Evolution of temperature distribution and microstructure in multipass welded AISI 321 stainless steel plates with different thicknesses

Prediction of temperature distribution, microstructure, and residual stresses generated during the welding process is crucial for the design and assessment of welded structures. In the multipass welding process of parts with different thicknesses, temperature distribution, microstructure, and residual stresses vary during each weld pass and from one part to another. This complicates the welding process and its analysis. In this paper, the evolution of temperature distribution and the microstructure generated during the multipass welding of AISI 321 stainless steel plates were studied numerically and experimentally. Experimental work involved designing and manufacturing benchmark specimens, performing the welding, measuring the transient temperature history, and finally observing and evaluating the microstructure. Benchmark specimens were made of corrosion-resistant AISI 321 stainless steel plates with different thicknesses of 6 mm and 10 mm. The welding process consisted of three welding passes of two shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) process and one gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. Finite element (FE) models were developed using the DFLUX subroutine to model the moving heat source and two different approaches for thermal boundary conditions were evaluated using FILM subroutines. The DFLUX and FILM subroutines are presented for educational purposes, as well as a procedure for their verification.