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.     

Study of resistance spot weldability of a new stainless steel

ABSTRACT

The weldability of a newly developed stainless steel was investigated by comparing with hot-dipped galvanised dual phase and low carbon steels in a two-sheet stack-up of similar metal. The weld lobes, mechanical properties, weld morphology, microstructures and microhardness profiles of the welds made with the three materials were comparatively discussed. Results showed that significant softening was observed in the stainless steel weld nugget. Compared to the dual phase steel and low carbon steel, the stainless steel has a very narrow weld lobe but requires lower welding current and shorter welding time, and the stainless steel weld performed better mechanical properties in the case of welds with same nugget size, but it tended to exhibit interfacial fracture in tensile shear tests.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Similar and dissimilar resistance spot welding of advanced high strength steels: welding and heat treatment procedures,structure and mechanical properties

Similar and dissimilar combinations of a 1000 MPa galvanised dual phase (DP) steel and a 980 MPa transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steel were resistance spot welded under different welding and heat treatment parameters. The microstructure and mechanical properties of spot welds were evaluated using metallographic technique, microhardness and tensile shear tests. The results showed that the tendency to fail in the pullout mode increased in the order of DP/DP, TRIP/TRIP and DP/TRIP welds, which was caused by the different hardness distribution, carbon equivalent and susceptibility to shrinkage void formation of spot welds for different combinations. In the study of the effects of heat treatments on the DP/TRIP welds, the pre-heating procedure improved the splash of welding to some extent. When the cooling time was larger than or equal to 1000 ms, the post-heating procedure improved the mechanical properties of spot welds owing to the temper of spot weld microstructure.     

SUS304奥氏体不锈钢板点焊接头的超声成像分析

利用超声波水浸聚焦入射法对1 mm厚的SUS304奥氏体不锈钢板点焊接头进行超声C扫描成像检测.分析了不同焊接工艺参数下的C扫描图像特征,甄别了飞溅、焊穿等典型焊接缺陷,并提取其对应的A扫描信号.基于C扫描图像对焊核直径进行了测量,并与焊核切口端面尺寸进行了比较.结果表明,基于超声波水浸聚焦入射法得到的C扫描图像,能有效观测焊核内部形貌特征.焊接电流超过8 kA,电极力小于2 700 N时,超声波C扫描图像中清晰反映出飞溅、焊穿等缺陷,其对应区域的A扫描信号与正常熔核区波形特征有明显差异;借助超声C扫描图像测得的焊核直径为4.39~5.25 mm.     

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。     

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.     

Feasibility study of resistance spot welding of dissimilar Al/Mg combinations with Ni based interlayers

Abstract

Microstructure and mechanical properties of the dissimilar aluminium–magnesium resistance spot welds made with gold coated and bare nickel interlayers are investigated. Welds were made with different welding currents in a range from 16 to 24 kA with a fixed welding time of five cycles. No joints were achieved with a bare nickel interlayer; after welding, specimens were separated without applying any force. Addition of gold coating on nickel surface greatly contributed to the metallurgical bonding at the interfaces and welds easily met requirements of AWS D17·2 standard. Average lap shear strength reached 90% of similar AZ-31B spot weld strength. Fusion nugget size, interfacial microstructure and fracture surface morphology of the welds were analysed.     

Resistance spot welding control based on the temperature measurement

Abstract

In this paper a novel approach for temperature measurement during resistance spot welding is presented. The temperature is measured by two thermocouples mounted at the ends of both the electrode tips. The authors chose to mount them there because it was expected that it would be possible to measure the temperature at this point using a digital camera in the near future. The research was, therefore, motivated to obtain various pieces of information about the welding process from the measured temperature profiles. The measured temperature profiles showed a good correlation with the weld strength. Other phenomena, such as expulsion and electrode wear, can also be related to a temperature profile.     

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.     

Effect of pulse scheme on the microstructural evolution,residual stress state and mechanical performance of resistance spot welded DP1000-GI steel

In the present study, the effect of resistance spot welding scheme (i.e. single and double pulse welding) on the mechanical behaviour of resistance spot-welded DP1000-GI steel is investigated. It is shown that double pulse welding at low welding current decreases the maximum cross-tension strength and mechanical energy absorption capability of the welds. The factors that lead to the lower mechanical performance of double pulse welds are scrutinised. Local residual stress mapping reveals that the compressive residual stress perpendicular to the plane of the pre-crack either decreases or is fully released at the weld edge of double pulse welds. Orientation imaging microscopy analyses show that the martensite formed in front of the pre-crack of double pulse weld has a lower fraction of high-angle grain boundaries and a coarser structure of Bain groups as opposed to the corresponding area of single pulse weld. Lower mechanical performance of double pulse welds produced at lower welding current is ascribed to the lower compressive residual stress normal to the plane of crack and the formation of martensitic structure in front of the pre-crack with a lower fraction of high-angle grain boundaries and coarser Bain groups.     

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.     

Static strength of hot-stamped spot welded joints: study on spot welding tailored blank technology

Hot stamping spot welding tailored blank 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 mechanical properties of the hot stamped spot weld (spot welding → hot stamping) and conventional spot weld (hot stamping → spot welding) of the 1500 MPa class uncoated boron steel sheets were compared. The obtained results are as follows. The tensile shear strength (TSS) of the hot-stamped spot weld and conventional spot weld were comparable and the fracture modes were the same. On the other hand, the cross tension strength (CTS) of hot-stamped spot weld was significantly higher than that of the conventional spot weld. The fracture position of the hot-stamped spot weld was outside the nugget and conventional spot weld was inside the nugget. The high CTS of the hot-stamped spot welds might be caused by the improvement of the fracture toughness of the nugget, which was caused by reduction of the solidification segregation of the phosphorus. It is assumed that the heating process after spot welding leads to the reduction of the solidification segregation. For the tension test because there was no HAZ softening in the hot-stamped spot weld, no fracture was observed in HAZ and a higher elongation was obtained.     

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.     

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.     

PH1500热成形钢电阻点焊焊接性能研究

研究PH1500热成形钢的电阻点焊焊接特性,探讨该工艺下钢板的焊接电流窗口、焊点的微观组织、显微硬度和力学性能等方面的特点,分析其焊接特性。结果表明,1.2 mm厚的该钢种焊接窗口为1.6 kA,最小和最大焊接电流分别为7.2 kA和8.8 kA。在最小和最大焊接电流下,焊点的热影响区都存在软化点。最小焊接电流下焊点焊缝的硬度值波动较小,焊缝硬度略高于最大焊接电流下焊点焊缝的硬度值。相对来说,焊接电流对抗剪力的影响较小,对抗拉力的影响较大。     

On the resistance spot welding of four-sheet stack of unequal sheet thickness

There is a lack of sufficient understanding regarding resistance spot welding behaviour of multi-layer structure. This paper investigates the weld nugget development and failure characteristics of four-sheet joint of dissimilar sheet thickness (0.7/1.2/1.2/0.9?mm) made on low carbon steel. The heat dissipation via water-cooled electrode hinders the weld nugget penetration into the thin/thick sheet interface. It was shown that increasing heat input led to bonding mechanism transition from solid-state welding to fusion welding at thin/thick sheet interface. Increasing welding current beyond a critical value changed the failure mode from interfacial to pullout leading to improvement of energy absorption of the joint. Fusion zone size along middle sheet/sheet interface proved to be the most important controlling factor for mechanical properties of four-sheet resistance spot welds.     

Welding behaviour,microstructure and mechanical properties of dissimilar resistance spot welds between galvannealed HSLA350 and DP600 steels

Abstract

Resistance spot welding experiments were conducted on dissimilar material combination of HSLA350/DP600 steels. The welds were characterised using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The fusion zone of the dissimilar material spot weld was predominantly martensitic with some bainite. Mechanical properties were also determined by tensile shear, cross tension and fatigue tests. The performance of dissimilar material spot weld was different from that of the similar ones in each of the HSLA350 and DP600 steels and exhibited different heat affected zone hardness. The DP600 weld properties played a dominating role in the microstructure and tensile properties of the dissimilar material spot welds. However, the fatigue performance of the dissimilar welds was similar to that of the HSLA350 welds. Fatigue tests on the dissimilar material spot welds showed that the 5·5 mm diameter nugget exhibited higher fatigue strength than the 7·5 mm diameter nugget.