by Stone Lake Analytics (Author)

Design tools, including Solidworks, are brimming with features to help manage cut lists, joints, weld schedules, and such to help real weldments get built. We are left wanting for an easy way to put true representations of welded structures into our simulation tools. Peak stresses in many weldments can be expected at welded joints, and the diligent analyst wants to provide good answers about their structural response.

We don't think there is an easy way, but we do have a plan. Common solid operations in Solidworks can be used to model welds explicitly. The model needs to reflect both where the weld bead adds material, how it penetrates into the joint, and where mating parts are not joined. Modern computers and solvers can quickly generate good linear static results on such detailed models.