• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.58-64
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• 2001

The initiation and propagation lives of fatigue crack were studied for spot weldments composed of cold rolled steel plates(SPC$\times$SPC) and galvanized steel plates(GA$\times$GA) using DC potential drop method(DCPDM). Through the various test results, it was known that the fatigue crack initiation and propagation behaviors in all specimens could be definitely detected by DCPDM. The fatigue crack initiation life( $N_{i}$) detected by DCPDM in SPC$\times$SPC and GA$\times$GA spot weldments increased as the welding current and the nugget diameter( $N_{d}$) increased. The fatigue crack propagation life($\Delta$ $N_{f-i}$) declined as the difference of $N_{i}$ and the fatigue fracture life( $N_{f}$) also increased according to the decrease of fatigue load, $\Delta$P and the increase of nugget diameter. In the same spot weldments, the increase of nugget diameter came to increase fatigue crack propagation life owing to a decrease of stress concentration in front of nugget, especially the increasing extent for GA$\times$GA spot weldment was very high. In the welding current 6kA, $N_{f}$ for GA$\times$GA spot weldment decreased more than that of SPC$\times$SPC specimen due to zinc layer coated in steel plate and undersized nugget diameter. On the other hand, in 8kA and 10kA, the GA$\times$GA spot weldment showed higher $N_{f}$ in spite of lower $N_{i}$, than that of SPC$\times$SPC specimen except 3,000N fatigue load.ue load. load.d.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.24 no.1 s.173
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• pp.38-51
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• 2000

The study on the mechanical behavior of a spot-welded specimen is largely divided into the quasi-static overload failure analysis and the fatigue failure prediction. The main issue in an overload analysis is to examine the critical loads, thereby providing a generalized overload failure criterion. As the welding spot forms a singular geometry of an external crack type, fatigue failure of spot-welded specimens can be evaluated by means of a fracture parameter. In this study, we first present the limit loads of 4 representative types of single spot-welded specimens in terms of the base metal yield strength and specimen geometries. Recasting the load vs. fatigue life relationships experimentally, obtained here, we then predict the fatigue life of spot-weld specimens with a single parameter denoted the equivalent stress intensity factor. This crack driving parameter is demonstrated to successfully describe the effects of specimen geometry and loading type in a comprehensive manner. The suggested fatigue life formula for a single spot weld can play a key, role in the design and assessment of spot-welded panel structures, in that the fatigue strength of multi-spots is eventually determined by the fatigue strength of each single spot.

• Journal of the korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.42-50
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• 1991

According as the members and inner and outer plates of the automobile body structure have been thinned their thickness and have become high strength, each part of the body structure has been put more severe stress condition. Therefore, it has been increasingly required to improve the fatigue strength of the spot welded structures. As one of the improving methods for such problem, the author had previously proposed the method of alleviating stress concentration at nugget edge of the spot weld part and improving its fatigue strength [1]. But, because fatigue strength of the spot welded lap joint is influenced by its geometrical and mechanical factors, welding condition and etc., there needs a quantitative and systematic estimation method of them. In this report, by considering nugget edge of the spot weld part of the spot welded lap joint subjected to tensile load to the ligament crack, fatigue strength of various spot welded lap joints was estimated with the stress intensity factor (S.I.F.) K which is fracture mechanical parameter. It is known that evaluation of fatigue strength of the spot welded lap joint by the stress intensity factor (S.I.F.) K is more effective than the maximum stress $(\sigma_{ymax}$) at edge of the spot weld part on the center line of width of the plate.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.24 no.3 s.174
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• pp.567-580
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• 2000

This paper proposes an integrated approach, which is independent of specimen geometry and loading type, for predicting the fatigue life of spot welded specimens. We first establish finite element models reflecting the actual specimen behaviors observed on the experimental load-deflection curves of 4 types of single spot welded specimens. Using finite element models elaborately established, we then evaluate fracture parameter J-integral to describe the effects of specimen geometry and loading type on the fatigue life in a comprehensive manner. It is confirmed, however, that J-integral concept alone is insufficient to clearly explain the generalized relationship between load and fatigue life of spot welded specimens. On this ground, we introduce another effective parameter $J_e$ composed of $J_I$, $J_{II}$, $J_{III}$, which has been demonstrated here to more sharply define the relationship between load and fatigue life of 4 types of spot welded specimens. The crack surface displacement method is adopted for decomposition of J, and the mechanism of the mixed mode fracture is also discussed in detail as a motivation of using $J_e$.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.80-87
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• 2011

In this study, the friction stir spot welding (FSSW) of Mg alloy sheets has been tried using an apparatus devised with a CNC milling machine to give the precise control of joining condition including tool speed. The probe tool used is made of hard metal and composed of cylindrical shoulder and pin parts. The variation of morphologies formed after the friction stir spot welding depending on the plunge speed of the tool were investigated at each rpm of tool. The history of the temperature distribution and the vertical load induced during the spot welding with friction time were measured by using an Infrared Thermal Imager (THERMA CAMTM SC2000) and a loadcell located below the specimen fixture, respectively. Tensile-shear tests were also performed to evaluate the fracture load of welded specimens. In order to characterize the friction stir spot welding of Mg alloy sheets, the variation of the fracture load was discussed on micrographic observations, temperature distribution during the FSSW according to the plunge speeds of tool.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.1499-1504
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• 2007

Spot-welding is widely used to construct passenger car bodies in automotive industry. Occasionally severe spot-weld distortions in sub-assembly make further spot-weld difficult. In this paper, distortions for various spot-weld conditions are measured using coordinate measuring machine. Then, based on finite element solution for unit translation or unit rotation of nugget edge, equivalent loads for spot-weld distortions are determined. They can be used to predict the spot-weld distortion using finite element method.

• 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.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.101-107
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• 2003

Since stainless steel sheets have good mechanical properties, weldability, appearance and corrosion resistance, they are commonly used as one of the structural materials of the railroad cars or the commercial vehicles which are manufactured by the spat welding. Among the many kinds of spot welded lap joints, it can be found that multi-lap joints are employed in their body structure. But, fatigue strength of these joints is lower than that of base metal due to high stress concentration at the nugget edge of spot weld and is considerably influenced by welding conditions as well as the mechanical and geometrical factors. Thus, it is necessary to establish a reasonable and systematic design criterion for the long life design of the spot-welded body structures. In this paper, the stress distribution and deformation around the spot-welded multi-lap joints subjected to tensile shear load was numerically analyzed. Also, the $\Delta$P-Nf curve was obtained by fatigue tests. Using these results, $\Delta$P-Nf curves were rearranged in to the ${\Delta}{\sigma}$-Nf relation with the maximum stress at nugget edge of spot weld.

• Journal of Korean Port Research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.87-95
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• 2000

This stability of a plate structure is very crucial problem which results in wrinkle and buckling. In this study, the effect of the pattern of spot-welding points of the two rectangular plates on the compressive and shear buckling load is studied with respect to the thickness, aspect ratio of plates and number of welding spots. Buckling coefficient of the plate not welded was compared with that of two plates with various thickness to extract the effect of thickness. The effect of number of welding spots are studied in two directions, longitudinal and transverse directions. The conclusions obtained were that the reinforcement effect was maximized when the aspect ratio was close to 1.75 at compressive load condition and that the effect of number of welding spots in transverse direction was larger than that in longitudinal direction at shearing load condition.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2007

In this study, fatigue strength of load-carrying cruciform fillet welded joints were evaluated using a new method proposed by Yamada, for geometric or structural stress in welded joint, that is, one-millimeter stress below the surface in the direction corresponding to the expected crack path. Validity of the method is verified by analyzing fatigue test results for load-carrying cruciform welded specimens has different size of weld toe radius, leg length and plate thickness reported in literature. Structural stress concentration factor for 1mm below the surface was calculated by finite element analysis for each specimen respectively. When compared to the basic fatigue resistance curve offered by BS7608, the one-millimeter stress method shows conservative evaluation for load-carrying cruciform fillet welded joints.