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.     

Failure mode transition and mechanical properties of similar and dissimilar resistance spot welds of DP600 and low carbon steels

Abstract

The present work addresses the microstructure and mechanical properties of similar and dissimilar resistance spot welds of low carbon steel (LCS) and dual phase steel (DP600). Correlations between the critical fusion zone size required to ensure pullout failure mode, the weld microstructure and the weld hardness characteristics were developed. Dissimilar DP600/LCS spot welds exhibit the lowest tendency to fail in interfacial failure mode. Effects of weld physical attributes and weld microstructure on the peak load and energy absorption of similar and dissimilar DP600/LCS resistance spot welds are analysed.     

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 microstructure and weld size on the mechanical behaviour of dissimilar AHSS resistance spot welds

Abstract

Resistance spot welds were produced in dissimilar combinations of advanced high strength steels. A 600 MPa dual phase (DP) steel was welded to a high strength low alloy, a 780 MPa DP, and a 780 MPa transformation induced plasticity steel. The microstructure and mechanical properties were characterised using metallurgical techniques and lap shear and cross-tension testing. The results show that a pullout failure mode with improved mechanical properties is obtained when DP600 is paired with other advanced high strength steels, compared to the DP600 welded to itself, which is prone to interfacial failure and poor mechanical properties, given the same weld size. An in depth comparison of the interfacial to pullout failure transition in similar DP600 and DP780 and dissimilar DP600–DP780 welds was performed. The results show that the interfacial to pullout transition for the DP600–DP780 welds is significantly lower than with DP600 welded to itself. Increased fusion zone strength through dilution with the DP780 promotes button pullout at smaller weld sizes. Furthermore, it was observed that softening in the heat affected zone of DP780 promoted a pullout failure mode in that material.     

Static and fatigue performance of weld bonded dual phase steel sheets

Abstract

Lap joints of dual phase steel sheets of 1·0 mm were prepared by adhesive bonding, spot welding and weld bonding processes using a one component epoxy base structural adhesive. Mechanical properties of the joints were evaluated by tensile shear and fatigue tests. The size of the weld nugget for both spot weld and weld bond was measured for different welding parameters (current, time) and compared. For identical welding parameters, weld bonded nuggets exhibit higher nugget diameter. Tensile shear strength of weld bonded joints is 40 and 58% higher than spot welded joints and 15 and 39% higher than adhesive bonded joints and for DP590 and DP780 steels respectively. Considering 10⁶ cycles, the endurance limit of weld bonded joint is much higher than spot welded joint but smaller than adhesive bonded joints. Overall the performance of weld bonded joints is superior to those of resistance spot welding.     

Mechanical and fatigue behaviour of laser and resistance spot welds in advanced high strength steels

Abstract

A study was carried out on laser and resistance spot welds in overlapped sheets of dual phase advanced high strength steel (DP780) and deep drawing steel (DC04) of 2˙0 mm in thickness. The aim of the study was to investigate the fatigue performance of these joints under tensile shear loading as well as the monotonic performance for applications in the automotive industry. The mechanical properties, failure behaviour and fatigue life analyses of spot welds in similar and dissimilar joints were investigated by experimental and numerical methods. The structural stress concept was used to describe the fatigue lives of spot welded specimens. The results revealed different failure types with different fatigue behaviours for laser and resistance spot welds under the application of cyclic loads at 'high load' and 'low load' levels.     

Effect of weld nugget size on overload failure mode of resistance spot welds

Abstract

In the present paper, effects of welding current, welding time, electrode pressure and holding time on the weld nugget size were studied. A failure mechanism was proposed to describe both interfacial and pullout failure modes. This mechanism was confirmed by SEM investigations. In the light of this mechanism, the effect of welding parameters on static weld strength and failure mode was studied. Then, an analytical model was proposed to predict failure mode and to estimate minimum nugget diameter (critical diameter) to ensure pullout failure mode in shear tensile test. On the contrary to existing industrial standards, in this model, critical nugget diameter is attributed to metallurgical characterisation of material (weld nugget hardness to failure location hardness ratio), in addition to sheet thickness. For a given sheet thickness, decreasing H_WN/H_FL increases interfacial failure mode tendency. The results of this model were compared with experimental data and also with the literature.     

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.     

Effects of electrical current on transport processes in resistance spot welding

Abstract

The effects of alternating current (ac) and direct current (dc) on cooling rate, solute distribution and nugget shape after solidification, which are responsible for microstructure of the fusion zone, during resistance spot welding, are realistically and extensively investigated. The computer program developed by Wang and Wei is used to predict transport variables in workpieces and electrodes during heating, melting, cooling and freezing periods. The model accounts for electromagnetic force, heat generations at the electrode/workpiece interface and faying surface between workpieces, and dynamic electrical resistance including bulk resistance and contact resistances at the faying surface and electrode/workpiece interfaces, which are functions of hardness, temperature, electrode force and surface condition. The computed results show that in contrast to dc, using ac readily produces the nugget in an ellipse shape. Deficit and excess of solute content occur in a thin layer around the boundary and interior of the nugget respectively.     

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.     

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.     

Numerical simulation of spot welding for galvanised sheet steels

Abstract

Galvanised sheet steels are now widely used to be the substrate for body in white (BIW) construction in the automotive industry. Weldability of galvanised sheet steels much worsened compared to spot welding of low carbon steels. The present paper develops a 2D axisymmetric model and employs an incremental coupled thermal–electrical–mechanical analysis to predict the nugget development during resistance spot welding (RSW) of galvanised sheet steels. Temperature dependent contact resistance for faying surfaces was determined to take into account of the influence of zinc coat for spot welding galvanised sheet steels. The effect of dynamic contact radii on temperature distribution was studied and compared with results under constant contact area assumption. The predicted nugget shape and size agreed well with the experimental data. Higher current and longer welding time should be applied for galvanised sheet steels compared to low carbon steel spot welding. The proposed model can be applied to predict weld quality and choose optimal welding conditions for spot welding galvanised sheet steels.     

Comparison of formability of friction stir welded and laser welded dual phase 590 steel sheets

Abstract

The formability of welded dual phase 590 (DP 590) steel sheets was investigated, using both friction stir welding and laser welding. Similar and dissimilar gauge sheets were joined using both processes. The laser welded sheets were produced under process conditions typical of industrial production of tailor welded blanks. The friction stir welded specimens were produced in a lab, where different tool rotational speeds and translation speeds were investigated in order to obtain good weld properties. The formability of the welded sheets was evaluated using a series of mechanical tests, including transverse tension and plane strain formability testing. Friction stir welded specimens performed about the same as laser welded specimens in transverse tension testing; however, hardness profiles showed that the laser welds had greater peak hardness than the friction stir welds. Therefore plane strain formability tests were performed with the welds oriented along the major strain direction. When this type of weld stretching was performed the friction stir welded sheets were shown to be ～20% more formable than the laser welded sheets.     

Effect of dynamic contact resistances on advanced high strength steels under medium frequency DC spot welding conditions

Abstract

The effect of dynamic contact resistance (DCR) during MFDC spot welding of dual phase and martensitic steels was evaluated. A comparative analysis of DP590 to DP590 with DP780 to DP780 steel welds, and DP780 to DP780 with M1200 to M1200 steels welds was carried out. The DCR of DP780 steel is higher than DP590 steel during the initial stages of weld time, but is reversed later. The bulk resistance component, which is higher in DP780 steel, is dominant and generates more energy early in the process and controls melting. Although the total energy input is almost same, the higher β-peak and its early occurrence ensures better heat utilisation resulting in larger nugget size. Contrarily, in martensitic steel the interface resistance component remains high throughout the entire welding process and compensates for the lower bulk resistance effect. Even with relatively lower energy input the nuggets produced in M1200 steel are comparable to DP780 steel.     

Effects of surface conditions on resistance spot welding of Mg alloy AZ31

Abstract

In this work, resistance spot welding of Mg alloy AZ31 sheets was investigated in as received and acid cleaned surface conditions. As received sheets had higher contact resistance which required lower current thresholds for weld initiation and for four root t nugget size (where t is sheet thickness). However, it also led to both serious expulsion and internal defects. The fracture mode of welds in as received sheets was interfacial failure while that of the acid cleaned specimens shifted from interfacial to nugget pullout and exhibited better strength. The acid cleaned sheets also produced less damage on electrode tip faces.     

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.     

Probing the role of instantaneous current waveform in numerical modelling of resistance spot welding process

Abstract

In numerical modelling of the resistance spot welding process, a significant input parameter is the value of the weld current and traditionally, the rms value corresponding to the actual, instantaneous current waveform is used. The rms value implies a constant weld current for the entire weld time instead of the real-time current waveforms. Although the rms value represents an effective approximation of the real-time current waveform, the influence of the peak current and of the current slopes in each half cycle on the welding process cannot be realised in modelling when the rms value is used. Mathematically, an alternating current waveform with higher peak value and lower current on-time in each half cycle may correspond to a rms value that is nearly similar corresponding to another waveform with lower peak value and larger current on-time in each half cycle. The resulting rate of heating and the subsequent size of the weld nugget may not be the same for both the current signals since the resistive heating in resistance spot welding is transient in nature. This is precisely observed in the present work through a detailed investigation using three different ac spot welding machines. A two-dimensional, axisymmetric model is used to analyse the spot welding process using both the actual current waveform and the corresponding rms value as inputs. The computed weld dimensions show better predictions with the instantaneous current waveform as input rather than the corresponding rms value.     

Evaluation of effects of niobium and manganese addition on nickel base weldments

Abstract

The present work investigates the influence of different concentrations of Nb (from 0.1 to 3.35 wt-%) or Mn (from 0.78 to 3.32 wt-%) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an Inconel 690 weldment. Welding electrodes are produced by coating Inconel filler metal 52 with a flux containing various percentages of Nb or Mn. Weldments with a bevel edge are butt welded via a manual shielded metal arc welding process, using identical parameters and procedures. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the resulting weldments are then analysed. The experimental results indicate that the subgrain structures of the welds are primarily dendritic. Under tensile testing, it is found that each specimen ruptures in the fusion zone and that the fracture surfaces exhibit entirely ductile features. It is noted that as the content of Nb increases, the welds tend to show a finer subgrain structure, i.e. having smaller dendritic spacing. Consequently, the tensile strength and microhardness of the fusion zone increase slightly and the tensile rupture mode changes from slant to flat fracture. It is determined that the interdendritic precipitates are mainly Nb rich eutectic type and Nb rich type constituents. The presence of these precipitates increases with higher concentrations of Nb in the flux and results in a significant decrease in the ductility of the weldment. Regarding the relative influence of the Mn additions, there appears to be no significant change in the subgrain structure as the percentage of Mn increases. However, the ductility tends to increase and it is also found that the tensile strength and microhardness of the fusion zone also increase slightly. Accordingly, the tensile rupture mode exhibits a slight tendency to change from flat to slant fracture. Although the interdendritic precipitates identified in the Mn series are similar to those in the Nb series, it should be noted that the precipitates appear in lower numbers and are smaller than their Nb counterparts.     

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.     

Flux shielded arc butt welding of concrete reinforcing steel

Abstract

The present paper reports on a new variant of flux shielded arc butt welding without the addition of a filler material, applied to steel bars for concrete reinforcement. The welding process is described, including the arc ignition and forcing together of the workpieces, via the application of a mechanical force, to form an upset. A new portable machine is described, using which it is possible to apply flux shielded arc welding on site. Experiments were carried out, from which optimum welding parameters such as welding current, weld time, and upsetting force were found. The strength properties of the welded joints obtained were determined via mechanical testing, i.e. a bend test, a tensile strength test, and an impact toughness test. Macroscopic sections of the welded joints were also produced. A quality analysis of the butt welded joints showed that the mechanical properties of the joints were equivalent or even superior to the properties of the parent metal.