Abstract
A study on the welding of electrogalvanized TRIP (Transformation-Induced Plasticity) steels was done to compare the life of the electrode and the alloying phenomena on the electrode tip surface using singlephase AC and inverter-DC resistance welding processes. A longer life of the electrode (>200 welds) was achieved using the inverter-DC welding process. The tensile shear strength was higher in the electrode life test when welded with the inverter DC welding machine it maintained a higher value even when the welding nugget diameter was smaller than specified. When spot-welding was conducted using the single-phase AC welding process, a higher wear rate of the electrode was observed compared to that with the inverter-DC process. An alloying layer used to determine the rate of electrode growth showed differences in the metallurgical features of the surface alloying and Zn penetration depending on whether the single-phase AC process or the inverter-DC welding process was used. Moreover, changes in the dynamic resistance during the electrode life test were correlated with the electrode wear (or growth) rate.