• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2012

The resistance spot welding of high strength steel degrades the weldability because of its high strength with rich chemical composition and coating layer to protect from corrosion. During the each resistance welding process the electrodes tip reacts with coating layer, then subsequently deteriorates and shorten electrode life. In this study, the Al-coated HPF (Hot Press Forming) steels and Zn-coated TRIP steels were used to investigate the electrode life for resistance spot welding. Experimental results show that the reactivity of Al-coating on HPF steels to electrode tip surface behaviors different from the conventional Zn-coated high strength steels. The electrode tip diameter and nugget size in electrode life test of Al-coated HPF steels are observed to be constant with respect to weld numbers. For Al-coated HPF steels, the hard aluminum oxide layer being formed during high temperature heat treatment process reduces reactivity with copper electrode during the resistance welding process. Eventually, the electrode life in resistance spot welding of Al-coated HPF steels has the advantage over the galvanized steel sheets.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.1367-1375
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• 2010

In this study, optimization of the process parameters of the resistance spot welding of a sheet of aluminum-coated boron alloyed steel, 22MnB5, used in hot stamping has been performed by a Taguchi method to increase the strength of the weld joint. The process parameters selected were current, electrode force, and weld time. The heating temperature and heating time of 22MnB5 are considered to be noise factors. It was known that the variation in the thickness of the intermetallic compound layer between the aluminum-coated layer and the substrate, which influences on the formation of nugget, was generated due to the difference of diffusion reaction according to heating conditions. From the results of spot weld experiment, the optimum weld condition was determined to be when the current, electrode force, and weld time were 8kA, 4kN, and 18 cycles, respectively. The result of a test performed to verify the optimized weld condition showed that the tensile strength of the weld joint was over 32kN, which is considerably higher than the required strength, i.e., 23kN.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.143-153
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• 1997

In this study, bending test was performed on the real-scale, built-up beam test model fabricated by the $CO_2$ arc spot welding to evaluate the applicability of the welding method to the production of the stiffened plate in car-carrying ship. The built-up beam models which were fixed at both ends in longitudinal direction or simply supported to the rigid foundation, depending on the restraint condition of the corresponding car decks considered, were subjected to simulated design vehicle loads or concentrated point loads. During the test, the central deflection and the longitudinal bending stresses were measured from several points on the longitudinal flange face to predict the section properties of the built-up beams. The longitudinal bending stress on each spot weld were also measured to calculate the average horizontal shear force subjected to spot welds. Test results revealed that the shear strength of spot welds with their current weld nugget size and welding pitch was adequate enough to withstand the horizontal shear forces under the design vehicle loads. Although the built-up beam fabricated by the arc spot welding was a discontinuous beam, its mechanical behavior was well explained by the continuous beam theory using the effective breadth of plate. Based on test results, the criterion for the size of spot weld of which the average shear stress might meet the allowable stress requirement of AWS Code could be established.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.47-55
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• 2015

With using adaptive control of the resistance spot welding machine, the advantage on electrode life time for galvanized steels has been addressed. This study was aimed to evaluate the electrode life time of galvanized steels with applying the constant current control and the adaptive control resistance spot welding process for a comparison purpose. The growth in diameter of electrode face was similar for both the constant current and the adaptive control up to 2000 welds. The button diameter was decreased with weld numbers, however, sudden increase in button diameter with use of the adaptive control after 1500 welds was observed. The peak load was continuously decreased with increasing number of welds for both the constant current and the adaptive control. The current compensation during a weld was observed with using the adaptive control after 1800 welds since the ${\beta}$-peak on dynamic resistance curve was detected at later weld time. The current compensation with adaptive control during resistance spot welding enhanced the nugget diameter at the faying interface of steel sheets and improved the penetration to thinner steel sheet.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.57-69
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• 1997

The objetive of this study is to compare the mechanical proprties of 6000 series Al-Mg-Si aluminum alloy (AC120) with 5000 series Al-Mg aluminum alloy (TG25), and to investigate the influence of corrosion solution for fatigue life. Comparing of TG25 and AC120 alloy sheets, TG25 alloy sheets showing higher plastic ratio and total elongation have better formability than AC120 alloy sheets. The hardness of nugget area was a little higher than that of base metal area. Also, grain coarsening was observed in HAZ(Heat Affected Zone). In a corrosion fatigue experiment, the fatigue life decreased as concentration increased, when a dipping time was constant. The life decreased as dippling time increased, when a concentration was constant.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.513-517
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• 2003

Resistance welding processes are widely used in automotive applications. In particular, Mash-Seam resistance welding is typically used in Tailored Blank process. If spot welds are changed to a continuous weld, it's easy to reduce noise and to be more stable in cars. A arc welding, laser welding, seam welding using wheel electrode are available to make continuous welds on a car body, but they demand operator with advanced skills and expensive cost to develop. Therefore, flat electrode continuous mash-seam resistance welding process has been used to improve the weak points in currently available system in lap seam welding. This developed process has much more strength and air tightability, and also has much better plastic workability than laser welding. Moreover, commercial RSW machine can be readily used in this welding process.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.56-62
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• 1994

The spot weldability of high strength steel sheet and two stories galvannealed high strength steel sheet has been studied. 1) Tensile shear strength decreased inversely as welding current increased over 12KA in the case of two stories galvannealed high strength steel sheet. 2) When heat flux input over 12KA, hardening region become narrow in case of two stories galvannealed high strength steel sheet. 3) The size of hardening region affect the strength of nuggets.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.33-33
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• 2009

This study is to develop the resistance welding apparatus and investigate the welding characteristics of Zircaloy-4 end-plate of fuel bundle in the cases of the resistance welding and the laser beam welding. The welding parameters which affect the weld nugget and the torque values have been also compared. The effect of the torque strength of end-plate welding using by the resistance welding and the laser beam welding has been studied and optimum conditions of Zircaloy-4 end-plate welding have been found. Futhermore, micro-structures and micro-hardness of the resistance welded specimens have been also compared.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.379-383
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• 2001

Resistance spot welding has been widely used in the sheet metal joining processes because of low cost, high productivity and convenience. Recently, automobile and aerospace industries are trying to replace partly steel sheets with aluminum alloy sheets. But in the case of dissimilar materials, to apply resistance spot welding has been known to be very difficult owing to the effect of melting temperature. On this study, an effort was made to apply spot welding of dissimilar sheet metals, 2024 aluminum alloy and zinc coated steel sheet, evaluate the spot weld quality with tensile-shear strength test and nondestructive evaluation technique, C-scan image methodology. In this study results, as the current below 11 kA, melting of materials is not achieved well. Also as the current exceeds to 13.5 kA, the more spatters happen at welded zone and tensile-shear strength lowered. So, the feasibility of C-scan image technique proposed in the study is found to be suitable evaluation method for resistance spot weldability.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.20-28
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• 1997

The fatigue crack propagation properties and fatigue life of two kinds of Al body panel for automobile were examined experimentally by using the plate specimen and the single spot welding specimen. The fatigue limit of spot welding specimens was lower than that of a plate specimen. The fatigue limit was similar in two kinds of spot welding specimen. The shape and size of crack propagation were observed and measured on beach mark of fracture surface. The crack propagation of surface crack specimen showed almost same tendency to that of a thick plate as almost semi-elliptical. In spot welding specimen, the fatigue crack occurred in inside surface of nugget area was almost semi-elliptical. The crack growth rate can be explained using equation of stress intensity factors.