Seam Weld Fatigue Analysis
Seam Weld Fatigue analysis is available to facilitate Fatigue analysis for seam welded structures. It allows you to simulate the Fatigue failure at the seam weld joints to assess the corresponding fatigue failure characteristics like Damage and Life.
The Volvo method implemented in HyperWorks is based on a research paper Fatigue Life Prediction of MAG-Welded Thin-Sheet Structures published by M. Fermér, M Andréasson, and B Frodin. The method is a hot spot stress approach applicable to thin metal sheets. Hot spot stress is calculated from grid point forces at weld line. The method showed a good agreement with laboratory test results for sheet thickness between 1.0 mm and 3.0 mm. The method typically requires two SN curves. One is a bending SN curve which is dominated by bending stress, and the other is a membrane SN curve which dominated by membrane stress.