• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.41-51
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• 1991

The thermomechanical coupling phenomena in the resistance welding process is complicated due to interactions of mechanical, thermal and electrical factors. Although experimental investigations of resistance spot welding have been carried out, but there are a few by computer simulation. so the purpose of this research is to decrease the time and cost much required in experimental investigation by carrying out the analysis of the resistance spot welding process through computer simulation based on the finite element method. The tool used in the computer simulation is the commercial ANSYS program package. A two dimensional axisymetric model is used to simulate the resistance spot welding for two stainless steel sheets of equal thickness and parametric study is carried out for variable welding current, workpieces of unequal thickness and dissimilar materials. The results from the computer simulation are in good agreement with the experimental one. Through these results, such items as stress distribution, temperature profiles, thermal expansion and weld nugget formation are predicted. Reliability and applicability of finite element models have been demonstrated to simulate and to analyze the resistance spot welding process.