ABSTRACT
Extensive numerical and experimental investigation led to the development of Thermo-Mechanical Tensioning (TMT) as one such in-process distortion control tool, which would reduce the weld induced distortions. This chapter examines the experimental validation of Finite Element Analysis for the models with and without TMT was done for the bead on plate welding. The developed TMT tool for buckling distortion mitigation was found to be quite encouraging and suitable for implementation in actual shipyard shop floor conditions. The effect of TMT on varying stiffener spacing and also the effect of different TMT pull on mitigation of buckling were investigated in this work through numerical simulation. Thermo-mechanical analysis of bead-on-plate welding was carried out simulating the application and release of TMT. In TMT, the plate panel was subjected to pre-tension by using tensioning and restraining lugs attached to the panel. The welding of stiffeners on thin section plates lead to buckling of the panels.
