With the growth in pipeline installations all over the world, there is a great demand for highly productive and robust welding systems. Mechanised pipe welding has been developed over the last 50 years and the present focus is towards development of automated pipeline welding systems. Pipeline welding automation is aimed at reducing costs and improving the installation quality. To attain fully automated pipe welding systems there is a need to rely on sensors and controls systems to mimic human like capabilities, such as visual inspection, in real time. The key aim of this work is to develop and evaluate methods of automatic assessment of weld bead shape and quality during narrow gap GMAW of transmission pipelines. This implies that the measured bead profile will be assessed to determine whether the bead shape will cause defects when the subsequent pass is deposited. Different approaches have been used to conquer the challenge that is emulating human reasoning, all with different objectives in mind. In spite of extensive literature research performed, very little information was found concerning the real time determination and assessment of bead shape quality and none of it was reported to be applied successfully to the pipeline industry. Despite the continuous development of laboratory laser vision systems commercial ones have been on the market for decades, some specifically developed for the welding application. Laser vision sensor systems provide surface profile information, and are the only sensors which can satisfactorily measure bead profile on a narrow groove. In order to be able to use them to automatically assess weld bead shape and quality, a deep understanding of their characteristics and limitations needs to be achieved. Once that knowledge was attained it was then applied to determine the best sensor configuration for this purpose. After that the development of human like judgment algorithms were developed to accomplish the aim that was set. Empirical rules were obtained from an experienced welder regarding the acceptability of bead shapes and were then applied in the developed system with good results. To scientifically evaluate and determine the rules to use in this system, further experiments would be required. The output of the system developed showed very accurate, reliable and consistent results that were true to the external measurements and comparisons performed. The developed system has numerous applications in the pipeline industry and it could easily be implemented on commercial systems.

En raison de sa stabilité microstructurale l'acier martensitique 'X10CrMoVNb9-1' est considéré comme un des candidats pour plusieurs futurs composants des réacteurs à hautes températures 'Very High Temperature Reactor' (VHTR). Ces épais composants (200 mm) sont assemblés par soudage TIG multi-passe. Ce procédé de soudage génère des cycles thermiques et thermomécaniques complexes au niveau de la Zone Affectée Thermiquement (ZAT). Cette thèse est la suite de celle de G.-M. Roux. Ce travail de six ans a pour but de prédire l'état microstructural après soudage dans la ZAT. G.-M. Roux a déjà développé une première version d'un modèle Thermo-Métallurgico-Mécanique (TMM) et a été validée en termes de contraintes résiduelles sur des essais de soudage simples mono-passe. Dans cette thèse une nouvelle version du modèle TMM est proposée, permettant d'améliorer les prévisions en termes de l'état microstructural post soudage dans la ZAT, et les contraintes résiduelles engendrées par l'opération de soudage.Cette thèse s¿appuie sur une approche de modélisation fine des transformations de phases, à savoir la modélisation de la transformation matériau de base - austénite lors d'un chargement anisotherme complexe, la modélisation de la transformation austénite - martensite et finalement la modélisation du revenu de la martensite. Sans oublier la caractérisation du comportement mécanique de chaque phase et l'étude du comportement multi-phasique. La simulation numérique avec le code éléments finis Cast3M de plusieurs procédés de soudage permet de comparer les modèles aux résultats expérimentaux. / Due to its microstructural stability, the martensitic steel 'X10CrMoVNb9-1 is considered a candidate for several future high temperatures reactor components. These thick components (200 mm) are assembled by GTA multi-pass welding. This welding process generates complex thermal and thermomechanical cycles in the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ). This thesis is following that of G.-M. Roux. This work of 6 years aims to predict the microstructural state after welding in the HAZ. A first version of a Thermo-Metallurgical-Mechanical model (TMM) has been developed and validated in terms of residual stresses on single-pass welding simple tests. In this thesis a new version of the TMM model is proposed to improve the forecasts in terms of the microstructural state and residual stresses post welding in the HAZ. The main improvements of this model TMM its capabilities to take into account the successive heating and cooling cycles, characterizing the multi-pass welding process. This thesis is based on a detailed modeling approach for phase transformations, namely modeling the transformation base material - austenite during anisothermal complex loadings, modeling transformation austenite - martensite and finally the martensite tempering modeling. Not to mention the characterization of the mechanical behavior of each phase and the study of multiphase behavior. Numerical simulation with the finite element code Cast3M of several welding processes was used to compare models with experimental results.

FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / A soldagem multipasse de chapas grossas impÃe à junta soldada um estado de tensÃes residuais que pode ser muito prejudicial quando estas estÃo em serviÃo. Existem vÃrios fenÃmenos capazes de alterar os nÃveis de tensÃes residuais de soldagem nos materiais, um deles à a transformaÃÃo de fases. Este trabalho apresenta um estudo comparativo dos nÃveis de tensÃes residuais em trÃs juntas soldadas, produzidas com metais de adiÃÃo diferentes pelo processo arame tubular. Um arame eletrodo de aÃo inoxidÃvel martensÃtico Fe-12%Cr-5%Ni com baixa temperatura de transformaÃÃo foi o primeiro a ser utilizado, o segundo, um aÃo inoxidÃvel austenÃtico Fe-18,5%Cr-10%Ni, e finalmente, um aÃo baixa liga Fe-1,25%Cr-0,5%Mo. No processo de soldagem foi utilizada uma bancada robotizada com fonte multiprocesso para confecÃÃo das juntas, sendo o aÃo ABNT 4140 o metal de base. As tensÃes residuais foram medidas na superfÃcie das juntas soldadas atravÃs do mÃtodo de difraÃÃo de raios-X. TambÃm foram avaliadas as seguintes propriedades mecÃnicas; resistÃncia à traÃÃo, tenacidade e microdureza, bem como, as microestruturas resultantes na zona fundida, zona afetada pelo calor e metal de base. Os resultados mostraram que a junta produzida com arame eletrodo que sofreu transformaÃÃo martensÃtica a baixa temperatura apresentou nÃveis considerÃveis de tensÃo residual compressiva, ao contrÃrio das demais juntas que apresentaram tensÃo residual trativa na maioria dos pontos medidos. Nos ensaios de traÃÃo, a junta de baixa temperatura de transformaÃÃo martensÃtica apresentou elevados limites de escoamento e de resistÃncia à traÃÃo, e a sua ruptura ocorreu na interface entre o metal de base e o metal de solda. Nos ensaios de impacto da mesma junta, os valores de energia absorvida no metal de solda e zona termicamente afetada se apresentaram relativamente baixos. / The multi-pass welding of thick plates imposes to the welded joint a state of residual stresses that can be very harmful when they are in service. There are various phenomena that can alter the levels of residual stresses after materials welding; one of them is phase transformation. This work presents a comparative study of the levels of residual stresses in three welded joints, produced with different filler metals by Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW). A martensitic stainless steel wire Fe-12% Cr-5% Ni with low transformation temperature was the first to be used. After this an austenitic stainless steel Fe-18.5% Cr-10% Ni was used and finally a low alloy steel Fe -1.25% Cr-0.5% Mo. In the welding process, we used a workbench robot with multiprocess source for making joints, and the AISI 4140 the base metal.. Residual stresses were measured on the surface of welded joints using X-ray diffraction method. Tensile strength, toughness and hardness, as well as the resultant microstructure in weld metal, heat affected zone and base metal were evaluated. The results showed that the joint produced with wire electrode that has undergone low temperature martensitic transformation presents significant levels of compressive residual stress, unlike the other joints which present tensile residual stress at most of the measured points. In tensile tests, the joint of martensitic stainless steel showed high yield limits and tensile strength, and its rupture occurred at the interface between base metal and weld metal. Results of the impact tests of this joint showed relatively low absorbed energy values at the weld metal and heat affected zone.

Additive manufacturing processes have been investigated for some years, and are commonly used industrially in the field of plastics for small- and medium-sized series. The use of metallic deposition material has been intensively studied on the laboratory scale, but the numerical prediction is not yet state of the art. This paper examines numerical approaches for predicting temperature fields, distortions, and mechanical properties using the Finite Element (FE) software MSC Marc. For process mapping, the filler materials G4Si1 (1.5130) for steel, and AZ31 for magnesium, were first characterized in terms of thermo-physical and thermo-mechanical properties with process-relevant cast microstructure. These material parameters are necessary for a detailed thermo-mechanical coupled Finite Element Method (FEM). The focus of the investigations was on the numerical analysis of the influence of the wire feed (2.5–5.0 m/min) and the weld path orientation (unidirectional or continuous) on the temperature evolution for multi-layered walls of miscellaneous materials. For the calibration of the numerical model, the real welding experiments were carried out using the gas-metal arc-welding process—cold metal transfer (CMT) technology. A uniform wall geometry can be produced with a continuous welding path, because a more homogeneous temperature distribution results.