Optimization Process of Double Spots Welding of High Strength Steel Using in the Automotive Industry

Abstract

Resistance Spot Welding (RSW) is one of the most important welding techniques used in the automotive industry because it is an economic process and is suitable for many materials. Many parameters affect the mechanical and microstructural properties of nugget formation and its strength, like welding current, electrode force, and welding time. Therefore, optimizing the RSW process to get the optimum welding parameters is necessary for automobile manufacturing companies. High-strength steel is widely used in the automotive industry because of its superior characteristics such as high strength-weight ratio, ductility, fatigue, and corrosion resistance. This paper presents an optimization process for RSW using the Taguchi method for high strength low alloy steel (HSLA) DOCOL 500 LA, considered a new steel grade. Two spots were used in this work.The mechanical and microstructural tests are achieved to get the maximum nugget strength, nugget diameter, different welding zones microstructures, microhardness values, and failure modes. The results showed that optimum welding parameters were welding current of 8800 Amp, welding time of 20 cycles, and electrode force of 1900 N. The failure mode for optimum conditions was a full pullout with tearing of the welded sheets because of high plastic deformation and absorbed energy. The maximum microhardness value is in the fusion zone, the heat-affected region, and finally, in the base material due to the nugget zone's rapid melting and solidification process.