Sharif Digital Repository

Numerous advantages of application of tailor welded blanks (TWBs) in automobile industry, namely reduction of weight, fuel consumption and air pollution, have made the manufacturers eager to investigate in this field. On the other hand, while experiments generally provide valuable information in regard with mechanical behaviors, but utilization of simulation methods has extended vastly due to time and cost saving issues. One challenging issue in numerically analyzing the forming behavior of transversely welded TWBs, welded by laser welding methods, has been the presence of weld zone. While some researchers believe that during simulation, the weld zone can be neglected due to its minority and... 

Tapered composite beams are increasingly being used in various engineering applications such as helicopter yoke, robot arms, and turbine blades. In the present work, the buckling analysis of laminated tapered composite beams is conducted using a higher order finite element formulation. In tapered laminates, the material and geometric discontinuities at ply drop-off locations lead to significant discontinuities in stress distributions. Higher order formulation ensures the continuity of the stress distribution through the thickness of a laminate as well as across the element interfaces, which is very important for the analysis of tapered laminates. In addition, higher order finite element...