Thermal Phase Transformation and Residual Stress Estimation of Multi-Layer Materials for Cylindrical or Flat Shape

The estimation of the thermal, phase transformation, and residual stresses in multilayer materials during arbitrary loading is a complex problem, which is important in many manufacturing processes. This paper describes an analytical method to predict these stresses using classic elasticity/plasticity theories under cylindrical coordinates. The method is based on the well-established analysis of an inclusion embedded into a matrix. The multi-layer problem is treated in increments of two layers at a time in a straightforward manner. The computational time required for two sample quenching problems and one sample surface grinding problem was less than half minute each on a PC. Both the thermal stress and residual stress estimation results agree well with the FEM results, especially in the limited depth of the surface. This program is not limited to quenching and grinding problems. It can be applied to many manufacturing processes for predicting in-process stress and residual stress of work-pieces in order to optimize the processes.