Hello everyone, I have SimSolid, but I'm interested in knowing if there is software within which I can simulate the welding temperature and determine how much time it takes for the weld to cool down.
Hello T_20437,
In the Altair portfolio, general structural‑only tools like SimSolid are not designed for welding thermal cycles. However, you can use Altair SimLab for detailed thermal simulation and heat transfer analysis, including transient temperature evolution (cooling/warming) when coupled with appropriate loads and thermal boundary conditions; it provides automated thermal workflows alongside structural physics. SimLab also supports multidisciplinary thermal and heat transfer studies on assemblies, making it suitable for transient cooling analysis of welded parts. For more complex heat source modeling or welding process simulation (including melt pool and heat‑affected zone predictions), Altair has historically offered specialized solvers like AMS Welding which are aimed at simulating welding processes with heat source models, temperature changes, distortion and residual stresses, though these may be part of broader solver suites or partner applications.
(https://altair.com/simlab-applications)
On the Siemens side, the Simcenter portfolio includes tools that support robust thermal and heat transfer analyses on detailed 3D models: Simcenter 3D can be used to simulate heat conduction and transient thermal response for processes like welding and subsequent cooling, and its multiphysics capabilities let you combine structural and thermal physics to look at temperature history and thermal effects. Simcenter STAR‑CCM+ provides high‑fidelity heat transfer simulation including conduction, convection, and transient thermal behavior, which can be used to model cooling after an applied heat input such as from a weld. These tools together allow you to capture detailed thermal evolution during and after welding more directly than structural‑only solvers.
(https://www.siemens.com/en-gb/products/simcenter/simulation-test/thermal-simulation/)
Regards,
Sourav
