An efficient finite element analysis model for thermal plate forming in shipbuilding

Herein, we present the design and development of an efficient finite element analysis model for thermal plate forming in shipbuilding. Double curvature shells in the ship building industries are primarily formed through the thermal forming technique. Thermal forming involves heating of steel plates using heat sources like oxy-acetylene gas torch, laser, and induction heating, etc. The differential expansion and contraction across the plate thickness cause plastic deformation and bending of plates. Thermal forming is a complex forming technique as the plastic deformation and bending depends on many factors such as peak temperature, heating and cooling rate, depth of heated zone and many other secondary factors. In this work, we develop an efficient finite element analysis model for the thermo-mechanical analysis of thermal forming. Different simulations are reported to study the effect of various parameters affecting the process. Temperature dependent properties are used in the analysis and the finite element analysis model is used to identify the critical flame velocity to avoid recrystallization of plate material. A spring connected plate is modeled for structural analysis using spring elements and that helps in identifying the resultant shapes of various thermal forming patterns. Finally, detailed simulation results are reported to establish the efficacy, applicability and efficiency of the designed and developed finite element analysis model.