• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.55-59
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• 2004

Spot welding is a very important and useful technology in fabrication of thin sheet structures such as the parts in an automobile. However, because the fatigue strength of the spot welding point is considerably lower than that of the base metal due to stress concentration at the nugget edge, the nugget size must be estimated to evaluate a reasonable fatigue strength at a spot welded lap joint. So far, many investigators have experimentally studied the estimation of fatigue strengths of various spot weldments by using a destructive method. However, these destructive methods poses problems so testing of weldments by these methods are difficult. Furthermore, these methods cannot be applied to a real product, and are time and cost consuming, as well. Therefore, there has been a strong, continual demand for the development of a nondestructive method for estimating nugget size. In this study, the effective nugget size in spot weldments have been analyzed by using thermoelastic stress analysis adopting infrared thermography. Using the results of the temperature distribution obtained by analysis of the infared stress due to adiabatic heat expansion under sinusoidal wave stresses, the effective nugget size in spot welded specimens were estimated. To examine the evaluated effective nugget size in spot weldments, it was compared with the results of microstructure observation from a 5％ Nital etching test.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.345-355
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• 2015

In this study, the effects of weld parameters on nugget size and tensile-shear strength of welding joint in electrical resistance spot welding of galvanized DP 600 steel sheets having 1.2 mm were investigated. Taguchi design method has been employed to examine the effects of five parameters of welding current, electrode pressure, welding time, clamping time and holding time by using the $L_{27}(5^3)$ orthogonal array. Results showed that the most effective parameters on tensile shear strength and the nugget size ratio (hn/dn) were found as welding current and welding time, whereas electrode pressure, clamping time and holding time were less effective factors. Max. 545 MPa strength was obtained through proposed optimum conditions by Taguchi technique.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.38-46
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• 1996

This paper discusses the feasibility of Ultrasonic Nondestructive Evaluation (UNDE) technique for sport weld quality. Ultrasonic c-scan image assisted by image processing technique was used for Nondestructive Evaluation(NDE) of spot weld quality. Ultrasonic testing results obtained were confirmed and compared by Optical Microscope and SAM(Scanning Acoustic Mircroscope) observation of the spot-weld cross section, The results show that the nugget dinameter can be successfully measured with the accuracy of 0.5mm. It was ascertained that ultrasonic c-scan technique is very effective method for the sake of the approach to the quantitative measurement of nugget diameter and the discrimination of the corona bond from nugget. Additional support for the above conclusions is provided by the results for galvanized steel. The ultrasonic results for galvanized welds generally correspond to the results for uncoated steel. Finally, it was found that the above-mentioned technique can be sufficiently applied to NDE method for securing the Quality Assurance(QA) of spot welded products in production line.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.24 no.10 s.181
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• pp.2581-2588
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• 2000

In previous studies, the dynamic resistance, which was calculated by the process variables measured at the electrode of the welding machine, and the electrode displacement were used for quality exa mination. However, in-process usage of such systems is not effective in systems that include a welding gun attached to a robot. In order to overcome such problems, we obtained and used the process variables from the welding machine timer. This would allow us to estimate real time in -process weld quality. For quality estimation, the features were extracted as factors from the primary dynamic resistance patterns, which were measured in t he welding machine timer. The relationship between the indexes and nugget size of the welds was observed through the regression analysis. Using the analyzed factors, a regression model that could estimate nugget diameter was developed. Two regression equations of the model were suggested depending on the factors, and it was showed that the model developed by stepwise method was effective one for weld quality estimation. The developed estimation model was in good linearity with the nugget diameter obtained through the experimentation.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.74-83
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• 1997

Effect of welding parameters such as current, speed and electrode pressure on the weld quality of tin coated steels for small containers was discussed in this paper. Welding was performed with low frequency wire seam welding system which was loaded with 1.5mm in diameter copper wire electrode. The welding parameters were monitored at the position close to the welding spot so as to minimize the instrumentation error, and the signals were stored into a digital data acquisition system before analysis. Results showed that critical current for sufficient nugget size increased as the base material thickness increased, while the width of the optimum welding range was reduced. The acceptable welding condition derived from this study was found to be effective within the thickness range of $\pm$10% of the nominal (0.25mm) thickness. Tin coating layer was proved not to affect seriously on the weld quality, i.e. strength and formability, since consumable wire electrode was used in this process. Test results also demonstrated that the welding current was thought to be the most effective parameter to form an acceptable weld, while welding speed or electrode pressure exerted less effect on the nugget formation. However, these two parameters played an important role because the former was related to the nugget overlap interval, and the latter, to the formation of expulsion during welding.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.58-63
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• 2008

Cold rolled and high strength steel were used for vehicle bodys to satisfy environmental regulation and improve fuel ratio. This paper presented a method far determining the fatigue life of cold rolled steel sheet EZNCEN and high strength steel sheet HS40R spot weldment used in vehicles. We can estimate the fatigue life of the spot weldments from the MSC/FATIGUE using the finite element method. The maximum load is found in the nugget part of both surfaces. The cold rolled steel and the high strength steel showed the maximum stress 746MPa and 730MPa in the effective nugget part when the weld current was 8KA and 7KA, respectively. Also the some weld current of the cold rolled steel and high strength steel is applied, the fatigue life of high strength steel is obtained about four times longer than the cold rolled steel.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.285-291
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• 2005

In this paper, the author proposes a fatigue damage parameter of spot welded joints under proportional loading. The proposed fatigue damage parameter is developed based on von Mises' equivalent stress and local structural stress at the edge of spot weld nugget. The structural stress at the edges of the weld nugget in each sheet is calculated using the forces and moments that are determined by finite element analysis. A structural equivalent stress is then calculated by von Mises' equivalent stress equation. The structural equivalent stresses are correlated to experimental fatigue life of the spot welded joints. The proposed parameter is evaluated with fatigue test data of spot welds subjected to multi axial and tensile-shear loads. Sheppard's parameter and Rupp and co-workers' parameter are also evaluated with the same test data to compare with the author's parameter. This proposed parameter presents a better correlation with experimental fatigue data than those of Sheppard's and Rupp and co-workers' parameter. The proposed parameter should be very effective for durability calculations during the early design phase since coarsely meshed finite element models can be employed.

• International Journal of Korean Welding Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2005

Auto industry has employed resistance spot welding(RSW) to join steel sheets for structural rigidity of automobile body. Driven by the need to reduce weight and fuel consumption, car companies have been evaluating aluminum intensive vehicles(AIVs) as a way to reduce vehicle weight without downsizing. During the transition from all steel-construction vehicle body to aluminum intensive body, joining aluminum to steel sheets emerges as a serious contender in automobile body. This paper deals with application of transition material to RSW aluminum to steel. Placing transition material insert between the aluminum/steel interface was found very effective to overcome physical incompatibility between aluminum and steel. Use of transition insert allows for two separate weld nuggets to be formed in their respective aluminum/aluminum and steel/steel interfaces. This RSW processes was monitored with the aid of dynamic resistance sampling. Typical patterns in sampled dynamic resistance curves indicated formation of sound nugget. The growth of two separate nuggets was examined by micro-cross section test.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1680-1690
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• 2006

As a promising and novel manufacturing technology, laser aided direct metal deposition (DMD) process produces near-net-shape functional metal parts directly from 3-D CAD models by repeating laser cladding layer by layer. The key of the build-up mechanism is the effective control of powder delivery and laser power to be irradiated into the melt-pool. A feedback control system using two sets of optical height sensors is designed for monitoring the melt-pool and real-time control of deposition dimension. With the feedback height control system, the dimensions of part can be controlled within designed tolerance maintaining real time control of each layer thickness. Clad nugget shapes reveal that the feedback control can affect the nugget size and morphology of microstructure. The pore/void level can be controlled by utilizing pulsed-mode laser and proper design of deposition tool-path. With the present configuration of the control system, it is believed that more innovation of the DMD process is possible to the deposition of layers in 3-D slice.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.239-239
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• 2000

Automobile manufacturers have employed resistance spot welding(RSW) to join steel sheets for structural rigidity o automobile body. Driven by the need to reduce weight and fuel consumption, car companies have been evaluating aluminum intensive vehicles(AIVs) as a way to reduce vehicle weight without downsizing. During the transition from all steel-construction vehicle body to aluminum intensive body, joining aluminum to steel sheets emerges as a serious contender in automobile body. This paper deals with application of transition material to RSW aluminum to steel. Placing transition material insert between the aluminum/steel interface was found very effective to overcome incompatibility between aluminum and steel. Use of transition insert allows for two separate weld muggets to be formed in their respective aluminum/ aluminum and steel/ steel interfaces. This RSW process was monitored with the aid of dynamic resistance sampling. Typical patterns in sampled dynamic resistance curves indicated formation of sound nugget. (Received February 28, 2000)