Simulation of Magnetic Pulse Welding With Varying Air Gap in Tubular Jobs Using FEM

Abstract

Magnetic pulse welding process, one of high speed welding processes, uses electromagnetic force from discharged current through a working coil which develops a repulsive force between the induced currents flowing parallel and in the opposite direction in the work piece to be welded. Coils of specific geometry and material combinations are essentially required to achieve precise and successful electromagnetic (EM) welding. The aim of the present research is to assess the weldability criteria of high speed magnetic pulse welding for tubular jobs of Al, Cu and SS combinations using finite element analysis. A circular design of EMW coil is proposed to perform EMW simulations while varying the air gap between the outer tube and inner tube of different work pieces and voltages. A 3-dimensional electromagnetic FE-model has been developed to analyze the distribution of electromagnetic force and magnetic flux density. Results of electromagnetic forces and magnetic flux density acquired during EMW simulations of various material combinations are shown here. The data shown in the results provides a guideline to choose EM welding parameters for further experimentations. The demonstrated results will assist future researchers to develop a better methodology for coil design and to further explore the field.