Control-Oriented Modeling and Simulation of a Low Carbon Steel A.C. Resistance Spot Welding Process

Abstract

Resistance spot welding (RSW) has been extensively used as a sheet metal joining process, and the welding process identification is the essential issue for the design of high performance control strategy and set-up of a new welding schedule. However the RSW is a nonlinear time-varying uncertain process which couples the thermal, electrical, mechanical and metallurgical dynamics. To understand this complicated physical phenomenon an M-series pseudo-random electrical pattern is adopted to excite the RSW electrical-thermal dynamics and the thermal response is recorded according to the welding power outputs. Based on the experimental information the transfer function of an RSW electrical-thermal mechanism is identified, and the optimum model order and parameters are determined. Subsequently a control-oriented RSW model is established to explore the welding power control algorithm. The simulated results from the control model show their agreement with the experimental data, which validates its feasibility for corresponding welding control.