Small-scale Resistance Spot Welding Research Articles

Monitoring Resistance Spot Nugget Size by Electrode Displacement

A high-speed video imaging system was employed to directly measure the electrode displacement of the small scale resistance spot welding (SSRSW) process. This measurement technique was chosen because it eliminates a number of potential error sources inherent in other electrode displacement measuring techniques. Careful observation of the heating and cooling portions of the electrode displacement curves revealed that each is comprised of two identifiable segments. Distinct high-velocity segments of the displacement curves were thought to correspond to solid-liquid phase transitions in the weld nugget, while lower-velocity portions corresponded to thermal expansion or contraction of solid material. It was found that the magnitudes of the high speed portions of the electrode displacement were more closely correlated with the weld nugget thickness than was the overall magnitude of the electrode displacement. Furthermore, all measures of electrode displacement were more closely correlated to weld nugget thickness than to nugget diameter.

Monitoring of expulsion in small scale resistance spot welding

Although there have been many investigations into monitoring and control of resistance spot welding (RSW) of sheet metal having a thickness greater than 0.5 mm, that of thinner components has rarely been investigated. Monitoring of expulsion in a small scale RSW process was carried out via measurement of voltage, electrode displacement, and force change during the welding current pulse. It was found that electrode displacement increased steadily during the current pulse for an expulsion free weld. For welds with visible expulsion, the electrode voltage had a small but readily observed spike; the electrode displacement showed a dip or a decrease in total amplitude; the force change during a welding cycle was of greater magnitude. Since the system uses a constant current power supply, the voltage increase corresponds to an increase in dynamic resistance associated with the expulsion event. It was also observed that the magnitude of the electrode displacement dip was directly related to the volume of expelled material. The force change is a relatively sensitive indicator for use in expulsion detection. Of the three signals, detection of the voltage spike is the most readily implemented method for monitoring expulsion in small scale RSW. It was also shown that, owing to the small magnitudes of the forces and displacements, careful design of the welding system is necessary to ensure that unwanted vibrations do not interfere with the process signals.

Numerical study on the effect of electrode force in small-scale resistance spot welding

Since electrode force is an important process parameter in small-scale resistance spot welding (SSRSW), its effects on the electrical, thermal and mechanical behavior of the welding process when using direct current have been studied numerically in the present paper using the finite element method. The variations of contact radius, current density distribution and temperature profile at the sheet/sheet (S/S) and electrode/sheet (E/S) interfaces, the threshold weld times and the maximum diameters of the weld nuggets under three different levels of electrode force are investigated. The calculated results show that increasing electrode force will increase the contact radius at the contact interfaces and decrease the welding current density, and hence delay nugget initiation and growth. Increasing electrode force also decreases the cooling rate at the nugget center after the welding current is turned off.

Effects of au plating on small-scale resistance spot welding of thin-sheet nickel

The effects of Au plating on joint formation and joint strength in small-scale resistance spot welding (SSRSW) of Ni sheets have been investigated using tensile-shear testing, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The results show that the mechanisms of the joint formation during the welding of Au-plated Ni sheets involve solid-state bonding, brazing, and fusion welding. The comparison between SSRSW of Au-plated Ni and bare Ni sheets and large-scale resistance spot welding (LSRSW) of Zn-coated steels is also discussed.

Comparative study of small scale and ‘large scale’ resistance spot welding

An incrementally coupled electrical–thermal–mechanical model is developed to simulate small scale resistance spot welding (SSRSW) using the finite element method. This numerical model is then employed to study the differences between SSRSW and ‘large scale’ resistance spot welding (LSRSW). The variations in contact area, current distribution, and temperature profile at the workpiece/workpiece interfaces are compared. The computation shows that the difference in electrode force could be the essential reason for other differences between SSRSW and LSRSW. Compared with LSRSW, a much lower electrode force (pressure) applied in SSRSW results in a relatively small contact area and hence a much higher current density, which in turn leads to a greater heating rate and higher temperature at the workpiece/workpiece interface. This small contact area also results in a relatively small nugget diameter in SSRSW, which is only about 30% of the electrode tip diameter. In contrast, the nugget diameter in LSRSW is comparable to the electrode tip diameter. The predicted nugget diameters in both SSRSW and LSRSW of mild steel sheets compare well with experimental results.

Weldability of thin sheet metals by small-scale resistance spot welding using high-frequency inverter and capacitor-discharge power supplies

An investigation has been conducted of the weldability of 0.2-mm-thick sheet aluminum, brass, and copper in small-scale resistance spot welding using a high-frequency inverter and a capacitor-discharge power supply. The results have been compared to those of previous investigations using a line-frequency alternating current power supply. The effects of electrode materials and process parameters on joint strength, nugget diameter, weld-metal expulsion and electrode-sheet sticking were studied. This work has also provided practical guidelines for selection of power supplies, process parameters (welding current/pulse energy, welding time/pulse width, electrode forces, etc.) and electrode materials for small-scale resistance spot welding of thin sheet aluminum, brass and copper.

Weldability of thin sheet metals during small-scale resistance spot welding using an alternating-current power supply

The resistance weldability of 0.2-mm-thick sheet aluminum, brass, and copper in small-scale resistance spot welding (SSRSW) was studied. The effects of electrode materials and process parameters on joint strength and nugget size were investigated. The welding current ranges for SSRSW of the sheet metals were determined based on the minimum current that produced a required nugget diameter and maximum currents that did not result in electrode-sheet sticking or weld metal expulsion. A qualitative analysis indicated that resistance weldability of the metals is not only determined by their resistivity (or thermal conductivity) but is also affected by other physical properties (such as melting point, latent heat of fusion and specific heat).