Thermo-Mechanical & Fatigue Analysis of Welded Structures | IIT Guwahati Course
Course Details
| Exam Registration | 27 |
|---|---|
| Course Status | Ongoing |
| Course Type | Elective |
| Language | English |
| Duration | 12 weeks |
| Categories | Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Processes and Technology |
| Credit Points | 3 |
| Level | Undergraduate/Postgraduate |
| Start Date | 19 Jan 2026 |
| End Date | 10 Apr 2026 |
| Enrollment Ends | 02 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Registration Ends | 20 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Date | 26 Apr 2026 IST |
| NCrF Level | 4.5 — 8.0 |
Mastering Welded Structures: A Deep Dive into Thermo-Mechanical and Fatigue Analysis
In the world of modern manufacturing, welding is ubiquitous. From the automobiles we drive to the ships that cross oceans and the aircraft that soar through the skies, welded structures form their very backbone. It's a critical process, accounting for over 30% of production costs in many industries. However, ensuring the longevity, safety, and reliability of these structures requires a deep understanding of the complex physical phenomena induced by welding. This is where the specialized fields of thermo-mechanical and fatigue analysis become paramount.
We are excited to introduce a comprehensive 12-week course, "Fundamentals of Thermo-Mechanical & Fatigue Analysis of Welded Structure," designed to equip students, researchers, and industry professionals with the essential knowledge and skills to tackle real-world engineering challenges.
About the Course Instructor: Prof. Pankaj Biswas
This course is led by Prof. Pankaj Biswas, a distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Guwahati. With over 17 years of dedicated research in welding technology, 3D printing, and forming processes, Prof. Biswas is a leading authority in the field. His expertise spans computational weld mechanics, friction stir welding (including dissimilar and steel welding), finite element analysis of weld-induced distortion and residual stresses, and the modeling of welding processes.
His impressive academic portfolio includes guiding numerous PhD scholars, publishing over 104 journal articles, 95 conference papers, 28 book chapters, and holding 6 patents. Recognized with the prestigious IEI Young Engineers Award (2013-2014) in Mechanical Engineering, Prof. Biswas brings a wealth of theoretical knowledge and practical, project-driven experience directly into the course curriculum.
Who Should Enroll in This Course?
This course is meticulously designed for a broad audience seeking to solidify their understanding of welded structure integrity.
- Students: Undergraduate and Postgraduate students in Mechanical, Production, Manufacturing, Power Plant Engineering, Naval Architecture, or Ocean Engineering.
- Researchers: Academics and PhD scholars focusing on welding, structural integrity, and computational mechanics.
- Industry Professionals: Engineers and technical personnel in automobile, shipbuilding, aeronautical, railway, and general manufacturing industries.
Prerequisite: A BE/B.Tech degree in the aforementioned engineering disciplines is required to fully grasp the course concepts.
Course Overview and Learning Objectives
This course provides a rigorous foundation, moving from fundamental principles to advanced simulation techniques. The primary focus is on understanding how the intense, localized heat of welding creates complex thermal histories, leading to residual stresses, distortion, and critically affecting the fatigue life of a component.
Participants will learn to analyze these phenomena, design welds for strength and durability, and predict structural lifespan under cyclic loading. A significant highlight is the hands-on module on performing Finite Element (FE) simulations using the industry-standard ANSYS software to model welding processes and their effects.
Detailed 12-Week Course Layout
| Week | Topics Covered |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Analysis of heat flow in welding: Basics of 3D transient heat transfer, heat flow in fusion & solid-state welding, heat source models, calculating peak temperature and cooling rates. |
| Week 2 | Effect of welding thermal history on residual stresses, distortion, and mechanical properties. Covers weldability, heat treatment, hydrogen embrittlement, and cracking phenomena. |
| Week 3 | Basics of welding design: Principles of sound design, joint design, allowable weld strength, and fundamentals of fracture mechanics. |
| Week 4 | Design of welded joints for torsional moments and combined fluctuating loads with practical examples. |
| Weeks 5 & 6 | The methods of structural fatigue: Fatigue analysis, design, and life estimation methods. Fatigue/creep properties of welds and methods to improve fatigue strength. |
| Weeks 7, 8, 9 & 10 | In-depth design & analysis for fatigue loading. Topics include fatigue fracture mechanisms, Rainflow counting, Miner’s rule, Modified Goodman’s diagram, Paris Law for crack propagation, and global/local analysis methods (nominal stress, hot spot stress, effective notch stress). |
| Week 11 | Finite Element fundamentals for welding analysis: Numerical methods, governing equations, and basics of transient elastoplastic thermo-mechanical FE analysis. |
| Week 12 | Hands-on Welding Simulation using ANSYS: FE transient thermal analysis to predict weld thermal history, residual stresses, distortion, and basics of fatigue life prediction via simulation. |
Key Textbooks and Reference Materials
The course curriculum is supported by seminal texts in the field, including:
- Fuchs H. O. and Stephens R.I., “Metal Fatigue in Engineering”
- Gray T. G. F. and Spence J., “Rational Welding Design”
- Ø. Grong, “Metallurgical Modelling of Welding”
- L-E Lindgren, “Computational Welding Mechanics”
- V. M. Radhakrishnan, “Welding Technology and Design”
Why This Course is Essential for Industry
The principles taught in this course are directly applicable across the manufacturing spectrum. Automobile, shipbuilding, aeronautical, and railway industries constantly grapple with challenges related to weld integrity, weight reduction, and safety compliance. Understanding thermo-mechanical analysis helps in minimizing costly distortions and residual stresses during production. Proficiency in fatigue analysis is critical for predicting component life, preventing in-service failures, and optimizing maintenance schedules, thereby enhancing product reliability and reducing lifecycle costs.
By bridging the gap between advanced academic research and industrial application, this course empowers you to design, analyze, and simulate welded structures with confidence and precision. Enroll today to build a robust foundation in one of the most critical aspects of modern mechanical and manufacturing engineering.
Enroll Now →