Temperature and stress in a CT3 Steel plate during air-arc cutting and welding processes

Although the air-arc cutting process has been widely used in material processing engineering, little is known about the temperature and stress in the air-arc cutting of plates. Here, a three-dimensional finite element model including the material removal and thermal effect of the arc is developed to study the temperature and stress fields of a CT3 steel plate during the air-arc cutting and welding processes. The influences of the air-arc cutting process on the initial stress field and of the welding process on the initial residual stress are of primary importance. It is very important for researchers to clarify the temperature and stresses during welding and cutting processes and to fully understand the mechanism of the influence of cutting and welding on the plate.