Fatigue strength of hot-stamped spot welded joints*—study on spot welding tailored blank technology

Hot stamping spot welding tailored blank (TB) technology is a process to produce spot welded automotive body parts by the following process: Spot welding steel sheets in lap configuration → Hot stamping (Heating to about 900°C → Quenching and forming in water-cooled die → Shot blasting to remove scale). This process has the advantage of producing high strength lap welded automotive body parts without increasing the number of forming dies. In this study, the tensile shear fatigue strength of the spot welding TB joints (Spot welding → Hot stamping) and conventional spot welded joints (Hot stamping → Spot welding) of the 1500MPa class uncoated boron steel sheets are compared. The obtained results are as follows. The fatigue life of the spot welding TB joints was more than two times longer than that of the conventional spot welded joints. The long fatigue life of the spot welding TB joints was not caused by the heating and quenching process but by the shot blasting process after heat treatment. Shot blasting on the outer sheet surface caused the high compressive residual stress on the outer surface and did not affect the residual stress on the lapped surface. Shot blasting on the outer sheet surface increased the initiation life of fatigue crack which occurred on the lapped surface and also reduced the crack propagation speed which propagates from the lapped surface to the outer surface. FE-analysis suggested that compressive residual stress on the outer surface reduce the opening of sheet separation of joints in fatigue tests and reduce the maximum principal stress around the edge of corona bond.     

回填搅拌摩擦点焊和传统搅拌摩擦点焊AA6061-T6接头的微观结构和力学性能的比较

在搅拌摩擦点焊过程中,通过添加填充板来改善摩擦成形过程,这种新工艺被称为回填搅拌摩擦点焊。分别采用回填搅拌摩擦点焊和传统的搅拌摩擦点焊工艺焊接AA6061-T6搭接焊样品,研究搅拌头的旋转速度对接头的力学性能和金相组织的影响。在不同的旋转速度下,回填搅拌摩擦点焊接头的静态剪切强度都比传统搅拌摩擦点焊接头的好。这归因于在回填搅拌摩擦点焊时,添加了填充板从而有更多的材料来填充孔洞,消除了形成的孔洞缺陷,从而使点焊焊核区的有效截面积增加。借助扫描电镜观察讨论了材料的失效机制,分析了断裂表面形貌。2种焊接接头的硬度曲线都呈W形,最小的硬度出现在热影响区。     

Heat distribution in welds by short-time high-current post-heating and its improving effect on cross tension strength: development of resistance spot welding with pulsed current pattern for ultrahigh-strength steel sheets

In order to achieve high joint strength in resistance spot welding of ultrahigh-strength steel, the effect of adding a ‘pulsed current pattern’ consisting of a combination of short cool time and short-time high-current post-heating was investigated. Finite element analysis (FEA) for post-heating patterns and experimental evaluation for joint strength were conducted using 980 N mm^?2 grade steel sheets. FEA shows that the short-time high-current post-heating leads to rapid heating in the nugget and heat-affected zone (HAZ) compared to a conventional temper pattern sheet interface higher than the centre of the nugget. The pulsed current pattern utilizes the effect of this high-current post-heating to properly reheat the nugget and HAZ, which prevents brittle fracture through the nugget without remelting it, even in a short cool time of eight cycles. The experimental results show that the pulsed current pattern improves the failure mode from partial plug failure to plug failure and increases cross tension strength (CTS). The pulsed current pattern does not decrease the hardness of the nugget and results in retention of sufficient tensile shear strength (TSS), while the softened nugget by the conventional temper pattern causes lowering of TSS. A wider proper current range with high CTS over 10 kN and plug failure can be obtained in pulsed current pattern than in the conventional temper pattern.     

热处理工艺对TRIP980钢板点焊性能的影响

采用不同焊接工艺对TRIP980钢板进行点焊试验,研究了焊接电流、焊前预热及焊后热处理工艺对点焊性能的影响. 结果表明,随着焊接电流的增大,焊点的熔核直径和拉剪力均增大,但当电流过大而发生飞溅时,焊点的熔核直径和拉剪力开始减小. 焊前预热工艺可提高点焊飞溅电流,进而可以获得更大的熔核直径及拉剪力. 在对焊点进行焊后热处理的情况下,当焊接电流与焊后热处理电流之间的冷却时间超过900 ms时,可显著改善熔核组织,降低熔核硬度,提高焊点拉剪力.     

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.     

Fracture behaviour and numerical study of resistance spot welded joints in high-strength steel sheet

Cross tension tests of resistance spot welded joints with varying nugget diameter were carried out using 980 MPa high strength steel sheet of 1.6 mm thickness. In proportion, as nugget diameter increased from 3√t to 5√t (where t is thickness), cross tension strength (CTS) increased while fracture morphology simultaneously transferred from interface fracture to full plug fracture. In cases of interface fracture, circumferential crack initiation due to separation of the corona bond arose at an early stage of loading. The crack opening process without propagation was recognized until just before fracture and then the crack propagated to the nugget immediately in a brittle manner around CTS. In full plug fracture, main ductile crack initiation from the notch-like part at the end of sheet separation occurred with the sub-crack initiated at an early stage. The ductile crack propagated toward the HAZ and base material to form full plug fracture. The mode I stress intensity factor was considered as a suitable fracture parameter because the circumferential crack behaved pre-crack for brittle fracture in the nugget region at the final stage. Based on the FE analysis, the mode I stress intensity factor was calculated as 116 MPa √m at CTS as fracture toughness for the nugget. With respect to full plug fracture, ductile crack initiation behaviour from the notch-like part was expressed by concentration of equivalent plastic strain. On the assumption that the ductile crack arose in critical value of equivalent plastic strain, the value was calculated as 0.34 by FE analysis. Reasonable interpretation for interface fracture and full plug fracture in the resistance spot welded joint was proposed due to first crack initiation by stress concentration, brittle fracture by using mode I stress intensity factor, and ductile crack initiation by using equivalent plastic strain.     

热冲压高强钢电阻+激光组合点焊工艺

为避免热冲压高强钢电阻点焊在热输入较大时产生飞溅和满足激光点焊装配要求,提出一种将电阻点焊和激光点焊组合的新焊接工艺方法.通过电阻+激光组合点焊工艺获得了热冲压高强钢焊接接头,分析了接头各区域的显微组织、显微硬度分布、力学性能,并分析了断裂模式及其断裂机理.结果表明,电阻+激光组合点焊接头明显分为电阻焊接区和激光焊接区.母材和激光焊核区硬度值较大,与回火区对应的软化区硬度值下降约60％,激光环外侧软化区为拉剪断裂薄弱环节.此种组合工艺获得的焊接接头相对于单独电阻点焊或激光点焊强度和韧性都有明显提高.     

汽车车身用铝合金冷金属过渡点塞焊工艺分析

采用AlSi₅铝合金焊丝,冷金属过渡方法对汽车车身用6061铝合金进行了搭接点塞焊试验,研究了送丝速度、铝板孔直径、点塞焊时间对点塞焊接头焊点直径、焊核直径和拉伸载荷的影响.结果表明,送丝速度主要影响焊点直径的大小,点塞焊时间和铝板孔直径主要影响焊核直径和拉伸载荷.接头拉伸载荷主要取决于焊核直径的大小,焊核直径越大,拉伸载荷越大,与焊点直径关系不大.接头为典型的熔焊接头,焊缝主要由α-Al固溶体和Al-Si共晶相组成,点塞焊接头断裂方式为撕裂型断裂.     

钛合金胶接点焊与电阻点焊接头性能对比分析

分别对1.5 mm厚的钛合金板进行胶接点焊和电阻点焊连接,获得了不同焊接电流下的胶接点焊和电阻点焊接头,从熔核的C扫描图像、接头的失效载荷和断口形貌等方面,对比分析了胶接点焊和电阻点焊的接头强度及失效样貌. 结果表明,通过观察A扫描信号的变化与C扫描图像的特征,能够很好的划分接头的热影响区、熔合区、熔核区以及检测出接头的熔核直径和焊接缺陷. 随着焊接电流(7.0～10.0 kA)的逐渐增大,接头熔核直径及失效载荷呈递增趋势;当焊接条件相同时,胶接点焊接头的熔核直径普遍大于电阻点焊接头,但接头的强度相当. 当电流在7.0～8.5 kA时,接头强度不足,熔核区的断口处出现大小不等的韧窝,呈现出韧性断裂特征;当电流为10.0 kA时,接头强度较高,主要呈现出韧性断裂与准解理断裂特征.     

Nugget formation and its mechanism of resistance spot welded joints in DP600 dual-phase and DC54D ultralow carbon steel

Resistance spot welded joints in different configurations of DP600 and DC54D were investigated to elucidate the nugget formation process and mechanical properties of the resultant joints. Results show that, when the welding time was less than 4 cycles, the fusion zone (FZ) was not formed, but the heat-affected zone (HAZ) occurred with a “butterfly” shape. In 4 cycles, the FZ in dissimilar sheets occurred with an “abnormal butterfly” shape because of nugget shift. When the welding time increased to 14 cycles, the FZ exhibited a “bread loaf” shape and the weld shifted to “dog bones.” The nugget can be divided into three regions, namely, FZ, HAZ1, and HAZ2, and the FZ consisted of lath martensite. The micro hardness of DP600 FZ was lower than that of HAZ because of the dilution of DC54D. The failure mode of B changed from interfacial failure to plug failure during the nugget formation process. The tensile-shear load of sound weld is 6.375, 6.016, and 19.131 kN.     

TRIP980高强钢电阻点焊接头的组织及力学性能

采用电阻点焊对TRIP980高强钢进行焊接. 通过单因素法和焊后回火优化了焊接参数和工艺,研究了较优焊接参数和工艺时的接头熔核显微组织及力学性能,结果表明,优化参数为9.5 kA,22 cycle,3 kN,接头熔核为粗大的马氏体组织,接头硬度为617.1 HV,最大拉剪载荷为17.8 kN;在此基础上增加焊后回火,回火电流6.3 kA、回火时间13 cycle,接头组织显著细化,接头硬度降低至574 .0 HV,接头最大拉剪载荷提高到19.5 kN,增幅为9.6%,断口形式由原先的界面断裂转变为纽扣断裂.     

400MPa级细晶粒钢电阻点焊接头组织分析

以智能型点焊机为试验平台,研究超级钢点焊接头的组织和显微硬度分布情况.结果表明,普通低碳钢的点焊工艺不适用于超级钢,需附加锻压力,以消除气孔等收缩性缺陷.熔核内部组织结构分别为等轴晶区和胞状晶区;熔核外部的热影响区包括过热区和重结晶区.接头区域的显微硬度明显高于母材组织,主要是由于点焊快冷条件下产生了马氏体组织;而热影响区的组织硬度稍低于熔核中心区域,应是残余应力及再生细晶相互作用的结果.     

镁合金电阻点焊凝固裂纹机理

为了获得高性能的镁合金电阻点焊接头,利用光学显微镜、扫描电镜、能谱仪研究了点焊接头裂纹的形成机理.结果表明,结晶裂纹的形成,主要与Al和Mn元素偏析造成的晶间低熔点液态薄膜,以及冷却过程中产生的拉伸应力有关.点焊参数(热输入)对熔核结晶裂纹敏感性有很大的影响.热输入增加将增大由熔核收缩引起的拉伸应力,增加原子偏析浓度进而降低液态薄膜熔点,以致于延长拉伸应力的作用时间.因此,应该选择相对低的热输入来降低点焊接头的凝固裂纹敏感性.     

Effect of process parameters on SPRC35 spot welded automotive panels

This paper presents an experimental study on the resistance spot weldability of SPRC35 (steel plate re-phosphorised cold rolled) sheets. The sheets were joined by using resistance spot welding as lap joint. The weld nugget diameter and tensile shear force were investigated. Tensile-shear tests were applied to the welded specimens to understand the tensile shear force that the joint can withstand. Mathematical models were developed for both nugget diameter and tensile shear force. Use of automatic mode, will increase the dependence on the use of equations to predict the nugget diameter. The developed models have been checked for their adequacy and significance by the F test and t test respectively. The results obtained from the mathematical models have been optimized and also tested using conformity test runs.     

Evolution of bond formation and fracture process of ultrasonic spot welded dissimilar materials

Ultrasonic spot welding was applied for dissimilar lap welding of aluminium alloy and steel sheets. With a combination of heat and force input during the welding process, the welded interface at aluminium/steel interface was formed. A graphical model was established to represent the weld formation process. The thickness of top aluminium sheet was reduced with an increase in welding time, which led to the failure mode switching from debonding failure to pullout failure. The intermetallic at the welded interface was verified by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy on the surface of the fractured specimen. In addition, the vibration direction of the sonotrode during ultrasonic spot welding influenced joint strength by changing the alignment of micro bonds at the welded interface.     

Microstructural characterisation of double pulse resistance spot welded advanced high strength steel

The effects of single and double pulse resistance spot welding on the microstructures of an advanced high strength automotive steel are presented in this work. The double pulse welding schemes partially remelt the primary weld nugget and anneal the area at the fusion boundary of the nugget. The effects of the annealing treatment on the segregation and the microstructure have been studied by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) in combination with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Results show that phosphorus has been redistributed at the primary weld nugget edge of the double pulse welds, while the mean block width and ellipticity of the prior austenite grains were smaller in welds subjected to double pulsing compared with single pulse weld. A favourable failure mode was obtained for the double pulse welds although behaviour did not correlate with the measured grain size.     

22MnB5热成形钢点焊接头组织演变与性能分析

采用不同工艺参数对22MnB5热成形钢进行点焊试验,分析工艺参数对焊点性能的影响,并研究22MnB5热成形钢点焊接头组织演变及组织—性能关系. 结果表明,焊点熔核直径与拉剪力两者表现出正相关关系. 与电极压力相比,焊接电流对焊点力学性能具有更大的影响. 焊点各区域的组织演变导致了明显的硬度差异. 熔核区、过临界热影响区、亚临界热影响区及母材区均为马氏体组织. 临界热影响区为铁素体 + 马氏体双相组织,导致硬度显著降低. 该软化区增加了焊点失效时的承载能力及能量吸收能力,促使接头失效以“熔核拔出”方式发生.     

Comparative study of fatigue behaviour in dissimilar Al alloy/steel and Mg alloy/steel friction stir spot welds fabricated by scroll grooved tool without probe

Abstract

Aluminium alloy A6061-T6 or magnesium alloy AZ31 sheet was welded to steel sheet by a friction stir spot welding technique using a scroll grooved tool without a probe. The material flow in the nugget of the Mg/steel weld was less than that in the Al/steel one. The Al/steel weld exhibited higher static tensile–shear strength than the Al/Al weld, while the strengths of Mg/steel and Mg/Mg welds were comparable. Tensile–shear fatigue tests were performed using lap shear specimens of both dissimilar and similar welds. The dissimilar welds exhibited nearly the same fatigue strengths as the similar ones. The effective nugget size in the dissimilar welds was defined as the area where Al or Mg alloy remained on the steel side after static fracture. When the fatigue strengths of dissimilar welds were evaluated based on the effective nugget size, the normalised fatigue strengths of Al/steel and Mg/steel welds were comparable.     

先进高强钢电阻点焊接头断裂模式的研究进展

随着汽车轻量化的发展趋势,先进高强钢(Advanced high strength steels,AHSS)在汽车结构中的应用逐渐增加,因此研究AHSS电阻点焊接头具有重要意义。重点关注AHSS点焊接头的断裂模式问题,综述近年来国内外关于同种材料两层板断裂模式、异种材料两层板断裂模式、三层板断裂模式、断裂模式的数值模拟以及界面断裂抑制方法等方面的研究进展,提出AHSS点焊接头的断裂模式及机制研究中有待解决的问题,展望未来关于AHSS点焊接头的断裂模式的研究热点和方向。     

Improving austenitic stainless steel resistance spot weld quality using external magnetic field

A ring-shaped permanent magnet is applied in resistance spot welding to improve the weld quality of austenitic stainless steel. Under the action of an external magnetic field, the profile of the weld nugget became peanut-shaped instead of ellipsoidal. The crystal orientation near the faying surface was less directional, and equiaxed grains were formed in weld nugget centre. Moreover, the shrinkage cavities tendency in traditional resistance spot welds was reduced. The relatively slow cooling speed could cause element segregation and thus change solidification mode and significantly affect weld microstructures. The mechanical performance of the welds was finally improved by the applied external magnetic field in terms of microhardness and lap-shear strength.