Development of a Resistance Spot Welding Process Using Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

For several decades, the electrical resistance spot welding process has been widely used in the manufacturing of sheet metal structures, especially in automotive bodies. During this period there was no significant development for this welding process. However, in recent years, in order to meet the demand for lighter, economical, and low-cost vehicles, the automotive manufacturing industry is undergoing a revolution in the use of high strength steel sheet combinations, chemical compositions, and of different thicknesses. In this context, the present work focuses on the study and development of a new resistant spot welding technology using additive manufacturing (AMSW) in zinc-coated steel sheets, used in the automotive industry. As a comparison, spot welding was also performed by the conventional resistance spot welding process (RSW). The results showed that the spot welding process using additive manufacturing (AMSW), through the optimized parameters, compared to the conventional resistance spot welding process (RSW), was 34.47% higher in relation to the shear tensile stress, as well as 28.57% higher tensile stress with a perpendicular load to the weld spot. The indentation or thermomechanical mark on the surface of the sheet was imperceptible to the visual inspection, producing a smooth face in the spot region.

Analysis of double resistance spot welding's failure in high strength low alloy steel

“…Therefore, the welding current is the most effective parameter because it is multiplied by itself. Increasing the weld current value increases the total heat generation [25].…”

Welding-based additive manufacturing processes for fabrication of metallic parts

“…The shear strength of a cobalt-chromium-coated sonotrode is increased. Batista et al 99 investigate and develop a unique resistance spot welding process in zinc-coated steel sheets using additive manufacturing (AMSW), which is used in the car industry. In contrast, spot welding was also accomplished using the usual resistance spot welding process (RSW).…”

Influence of the Process Parameters on the Quality and Efficiency of the Resistance Spot Welding Process of Advanced High-Strength Complex-Phase Steels

“…The heat generated is based on Joule's law: Q = R•I 2 •t where, Q is the heat, I the welding current, t the welding time and R the resistance. The latter can be decomposed into seven partial resistances, which depend on various parameters such as the material, the pressure or cooling [6,14]. The higher the resistance, the higher the temperature reached at that point and therefore the larger the size of the melting zone.…”