Abstract
In this research, various heat source equations that have been proposed in previous study were calculated and compared with new model in various laser parameters. This is to treat the problem of predicting, by numerical analysis, the thermo-mechanical behaviors of laser spot welding for thin stainless steel plates. A finite element code, ABAQUS is used for the heat transfer analysis with a three-dimensional plane assumption. Experimental studies if the laser spot welding have also bee conducted to validate the numerical models presented. The results suggest that temperature profiles and weld dimensions are varied according to the heat source of the laser beam. For this reason, it is essential to incorporate an accurate description of the heat source.
