Modeling small-scale resistance spot welding machine dynamics for process control

Abstract

Electrode displacement is generally regarded as a variable that can provide real-time information useful for monitoring and controlling resistance spot welding (RSW) process quality. However, in small-scale RSW production, it is difficult to measure the displacement because its magnitude is very small. By contrast, force signals are relatively large and thus are less susceptible to measurement noise. In this article, an empirical model is proposed to simulate the dynamics of an SSRSW head with the objective of calculating electrode displacement from the variation of electrode clamping force measured during welding. The parameters in the model were determined by fitting experimental force and displacement signals with polynomials and then performing an optimization search for parameters of first-order dynamic models. To verify the models’ accuracy, they were subsequently applied to simulate the electrode displacement curves of welds with expulsion and without expulsion. The calculated displacement curves agreed well with experimental measurements, and the occurrence of expulsion was clearly indicated by the model predictions. A more comprehensive model is under construction with an objective to eliminate displacement sensor in the monitoring and control of SSRSW process.