A code is developed for deformation design in welding of cowl cross bars. Attention is paid to the fact that a cowl cross bar is subjected to a localized thermo-elastic-plastic deformation on the welding area while the rest of the bar undergoes rigid rotations. Three nondimensional parameters are introduced for characterizing the welding deformations. Then finite element analysis is combined with the test results to create data base for predicting welding deformations. This is coded to determine the optimal positions for counter welding to correct the excessive welding deformations.
