Simulation and Analysis on the Blind Hole Method Using the Finite Element Method

This study investigates the effectiveness of the hole-drilling strain gage method on residual stress estimation. The thermal elastic-plastic model of the commercial Marc finite element method package is used to simulate and build up the hole-drilling process and residual stress distribution. Two Inconel 690 alloy plate welded with GTAW filler I-52 solder are first simulated using the Marc software. The traditional hole-drilling process is then simulated. The simulated residual strain variation data is incorporated into the hole-drilling strain-gage method to derive the possible residual stress components. The effects of drilling depth and drill size on the accuracy of residual stress estimates are also discussed. A comparison of stress components estimated from the traditional hole-drilling strain gage method and simulated from the Marc software is presented. The modified dimensionless parameters are provided by applying the optimum technique. The numerical results indicate that the proposed dimensionless parameters can significantly improve the accuracy of estimated residual stress components.