A Study on the Mitigation of Welding Distortion of a Precision Component for Automobile Transmission

Abstract In recent years, a demand for precision-welding is increasing in wide industrial fields for getting a high quality welded structures. Although laser welding is commonly used for precision-welding, gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding is also attempted as a precision-welding due to the cost benefit. However, welding heat causes an uneven temperature distribution leading to welding deformation. Since it causes geometric errors and degrades product quality, welding distortion recently rises as an important issue in the field of automobile parts. To control welding deformation, it is needed to design in shapes that can maximize stiffness against deformation during welding; control the welding sequence; minimize heat input; and weld allowing reverse deformation; etc. Thus it is necessary to find the one, among such approaches, that can minimize the deformation range by mathematical analysis and understand how effective it would be when it is actually used in industrial fields. This study performs analyses by numerical calculations and experiments for the De-Tent Lever, one of transmission part that requires precision the most among automobile parts, as the subject of experiment. Decrease in welding deformation is required for this part, since there is currently a trouble in guaranteeing precision due to angular deformation by welding between boss and plate. Finally the ways to minimize welding deformation has been suggested in this study through analyses on it.Key Words : Precision-welding, Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), Welding deformation, Temperature distribution, Numerical analysis.