Suppression of liquid metal embrittlement in resistance spot welding of TRIP steel

ABSTRACT

Third-generation advanced high strength steels are typically given a zinc coating that provides excellent resistance to corrosion. During the resistance spot welding process, the melted zinc coating enables liquid metal embrittlement (LME) that causes cracking in the weld indent. In this study, LME in TRIP 1100 and TRIP 1200 steels was suppressed by placing aluminium interlayers added between the electrode and steel contact surface. Compared to welds exhibiting LME, TRIP 1100 with aluminium interlayers showed complete strength recovery while TRIP 1200 with aluminium interlayers resulted in a recovery of strength by 90%. Aluminium interlayers suppress LME by the formation of iron aluminides that hinder liquid zinc from coming in contact with the steel substrate, thus preventing LME.     

Estimating the strength of resistance spot welds based on sonic emission

Abstract

Audible sound signals detected during the resistance spot welding (RSW) of zinc coated steels were investigated in order to assess their suitability for estimating the strength of the weld. A new sonic emission indicator was introduced and compared to a commonly used emission count indicator. A new method of spot weld strength estimation based on the two indicators is presented. The advantage of the method is that it makes it possible to establish the stage when the electrode is worn out. The method enables the development of improved RSW process control algorithms.     

Influence of welding current shape on expulsion and weld strength of resistance spot welds

Abstract

The present paper presents the influence of welding current shape on weld strength of resistance spot welds of zinc coated mild steel sheets. The influence is analysed at different levels of the electrode wear. Welding currents with different peak values and different RMS (root mean square) values were used in the experiment. The results show that welding current with high peak values implies higher weld strength.     

Impact of liquid metal embrittlement cracks on resistance spot weld static strength

ABSTRACT

Advanced high strength steels used in automotive structural components are commonly protected using zinc coatings. However, the steel/zinc system creates the potential for liquid metal embrittlement (LME) during welding. Although LME cracks are known to form, limited research has found any detrimental impact of LME cracks on weld strength. In this work, a comparison of zinc coated and uncoated advanced high strength steel joints showed LME decreased strength in welds from transformation induced plasticity type microstructures and an 1100?MPa ultimate tensile strength by 43.6%. LME cracks were observed to propagate until final fracture. However, only cracks located in the periphery of the weld area were found contribute to a loss in strength.     

Surface breaking cracks in resistance spot welds of dual phase steels with electrogalvanised and hot dip zinc coating

Abstract

In normal production of resistance spot welded galvanised structures, it is difficult to completely avoid surface breaking cracks. Known key factors to cause cracking are zinc coating, electrode wear during subsequent welding and insufficient electrode cooling. In this report, an embrittlement mechanism was investigated that could be coupled to the galvanisation method for dual phase steels. With identical bulk material and weld parameters, the first 50 spot welds were crack free with electrogalvanised coating, while only 10 out of 50 were crack free with hot dip galvanised coating. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis of the worn electrode surfaces used for welding of the hot dip galvanised coating revealed areas of aluminium oxide. Since aluminium oxide is a very strong isolator, the electrical resistance will increase, which in turn is suggested to increase the surface temperature of the spot weld and thereby increase the probability for liquid metal embrittlement and surface cracks.     

Effect of variable electrode force on weld quality in resistance spot welding

Abstract

Resistance spot weldability is defined as the acceptable welding current ranges as determined by the weld lobe in resistance spot welding. Nowadays many studies have focused on the effect of welding current and welding time under constant electrode force on the weld quality and weldability. There is little research on the influence of variable electrode force on the weld quality and weldability because of the difficulty in controlling variable electrode force using pneumatic gun. In the present study, first, the influence of three stages of electrode force, including squeeze force, welding force and forging force, on the quality of welds is analysed. Then a design of experiment approach is applied to analyse the influence of the three stages of electrode force on welding quality and thus to obtain optimum parameter of variable electrode force by controlling the electrode force with servo gun. The comparisons of tensile shear strength, nugget size, weld lobe width and wear rate of electrode tip between variable force and constant force are carried out. The results show that the weld quality and weldability can be increased evidently using optimum parameter of variable electrode force without accelerating the electrode wear rate.     

Experimental study on electrode displacement fluctuation characteristics during resistance spot welding

Abstract

Electrode displacement has been used to monitor resistance spot weld quality for long, but the fluctuation of the electrode displacement has not been well studied. This paper analysed the mechanism of the displacement fluctuation by collecting the welding current and electrode displacement during welding process and extracted the incremental pulse expansion of the electrode displacement, which was named as the displacement fluctuation peak. Through metallurgical experiments, the relationship of the displacement fluctuation peak with the weld nugget growth during resistance spot welding process was analysed. The whole process can be divided into four successive stages, and five characteristic points of the displacement fluctuation peak curve were selected to online predict the weld quality. The variation in the displacement fluctuation peak curve under different welding currents was studied, and the results showed that the displacement fluctuation characteristics can be used to effectively evaluate the weld quality.     

TiB2/Cu复合材料作电极点焊镀锌钢板的失效分析

研究了含 Ti B2 为 1.5 %的铜基复合材料 (Ti B2 /Cu)作电极在点焊镀锌钢板时的失效形式 ,结果表明 :Ti B2 /Cu电极在点焊镀锌钢板时的平均使用寿命是 Cu Cr Zr合金电极的 4倍 ,Ti B2 /Cu电极的失效形式主要是表面的合金化 ,少量的细碎翻边、粘附和坑蚀 ,不出现蘑菇状 ,是一种较好的点焊电极材料     

Evaluating the deterioration of electrodes when increasing the number of pulses in the welding time using galvanised IF and HSLA steels and assigning mechanical properties in the spot welds

ABSTRACT

Resistance spot welding is the most important method in the industry of self-supporting or monocoque body joinery because of its automation, its speed, the flexibility of welding parts with a complicated shape, and it is economical because it does not require a filler metal, and it is also possible to apply pre-heating and post-heating pulses to improve the weldability of the spot weld, which is defined as the ability of the structure to adequately protect passengers against injuries in the event of a collision, and this mainly depends on the integrity and mechanical performance of the weld button. In order to extend the lifetime of vehicles, galvanized steels are produced. However, zinc coatings have increased the difficulty of weldability, with higher currents being required in the process, since there is less resistance at the weld interface due to improved electrical conductivity. This work investigates the effect of galvanizing on the reduction of the lifetime of the electrodes, for this reason, it follows that there is a loss in the mechanical properties in the weld buttons as the number of spot welds increases. The main aim of this study is to correlate the electrode wear with the mechanical properties of the weld buttons. The experiment procedure consists of making 1,000 spot welds; and every twenty-fifth spot weld after the first was examined by means of stereoscopy, hardness tests, unbuttoning tests and shear stress tests. In terms of electrode wear, the face was evaluated using impressions on carbon paper, optical microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy.     

Prediction of nugget development during resistance spot welding using coupled thermal–electrical–mechanical model

Abstract

An axisymmetric finite element model employing coupled thermal–electrical–mechanical analysis of resistance spot welding is presented. The welding parameters considered include: heat generation at the faying surface and the workpiece–electrode surface; Joule heating at the workpiece and the electrode; and the thermal contact conductance between the electrode and the workpiece. The latent heat of phase change due to melting is accounted for. The effect of friction coefficient on the workpiece interface is also studied. The computed results agree well with the experimental data. Heat generation at the faying surface in the initial stages of welding dominates the nugget development, and Joule heating at long times governs the weld nugget growth. A parametric study is carried out for the nugget growth with specific consideration of resistance spot welding of Al alloys. Process control and modelling of resistance spot welding of Al alloys is more difficult than that for steel because of their high electrical and thermal conductivity and low melting point.     

Application of electrode force change in single sided resistance spot welding using servo gun

Abstract

Single sided resistance spot welding (SSRSW) is considered as a feasible method to join hydroformed or closed section parts to others in vehicle productions. Unfortunately, it is difficult to guarantee the weld quality utilising conventional air gun. Because of a lack of support inside the closed section parts, the impact of electrode driven by pneumatic gun will cause large deformation of the workpieces at the welding stage and will lead to a crack around weld region after welding completion. In addition, poor weldability is another pressing problem for welding operations. Servo gun with new gun driven method has some merits such as realising the soft touch between electrode and workpieces and changing electrode force during the welding process which are greatly suitable to the sheet to tube joining. Based on the characteristics of servo gun, the present paper investigates a new method to increase the weld quality of sheet to tube joining with SSRSW method. By adjusting the electrode force during the welding process, weld strength would be increased, weld deformation be decreased and weldability lobe curve be widened. The results verify that servo guns can provide high assurance for welding quality of sheet to tube joining and have broad prospect in SSRSW.     

Surface modified long-life electrode for resistance spot welding of Zn-coated steel

In order to increase the life of conventional copper electrodes in resistance spot welding of Zn-coated sheet steel, a multi-layer Ni/(TiC_P/Ni)/Ni composite coating was deposited onto the copper electrode top surface by electro-spark deposition. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction and micro-hardness tests were employed to characterize the microstructure and property of the coating. The results showed that the copper electrodes with a dense Ni/(TiC_P/Ni)/Ni coating slightly increased the resistance of the weld system and hence the welding current could be reduced to produce a weld with the same button size as that made by uncoated electrodes at a high welding current. The coating was gradually cracked during welding under the action of welding force, forming Ni/(TiC_P/Ni)/Ni composite islands which were strongly adherent to and further, punched into copper substrate. The coating could significantly reduce the alloying between copper electrode substrate and molten Zn. As a result, coated electrode showed a much longer life than an uncoated electrode even though the welding current for coated electrode was lower than that for uncoated one.     

Finite element analysis of effect of electrode pitting in resistance spot welding of aluminium alloy

Abstract

The effect of electrode pitting on the formation of the weld nugget in resistance spot welding of an aluminium alloy was investigated using the finite element method. Pitted electrodes were simulated by assuming a pre-drilled hole of varying diameter at the centre of the electrode tip surface. The results showed that a small pitting hole would not have a detrimental influence on the nugget size. The actual contact area at the electrode/sheet interface did not change significantly when the diameter of the pitting hole was increased. However, a large pitted area at the electrode tip surface resulted in a greatly increased contact area and hence reduced current density at the sheet/sheet interface, which in turn led to the formation of an undersized weld nugget. The numerical calculation of the nugget shape and dimensions agreed well with experimental observations.     

基于二维DIC技术的电阻点焊板件变形分析

结合二维数字图像相关技术(DIC),针对焊接电流、通电时间及电极力对电阻点焊过程中工件翘曲变形量的影响规律进行了深入研究和讨论. 结果表明,利用二维DIC技术获得的工件变形过程与电阻点焊各个阶段相吻合,而且具有较高的精确度. 随着焊接电流和通电时间的增大,熔核形成造成的翘曲变形增大;随着电极力的增大,熔核形成造成的翘曲变形减小,同时电极下压造成的变形增大.二维数字图像相关技术在电阻点焊过程中的首次尝试为电阻点焊工艺的研究和焊接质量的提高提供了新的方法,对电阻点焊工艺的发展和完善具有重要意义.     

Experimental study of single sided sheet to tube resistance spot welding

Abstract

To reduce weight and improve performance, hydroformed tubes are being widely used in automotive structure fabrication and the single sided sheet to tube resistance spot welding (SSRSW) is considered as a feasible method for joining a tube to other parts. However, in the sheet to tube SSRSW process, it is difficult to assure welding quality because of large welding deformation due to a lack of support inside the tube. The present paper investigates the influences of welding parameters, such as electrode force and welding current, on the welding deformation and quality of the sheet to tube SSRSW using electrode displacement and tensile shear tests. The effects of different electrode force patterns on the welding quality are investigated utilising the force characteristics of a servo gun. It is found that the welding deformation is influenced by both the electrode force and the welding current, and the tensile shear strength declines with larger electrode force and higher welding current. However, the tensile strength could be enhanced significantly and the welding deformation decreased greatly by reducing the electrode force in the welding stage or holding stage. In order to decrease manufacturing cost and improve weld quality, the reduced electrode force is recommended for the sheet to tube SSRSW process.     

Degradation mechanism of electrode tip during resistance spot welding of aluminium alloy sheets

Abstract

This study investigated the electrode life and the electrode degradation characteristics during continuous resistance spot welding of aluminium alloy sheets. When a long welding time and dome radius type electrode were used, the electrode life was extended more than that when a short welding time and radius type electrode are used. The electrode tip is considered to degrade by the following mechanism: an Al–Cu alloy layer is formed at the electrode tip during continuous welding, and then it peels off from the electrode tip transferring to the surface of aluminium alloy sheet. Its peeling makes the electrode tip indented and finally the electrode tip flattens with increasing diameter of electrode tip. In order to eliminate the direct contact between electrode and worksheet, a special Cu foil insert device for resistance spot welding of aluminium alloy sheets was developed and an extremely long electrode life was achieved.     

镀锌Q & P980钢电阻点焊接头液态金属脆裂纹的影响因素分析

新一代超高强Q&P淬火延性钢在具有高强度的同时具有较好的断后伸长率,在车身制造中具有广阔的应用前景.然而在对镀锌Q&P980钢进行电阻点焊试验后,在焊接接头中发现了表面裂纹,前期研究表明该表面裂纹是由液态金属脆化机制所引起的,即钢板在液态锌和应力的共同作用下发生的沿晶界开裂.结果表明,点焊中的工艺参数,包括焊接电流、焊接时间及电极压力、以及加工条件,包括电极端面形状、加压模式、电极对中度均会对接头中的液态金属脆裂纹产生不同程度的影响,因此可以通过调整工艺参数及加工条件来降低裂纹的敏感性.     

An experimental study on effects of post-heating parameters on resistance spot welding of SAPH440 steel

Abstract

The fracture mode of spot welded joints, made of SAPH440 steel sheets, is investigated. It was found that the weldment failure in the peel test of the joints occurred through the weld nugget. This is called an interfacial failure and is not acceptable because it is a sign of insufficient mechanical strength. Investigation showed that this kind of fracture is attributed to the brittleness of the nugget zone, caused by its martensitic microstructure due to the high cooling rate in the welding. For eliminating this defect, resistance spot welding procedures were augmented with post-heating stage. This approach is intended to reduce the cooling rate after welding and also to temper the weld nugget, generating a more ductile microstructure in the weld zone. The results of this research can be used for planning spot welding process and provides a guideline for analysing the results of hardness and peel test.     

Electrode degradation mechanism during resistance spot welding of zinc coated steel using Cu-TiB2 electrodes

1 INTRODUCTIONResistance spot welding(RSW) is the mostcommonly used method for joining steel sheets inthe automotive industry . In RSW, a weld isformed between two workpieces through meltingand coalescence of a small volume of the material atthe faying surfaces due to the resistance heatcaused by the passage of electric current when theworkpieces are held together under a large elec-trode force[1 ,2]. Over the past decade ,the require-ment of i mproved corrosion resistance in automo-bil…     

Online quality inspection of resistance spot welded joint based on electrode indentation using servo gun

Abstract

Resistance spot welding is one of the major joining techniques widely used for car body assembly. Weld quality may significantly influence the durability and reliability of the automobile body. Automotive manufacturers often rely on destructive testing and monitoring variables which indirectly reflected weld quality to assess the weld quality and control the welding process. However, these approaches have inherent limitations and are difficult to be implemented in plant environments. Therefore, it is imperative to develop an online inspection method to evaluate weld quality. In the present study, a method of producing a series of substantially uniform spot welds between two metal parts using a servomotor driven movable electrode and an axially opposing fixed electrode is proposed. The indentation in the workpiece surface is suitably measured by the displacement of the movable electrode as it applies an electrode force and welding current is passed through the weld site of the workpiece. The optimal indentation range is determined by peel test and metallographic examinations with respect to various sheet gages and grades. Consequently, online weld quality inspection results are achieved based on developed optimal indentation range.