Correction of Butt-welding Induced Distortions by Laser Forming

Welding-induced distortion is an intrinsic phenomenon arising due to the thermally induced strain distributions in the weld and surrounding material. The distortion can be minimized during the pre-process, real-time, or postprocess stages. In the present paper, the laser forming (LF) technology is utilized for the post correction of welding-induced distortion. The out-of-plane distortion can be divided into angular and longitudinal distortions. The LF correction paths are based on the magnitude and direction of bending angle, and the longitudinal residual stresses. The heating conditions are determined through the use of a heating database established by FEM simulations. It is seen that laser forming can reduce not only the weldinginduced distortion, but also the tensile longitudinal residual stresses on the welded surface.