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Studying the formation and distribution of residual stress fields will improve the wheel safety operational criteria among other gains. Many engineering specifications, manufacturing procedures, inspection and quality control have begun to require that the residual stress of a particular component to be evaluated. It is known that these residual stress fields could be added to the effects of a system load (tare weight plus occupation of vehicle, traction, braking and torque combined). The mathematical tools for modeling and simulations using finite elements had evolved following the increasing computing power and hardware cost reduction. On the other hand, the experimental testing, offers specific physical component behavior and with the use of statistical tools, it is possible to predict the real behavior of the component when in operation. The experiments undertaken used the X-ray diffraction technique and the drilling method with rosette type strain gages.

This paper reports the experimental efforts in recording the 2-dimensional temperature distribution on autogenous thin plates of UNS S32304 steel during welding. The butt-welded autogenous joints were experimentally performed by the GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) process with either argon or argon-2%nitrogen atmospheres. The temperatures cycles were recorded by means of thermocouples embedded by spot welding on the plate's surfaces and connected to a multi-channel data acquisition system. The laser flash method (LFM) was also used for the determination thermal diffusivity of the material in the thickness direction. The temperature curves suggest a relationship between the microstructures in the solidified and the heat affected zone with the diffusivity variation. This is a region where there had been a major incidence of heat. The obtained results validate the reliability of the experimental used apparatus.