Spot-welded Steel Research Articles

Electrode-embedded linear actuating enhanced resistance spot welding of aluminium alloy and dual phase steel

Resistance spot welding (RSW) of aluminium/steel dissimilar materials has important application prospects in industries such as automobiles. However, the relatively poor mechanical properties of the welds due to the issue of brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at the welding interface has been the major concerned by the welding community. A novel modified RSW process that utilizes relatively high-frequency linear actuator embedded in the electrode is proposed and experimentally verified. The linear actuator superimposes a pulsed electrode force to base force which is expected to facilitate the melt flow inside the aluminium nugget and modify the forming process of the IMCs. The experimental results demonstrate that the introduction of linear actuating could significantly increase the area of the aluminium nugget, which means more aluminium was melted. Further, it is observed that the thickness of the IMCs layer was reduced by 81.9 %, with a peak thickness of 1.48 μm. Therefore, 38.5 % improvement in the average peak tensile shear load of the welded joints was achieved. The involved mechanisms were discussed by thermal/force dynamic analysis.

Challenges and advances in resistance spot welding of ultra-high strength hot-stamped steels: Coating effect, softening phenomena, and mechanical performance

Challenges and advances in resistance spot welding of ultra-high strength hot-stamped steels: Coating effect, softening phenomena, and mechanical performance

A novel dissimilar resistance spot welding of Ti6Al4V alloy and 316L stainless steel via copper as interlayer by using optimal electrodes

A novel dissimilar resistance spot welding of Ti6Al4V alloy and 316L stainless steel was performed via copper as interlayer by using optimal electrodes. A significant improvement in nugget morphology being of less defects was achieved with increasing the copper interlayer thickness from 50 μm to 400 μm. Thinner interfacial reaction layers at both the nugget/titanium interface and the nugget/stainless steel interface and finer equiaxed dendritic grained structure at the inner nugget were formed with copper interlayer thickness of 300 μm compared with those without interlayer. The formation of TiCu and Ti2Cu was facilitated with the incorporation of Cu into the nugget, which effectively inhibited the formation of the brittle Ti–Fe intermetallic compounds including Fe2Ti. The nugget in the welded joint with copper interlayer in 300 μm thickness exhibited a far lower microhardness than that of the interlayer-free welded joint, and the average microhardness reduced to 604 HV in the inner nugget, which was about 36% lower than that of the interlayer-free welded joint. The tensile shear load of the welded joint exhibited an increased tendency with increasing interlayer thicknesses from 50 μm to 300 μm, and the maximum tensile shear load of 6.3 kN was obtained with the interlayer thickness of 300 μm, which was ∼97% higher than that of the interlayer-free welded joint. The welded joint with copper interlayer exhibited hybrid ductile and fragile fractured characteristics. The work would provide a facile and cost-effective method to achieve a reliable welded joint of Ti alloy and stainless steel.

Indentation-Free Resistance Spot Welding of SUS301L Stainless Steel

Paint-free bodywork has become an attractive alternative for rail vehicles, in the direction of easy maintainability and low manufacturing costs. However, conventional resistance spot welding inevitably leaves indentation marks to detrimentally reduce the optical homogeneity of the paint-free bodywork. In light of this, indentation-free resistance spot welding is proposed for joining SUS301L stainless steel sheets in order to achieve superior surficial integrity. A tiny SUS301L steel ball with a diameter of 1.5 mm was chosen as the intermediate filler between two steel sheets to avoid the formation of surficial indentation. The influence of welding current and welding time on the mechanical properties of joints was studied. The optimal parameters of the mechanical properties were obtained when the welding current was 8.0 kA, the welding time was 150 ms, the electrode pressure was 0.35 MPa, and the electrodes were cylindrical planar electrodes, which was determined by comparing the tensile shear test results. The surficial indentation depth was less than 1% of the plate thickness, and no observable indentations were seen on the surface of the optimized welding spots.

Local shear fracture properties in heat-affected zone of resistance spot-welded advanced high-strength steel

In the process of resistance spot welding of advanced high-strength steel (AHSS), the development of heat-affected zones (HAZs) considerably modifies the mechanical properties of the weld region. However, the limited reporting in the study of shear behavior in the HAZ hinders the accurate prediction of joint fracture and failure behavior. This study focused on the shear fracture behavior of resistance spot-welded AHSS. Given the limited extent of the HAZ, a miniature shear test was designed and shear fracture tests were conducted on JSC590, JSC980, and JSC1180. These tests facilitated the acquisition and compilation of data regarding the shear mechanical properties of diverse steel grades and their respective HAZs. A hardness-based empirical model for the strength coefficient and the strain-hardening exponent in Hollomon's law was introduced, and this model was subsequently integrated into finite element method calculations. The accuracy of the model was validated by shear strength reproductions, exhibiting errors within the range of 5.4%–13.5% and the averaged error was less than 10%. Further analyses confirmed that stress triaxiality at critical positions varied from 0 to 0.33, indicative of shear-dominant stress conditions. Moreover, the evolution of stress states revealed a notable association between the fracture surfaces across different stress states and steel grades. These findings fill the gap regarding the shear behavior of localized HAZs and expand the understanding of their mechanical behavior under various stress states. It will contribute to accurate fracture prediction by stress triaxiality based fracture criteria, such as Modified Mohr-Coulomb (MMC) model, applied to AHSS.

Resistance Spot Welding of Stainless Steel and Titanium Plates with a Supercooled Liquid of Zr55Al10Ni5Cu30 Metallic Glass Ribbons

Resistance Spot Welding of Stainless Steel and Titanium Plates with a Supercooled Liquid of Zr55Al10Ni5Cu30 Metallic Glass Ribbons

Understanding the mechanisms behind ultrasonic vibration in resistance spot welding of aluminum and steel

An ultrasonic-assisted resistance spot welding process, which can improve the quality of aluminum/steel spot-welded joints, has been developed. However, the mechanism of the thermal-electrical-mechanical behavior caused by the ultrasonic longitudinal vibration to welding process has not been clarified. In this study, the role and impact mechanisms of ultrasonic longitudinal vibration during the welding process to form joints were confirmed by combining the microstructural characterization of the formed joints with the signal analysis of the process, as well as the analysis of the independent finite element numerical calculation results. Additionally, the interface metallurgical reaction behavior, welding defects, fracture behavior, and joint strength characteristics of ultrasonic-assisted aluminum/steel resistance spot welding joints were comprehensively analyzed, and the results indicated that the sizes of the aluminum/steel nuggets decreased. It could be attributed to the competition among multiple ultrasonic effects. Specifically, ultrasonic vibration decreased the contact resistance between the aluminum/steel sheets, whereas the acoustic cavitation and acoustic streaming effects increased the electrical conductivity of molten steel and thermal conductivity of molten aluminum, respectively. Moreover, ultrasonic vibration promoted the radial creep of molten and near-molten aluminum, which expanded in the effective bonding area between the two workpieces. Furthermore, ultrasonic vibration effectively reduced the thickness of the intermetallic compound layer (<3.0 µm), concurrently inhibited the formation of interfacial welding defects. Finally, the peak tensile-shear load of aluminum/steel joints is significantly increased under multiple ultrasonic optimization mechanisms.

Enhancing Welding Efficiency and Reliability in Unstructured Environments: A Computational Analysis of Spot-Welded Steel Sheet Connections

High-strength steels play a crucial role in various industries such as shipbuilding, construction, and aerospace due to their unique properties. Welding of these steels in unstructured workspaces presents challenges in terms of variability in workpiece position, shape, and environmental conditions. The research utilizes a portable robotic welding system with a novel seam-tracking method to address the challenges of welding in unstructured workspaces. Additionally, the study involves the analysis of different steel grades, including tool steels, stainless steel 440A, to understand their mechanical properties and applications. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the portable robotic welding system in accurately tracking welding seams in various positions. The study also provides insights into the mechanical properties and applications of different high-strength steel grades, emphasizing the importance of understanding spot weld behavior for improved structural performance. The findings underscore the significance of welding parameters, base-metal properties, and welding characteristics in determining the quality and durability of spot-welded joints.

A comparative study on resistance spot and laser beam spot welding of ultra-high strength steel for automotive applications

In this study, the effect of resistance spot welding (RSW) and laser beam spot welding (LBSW) processes on evolution of microstructure, load endurance capabilities, heat affected zone (HAZ) softening, and corrosion resistance of ultra-high-strength (UHSS) steel joints welded in lap joint design is investigated. The UHSS sheets of dual phase 1000 grade (UHSDP1000) having 1.20 mm thickness were joined using the RSW and LBSW parameters optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The microstructural features of welding regions of RSW and LBSW joints were studied using optical microscopy (OM). The load endurance capabilities of RSW and LBSW joints were assessed using the tensile shear failure load (TSFL) and cross-tensile failure load (CTFL) tests. The ruptured surfaces of TSFL and CTFL tested samples were examined utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microhardness distribution of divergent regions of RSW and LBSW joints was evaluated and imputed to the TSFL and CTFL failure of joints. The corrosion resistance of RSW and LBSW joints was analyzed using potentiodynamic corrosion and immersion corrosion tests. The RSW joints showed 183% and 62.79% greater TSFL and CTFL endurance capabilities than LBSW joints. The TSFL and CTFL endurance capabilities of LBSW joints are inferior to RSW joints due to the smaller load bearing area. It causes the stress concentration in FZ and HAZ of LBSW joints. The RSW joints and LBSW joints disclosed TSFL and CTFL failure in button pull out rupture mode with tearing of HAZ. The failure of RSW and LBSW joints in HAZ is due to the softening caused by martensitic tempering and coarsening of grains. The LBSW joints disclosed inferior resistance to corrosion than RSW joints due to the higher martensite content which contributes to greater fraction of favorable pitting sites and decreased corrosion resistance.

Bibliometric and systematic analysis on electric resistance spot welding of 22MnB5 steel

Bibliometric and systematic analysis on electric resistance spot welding of 22MnB5 steel

Softening mechanism and failure behavior of 9Cr oxide dispersion strengthened steel resistance spot welded joint

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steel is one of the most promising materials for nuclear applications. However, there are fewer studies on the spot welding of ODS steel, and the softening mechanism of ODS steel resistance spot welded joint is unclear. The microstructural features of the ODS resistance spot welded joint was characterized to analyze the softening mechanism. The failure behavior and tensile shear performance were studied combined with finite element simulation. The results showed that the fusion boundary has the lowest hardness and the softening zone is divided into fusion zone(FZ) softening and heat affected zone(HAZ) softening according to different location in the joint. In FZ softening, the softening is mainly caused by the presence of δ-ferrite and fewer oxides as well as lower dislocation density. In HAZ softening, the softening is mainly caused by larger grains, less oxides. There are two types of failure, the fracture initiated at HAZ softening shows a brittle feature, while initiated at FZ softening shows a ductile feature. The softening leads to a reduction in tensile-shear strength. Thus, the control of softening zone is critical to improve the reliability of welded joints.

Optimization of CNC-FSSW parameters for dissimilar spot welding of AA6061 aluminium alloy and mild steel using Taguchi based desirability function approach

Optimization of CNC-FSSW parameters for dissimilar spot welding of AA6061 aluminium alloy and mild steel using Taguchi based desirability function approach

Transitioning solidification mode via electroplated Ni coatings in martensitic stainless steel resistance spot welds: new insights into fabricating tough microstructure

The present study addresses the enhancement of fracture toughness of martensitic stainless steel (MSS) spot welds by utilizing through electroplating of Ni on MSS sheets. The equilibrium and non-equilibrium solidification modelling showed that by Ni coating with 50 μm thick on 1.5 mm thick MSSs, the solidification mode changes from δ-ferrite to γ-austenite, leading to a weld nugget (WN) dominated by austenite grains. Moreover, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) showed that the other phases (martensite, δ-ferrite) appeared in band areas of WN owing to incomplete mixing of MSS and the Ni-coating. The tough microstructure in the Ni-coated MSS spot welds provided superior mechanical properties compared to non-coated welds, both in cross-tension (CT) and tensile-shear (TS) tests. Notably, the TS and CT strengths of the Ni-coated MSS spot welds showed a remarkable increase of 57% and 127%, respectively, in comparison to the conventional bare MSS spot welds. Furthermore, in terms of failure energy, the Ni-coated MSS spot welds demonstrated a substantial enhancement of 296% in TS and 520% in CT, when compared to their non-coated counterparts. This research study showcased the effectiveness of Ni electroplating as an industrial method for improving the spot weldability of MSSs.

Numerical modeling of liquid metal embrittlement initiation during resistance spot welding of third generation advanced high strength steel – Effect of welding schedule and electrode alignment

Third generation (GEN3) advanced high-strength steels are increasingly used to reduce vehicle body structure weight for improved fuel economy. Zinc-induced liquid metal embrittlement (LME) has become a prevalent challenge when these steels are welded by resistance spot welding (RSW). In the literature, various numerical models have been developed to study LME during RSW of GEN3 steels. Those models tend to have a limited utility in predicting how various factors such as RSW parameters affect LME cracking. In this study, a novel LME calculation method has been developed by integrating an electro-thermo-mechanical finite element model of RSW process with an LME ratio for crack initiation established from hot tensile testing data. The onset of different types of LME cracking is tracked throughout the weld region over the entire course of RSW including the final cooling stage after electrode retraction. The model is validated using an existing set of literature data that involves different welding schedules, electrode geometries and electrode misalignments. The local temperature and stress conditions during RSW are calculated and used to understand how different welding parameters affect the severity of LME cracking. It is found that electrode misalignment exacerbates crack initiation on outer surfaces of the spot weld due to the tensile stress arisen from the off-centered squeeze force as well as the reduced surface cooling to electrodes. Initiation of cracks between the steel sheets, taking place mainly after electrode retraction, is not significantly affected by the welding schedule and the electrode tip diameter.

The effect of current on the resistance spot welding of dual phase steels

The effect of current on the resistance spot welding of dual phase steels

Effects of welding factors on liquid metal embrittlement cracking during resistance spot welding of zinc-coated high-strength steel

Effects of welding factors on liquid metal embrittlement cracking during resistance spot welding of zinc-coated high-strength steel

Effect of coating type on electrode degradation and its life in resistance spot welding of a low carbon steel

In this study, the degradation occurring on the surface of the electrodes used in resistance spot welding of hot dip galvanized and galvannealed low carbon steels are examined and the life of the electrodes are tested. Several characterization studies are carried out on the surface and cross-sections of CuCrZr-based electrodes, following the life tests that are carried out according to SEP 1220 standard, and it is observed that a more convex degradation surface is formed on the electrode surface used in the welding of galvannealed steel compared to the galvanized one. This geometry indicates that the induced current is more stable. Depending on the increase in the number of spots, coating type and the amount of convexity, it is determined that the phases formed on the electrode surface also differ. Although the coating type has no significant effect on the welding strength value and no significant difference is observed in the maximum current values, a longer life is determined in the electrode used for the welding of galvannealed steel. It has been identified that the dominant mechanism affecting electrode life is the coating type, which is directly related to electrode degradation.

Solute Enrichment in the Fusion Zone during Resistance Spot Welding of a Third Generation Advanced High Strength Steel

Resistance spot welding is a critical joining technique in automobile assembly. The load carrying properties of spot welds are generally accepted to correlate with weld diameter, which increases with increasing weld current or duration. The formation of a softened layer, or weld halo, surrounding the fusion zone in a spot-welded third generation (Gen3) advanced high strength steel (AHSS) was recently reported in the literature. To optimize weld performance by schedule design, it is necessary to understand the halo formation characteristics and potential impacts. Accordingly, welding of a Gen3 AHSS was performed using weld times between 130 – 1300 ms. Microhardness mapping characterized weld microhardness and the evolution of the halo during welding. Electron probe microanalysis and timeof-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry enabled measurement of solute distributions through the weld halo, while scanning electron microscopy was used for microstructural characterization. The solidified structure was examined using light-optical microscopy, and with the microhardness and compositional data, used to infer the mechanism by which the halo forms during welding. It was found that the halo develops due to solute rejection from a cellular solidification front that advances towards the center of the fusion zone while weld current is applied. Extended weld times increase the size of the weld halo and the solute content of the inner fusion zone. The decrease in weld halo microhardness and the increase in inner fusion zone microhardness is largely explained by the changes in local carbon content associated with halo formation.

Pre-hole friction stir spot welding of dual-phase steels and comparison with resistance spot welding, conventional and pinless friction stir spot welding

Pre-hole friction stir spot welding of dual-phase steels and comparison with resistance spot welding, conventional and pinless friction stir spot welding

A multi-response optimization approach to mechanical properties improvement of dissimilar resistance spot welding joints

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effects of process input parameters (welding current, welding time, electrode pressure and holding time) on the output responses (nugget diameter, peak load and indentation) that control the mechanical properties and quality of the joints in dissimilar resistance spot welding (RSW) for the third generation of advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) quenching and partitioning (Q&amp;P980) and (SPFC780Y) high-strength steel spot welds. Design/methodology/approach Design of experiment approach with two level factors and center points was adopted. Destructive peel and shear tensile strengths were used to measure the responses. The significant factors were determined using analysis of variance implemented by Minitab 18 software. Finally, multiresponse optimization was carried out using the desirability function analysis method. Findings Holding time was the most significant factor influencing nugget diameter, whereas welding current had the greatest impact on peak load and indentation. Multiresponse optimization revealed that the optimal settings were a welding current of 12.5 KA, welding time of 18 cycles, electrode pressure of 420 Kgf and holding time of 10 cycles. These settings produced a nugget diameter of 8.0 mm, a peak load of 35.15 KN and an indentation of 22.5%, with a composite desirability function of 0.764. Originality/value This study provides an effective approach for multiple response optimization to the mechanical behavior of RSW joints, even though there have been few studies on the third generation of AHSS joints and none on the dissimilar joints of the materials used in this study.