Predicting Fatigue Behavior in Friction Stir Welded Joints: A Simulation-Driven Approach for Critical Industrial Applications

The pervasive use of welded components in critical industrial equipment, ranging from heavy machinery to high-pressure vessels, presents a significant vulnerability. Inadequate analysis and subsequent fatigue failures not only trigger costly production disruptions and severe workplace accidents but also pose a substantial impediment to achieving global net-zero targets, sustainable economic growth, and the broader objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Understanding the fatigue behavior of welded materials, especially in the critical heat-affected zone (HAZ), is paramount for ensuring structural reliability. This research introduces a novel approach utilizing numerical simulation to accurately predict fatigue life in both base metal (BM) and friction stir welded (FSWed) configurations. Through meticulous validation against experimental results, the research demonstrate the predictive fidelity of proposed model. The study concluded that a consistent trend of maximum stress concentration within the HAZ, directly linking simulated stress patterns to observed failure mechanisms. Furthermore, this study provides critical insights into the material behavior of welded joints under cyclic loading, paving the way for improved design and performance in demanding applications