Advanced Machine Learning-Based Durability Assessment of Spot Welds Addressing Mode II and III Loading

This paper proposes a multi-scale approach to account for additional Mode II / III loading using structural stresses. Two parametric models, one with shell elements and one with solid elements, are used to set up a high number of macro- and meso-scale models from which the correlation between forces and moments and local notch stresses at spot weld is evaluated. To reduce the computational effort in practical application, a machine learning model is trained from the results of both models to estimates notch stresses (solid element) from nodal forces (shell element). This model can be used to reliably assess spot weld fatigue performance in full body analyses.