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.     

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.     

汽车用DP800双相钢点焊工艺窗口和接头性能

开展2.0 mm厚DP800双相钢的电阻点焊试验,测试DP800双相钢点焊工艺窗口,研究焊接电流、焊接时间、电极压力对焊点拉剪力的影响规律,并观察接头不同区域的微观组织。结果表明,DP800高强钢焊接性较好,点焊工艺窗口满足工业应用要求;随着焊接电流和焊接时间的增加,焊点直径和拉剪力先增加后趋于平稳;随着电极压力的增加,点焊直径和拉剪力先增加后减小;焊点热影响晶粒细小,由马氏体组织构成;焊核为典型的柱状晶,显微组织为马氏体和少量的贝氏体。     

点焊热镀锌双相高强度钢的电极磨损规律

热镀锌双相高强度钢是适应汽车轻量化与安全性需要而刚刚发展起来的一种新型板材,强度高,抗腐蚀性能好,但点焊时电极磨损严重,不确定性大,对焊点质量造成很大影响.首先确定了点焊强度为600 MPa的热镀锌双相钢的焊接性范围,然后根据焊接性范围确定焊接工艺参数进行电极磨损试验.研究了电极磨损时的电极表面形貌、轴向磨损、端面直径磨损的变化规律,分析了不同电极磨损阶段的轴向磨损对端面直径磨损的贡献率.结果表明初始焊接阶段电极磨损速率较大,点蚀加剧了电极磨损与失效.     

Resistance and friction stir spot welding of DP600: a comparative study

Abstract

Efforts to reduce vehicle weight and improve crash performance have resulted in increased application of advanced high strength steels (AHSS) and a recent focus on the weldability of these alloys. Resistance spot welding (RSW) is the primary sheet metal welding process in the manufacture of automotive assemblies. Friction stir spot welding (FSSW) was invented as a novel method to spot welding sheet metal and has proven to be a potential candidate for spot welding AHSS. A comparative study of RSW and FSSW on spot welding AHSS has been completed. The objective of this work is to compare the microstructure and mechanical properties of Zn coated DP600 AHSS (1·2 mm thick) spot welds conducted using both processes. This was accomplished by examining the metallurgical cross-sections and local hardnesses of various spot weld regions. High speed data acquisition was also used to monitor process parameters and attain energy outputs for each process. Results show a correlation found among microstructure, failure loads, energy requirements and bonded area for both spot welding processes.     

Expulsion monitoring in spot welded advanced high strength automotive steels

Abstract

Although there have been a number of investigations on monitoring and controlling the resistance spot welding (RSW) of low carbon galvanised steels, those of advanced high strength steels (AHSS) are limited. A data acquisition system was designed for monitoring weld expulsion via the measurement of voltage, current, electrode force and displacement and the calculation of resistance. The dynamic resistance, electrode force and tip displacement were characterised and correlated with the phenomenon of expulsion during RSW of dual phase (DP) steel using an ac welder. Two control strategies for DP600 spot welding were proposed on the basis of the rate of change in the dynamic resistance and the electrode force.     

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.     

400MPa级新一代钢铁材料焊接热影响区晶粒长大图

新一代钢铁材料将是21世纪的主要结构材料，脉冲MAG焊是适合它的一种传统熔焊方法，为了促进400MPa新一代钢铁材料的焊接性研究及其工程应用，首先根据实测脉冲MAG焊的热循环曲线，确定了400MPa级新一代钢铁材料脉冲MAG焊的焊接热循环方程，并以此为基础建立了焊接HAZ的奥氏体晶粒长大方程和晶粒长大图，通过晶粒篚图，可以预测焊接HAZ各个部位的奥氏体晶粒篚的情况，研究结果表明，400MPa级新一代钢铁材料焊接热影响区的晶粒长大图的预测结果与其热模拟的实测数据吻合很好。     

The effect of process parameter on the properties of spot welded cold deformed AISI304 grade austenitic stainless steel

The electrode force, weld current, and weld time are three essential parameters of the resistance spot welding process. This paper deals with the characterization and understanding the effect of weld time and the influence of different weld atmospheres in the resistance spot weldability of AISI304 grade stainless steel deformed in tension by 5%, 10%, or 20%. Therefore, the microstructure of the weldment was evaluated and the hardness and tensile shear load bearing capacity of weldment were also determined. It was found that the final mechanical properties of weldment are directly related to the parameters of the process used, knowing the weld time and rate of deformation prior to welding.     

时效不锈钢舱体的电子束焊与电阻点焊

时效不锈铜以其强度高、韧性好、焊接性能优良的优异综合性能成为空空导弹舱体制造中最主要的结构材料.分析了某型号空空导弹舱体的结构特点和时效不锈铜的焊接性,介绍了舱体制造时所采用的焊接、旋压、热处理这三大关键技术,着重阐述了电子束焊和电阻点焊技术在舱体制造中的应用,详细说明了焊接参数的调试原则和控制焊接缺陷及焊接变形的方法与措施.检验与探伤、拉伸结果表明:首批试制的时效不锈钢舱体的尺寸精度和焊缝与焊点的焊接质量、力学性能符合设计要求,工艺方案完全适合于舱体的加工.     

Study on the flash butt welding of 400 MPa ultra-fine grain steel

A 400 MPa ultra-fine grain steel possesses high strength and toughness. Due to its fine grain size, the heat affect zone (HAZ) of the weld joint will soften during welding. The weldability of 400 MPa ultra-fine reinforced steel bar of flash butt welding is investigated by using the micro metallographical examination and macro-mechanical-property tests. The joint of flash butt welding has a superior mechanical property. The HAZ in the weld joint does not show apparent softening. There is only a localized softening spot inside the weld seam, which does not affect the property of the whole joint. Therefore, flash butt welding is appropriate for joining the 400 MPa ultra-fine grain reinforced steel bars. The resulting weld joint has excellent mechanical properties.     

PRESS FORMABILITY OF YAG LASER WELDED TRIP STEEL SHEETS

The effects of YAG laser welding conditions on mechanical properties and press formability (bendability, stretch-formability and deep drawability) of high-strength transformation-induced plasticity-aided dual-phase (TDP) steel were investigated. Tensile tests and press forming tests have been conducted for laser butt welded joints between two pieces of the same steel. The tensile property and press formability were affected by the welding speed of 100 to 1100mm/min and the energy of 6 to 9J/pulse. Excellent press formability was obtained with the energy of 6J/pulse and the welding speed of 300mm/min. It was concluded that the excellent weldability of the TDP steel can be ascribed to the weld joint formation.     

变电极力对管板单面电阻点焊质量的影响

根据管板单面电阻点焊结构特点,建立了采用伺服焊枪的管板单面电阻点焊试验系统.针对管板焊接过程中变形大、形成环形熔核质量不可靠等问题,提出了基于改变焊接过程中电极力来提高焊点质量的方法,并研究变电极力对管板焊焊点强度及焊接变形影响的规律.结果表明,通电阶段熔核生成初期减小电极力,可明显提高焊点拉剪强度,减小焊接变形;冷却阶段减小电极力对焊点质量也有所提高,但影响较小.研究结果对管板焊接工艺参数的制定及单面电阻点焊在车身焊装中广泛安全的应用具有重要意义.     

Dissimilar metal joining of aluminium to zinc-coated steel by ultrasonic plus resistance spot welding – microstructure and mechanical properties

Vehicle body structures are increasingly utilising multi-materials designs with advanced high strength steels (AHSS) and aluminium alloys. A robust process for joining aluminium alloys to AHSS based on resistance spot welding (RSW) is essential to widespread application of such bi-metallic structures in fuel-efficient vehicles. In this study, ultrasonic plus RSW was applied to join AA6022 to Zn-coated dual-phase steel DP980. During solid-state ultrasonic spot welding, an interface structure comprising multilayer, Al–Zn and Zn–Fe intermetallics formed due to alloying of aluminium with steel coating. Such structure was subsequently melted into the aluminium nugget, and new Al–Fe intermetallics formed during RSW. Ultrasonic plus resistance spot-welded joints had superior fracture energy than direct resistance spot-welded joints.     

高强钢点焊的压痕特征图像识别及其与焊点质量关系分析

高强钢以其优良的性能广泛应用于工业生产,但在点焊过程中,高强钢的点焊特征难以提取,评价焊点质量较为困难. 电极压痕是焊点表面形貌与电极端面的直接反映,压痕图像中同时包含着焊点与电极磨损信息. 通过图像处理与识别的方法对压痕进行轮廓边缘检测与识别,采用椭圆拟合的方法提取压痕特征参数. 对压痕特征参数与焊点熔核直径进行分析,研究各个特征对焊点质量的影响. 结果表明,椭圆拟合的压痕轮廓能够近似代替实际轮廓,压痕特征中提取的平均轴长和点蚀面积与焊点质量之间呈显著的负相关性.     

伺服焊枪中频直流电阻点焊优势探讨

随着车身轻量化的发展要求,先进高强钢(AHSS)在车身制造中的应用也越来越广泛,这些新材料对焊接工艺提出了更高的要求.传统气动焊枪及交流焊机的弊端也开始日益显露,而由伺服电机驱动的新型伺服焊枪可以对电极压力、位移进行精确控制,先进中频逆变直流焊机对电流的快速响应与控制,可以大大改善新材料的焊接质量.主要介绍了集成伺服焊枪与中频直流焊机在先进高强钢,特别是双相钢点焊中的优势及应用前景.     

Effects of welding parameters and surface pretreatments on resistance spot welding of AZ31B Mg alloy

The resistance spot weldability of AZ31B magnesium alloy using AC (alternating current) was investigated in this paper. The surfaces of sheet coupons were prepared by acetone cleaning (as-received) and some coupons were also cleaned with chromic acid (H₂Cr₂O₇) after acetone cleaning (acid-cleaned). The surfaces of the as-received AZ31B sheets consisted of MgO, Mg(OH)₂, and MgCO₃. The extent and thickness of the surface oxide/reaction layer of the sheets varied according to the fabrication process of the sheets, and resulted in different contact resistance. Effects of welding current and weld time were investigated while the electrode force was kept constant. The results indicated that the as-received sheets produced expulsion both at the faying surface and at the work piece/electrode interface due to high contact resistance. Diluted chromic acid cleaning reduced contact resistance and produced good weld quality. Increasing the welding current and weld time enhanced not only the nugget size and joint strength, but also increased indentation on the weld surfaces. A weld lobe was established considering the minimum joint strength, weld expulsion, and surface indentation based on a relevant American Welding Society Standard.     

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.     

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.     

核用ODS钢电阻点焊性能

为评价氧化物弥散强化合金(oxide dispersion-strengthened alloy, ODS)钢的电阻点焊性能,使用金相显微镜及扫描电镜观察了9CrYWT-ODS钢焊点不同区域的组织,测试了焊点的拉伸剪切性能,确定了合适的焊接电流范围. 结果表明,焊点不同区域内氧化相尺寸存在明显差异,热影响区回火区温度较低,氧化相细小,热影响区相变区温度较高,氧化相有所长大,熔核区温度很高,氧化相明显粗化. 随着焊接电流增大,熔核尺寸增大导致焊点最大拉伸剪切力升高的同时,失效方式由界面失效逐渐转变为部分界面?部分焊点拔出失效及完全焊点拔出失效,继续增大焊接电流到飞溅产生时,熔核尺寸减小引起最大拉伸剪切力降低,失效方式再次转变为部分界面?部分焊点拔出失效和界面失效. 根据拉伸剪切试验结果确定合适的焊接电流范围为6.6 ~ 7.0 kA.