provides multiple approaches for the fatigue life prediction of welds from finite element results. Mesh insensitive structural stress techniques are provided for both shell and solid elements making model generation less time-consuming. These stresses can be obtained from quasi-static analyses, or from dynamic analyses in either the time or frequency domains enabling the correct loading environment to be accurately represented. And with the WholeLife approach in DesignLife, detailed geometry and residual stresses can be included in a combined crack initiation and crack propagation analysis. This webinar will provide an overview of these approaches for weld fatigue life analysis and how nCode DesignLife simplifies the process of modelling welds for finite element analysis (FEA).
Originally presented on March 30, 2021
