Abstract
The numerical performance of general shell elements in modeling spot-welded joints is investigated. Finite element meshes composed of purely three-dimensional (3D) elements and purely general shell elements are used to analyze the stress and deformation fields in a symmetric coach-peel spot-welded specimen and their solutions are compared in detail. It is found that a properly refined finite element mesh of general shell elements can produce stress and deformation solutions comparable to those generated by a similarly refined mesh of 3D solid elements. The findings of this paper have direct implications to the analysis of sheet metal structures with spot-welded joints (such as automotive structures).
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 41-57 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Finite elements in analysis and design |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 1 2000 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Analysis
- General Engineering
- Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design
- Applied Mathematics