A review on resistance spot welding of aluminum alloys

This paper presents a review on the resistance spot welding (RSW) of Al/Al alloys, Al alloys/steel, Al/Mg alloys, and Al/Ti alloys, with focus on structure, properties, and performance relationships. It also includes weld bonding, effect of welding parameters on joint quality, main metallurgical def...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of advanced manufacturing technology 2017-04, Vol.90 (1-4), p.605-634
Main Authors: Manladan, S. M., Yusof, F., Ramesh, S., Fadzil, M., Luo, Z., Ao, S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alloy steels
Aluminum base alloys
Bonded joints
Brittleness
CAE) and Design
Computer-Aided Engineering (CAD
Contact resistance
Cover plates
Dissimilar material joining
Electrodes
Electromagnetic stirring
Engineering
Gold
Gold coatings
Industrial and Production Engineering
Interlayers
Intermetallic compounds
Magnesium base alloys
Mechanical Engineering
Media Management
Metal foils
Metallurgy
Morphology
Nickel
Original Article
Resistance spot welding
Spot welds
Tin
Titanium
Titanium base alloys
Welded joints
Welding current
Welding parameters
Zinc coatings
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Summary:This paper presents a review on the resistance spot welding (RSW) of Al/Al alloys, Al alloys/steel, Al/Mg alloys, and Al/Ti alloys, with focus on structure, properties, and performance relationships. It also includes weld bonding, effect of welding parameters on joint quality, main metallurgical defects in Al spot welds, and electrode degradation. The high contact resistance, induced by the presence of oxide layer on the surface of Al alloys, and the need for application of high welding current during RSW of Al alloys result in rapid electrode tip wear and inconsistency in weld quality. Studies have shown that cleaning the oxide layer, sliding of a few microns between sheets, enhancing the electrode force, and the application of a low-current pre-heating can significantly reduce the contact resistance and improve joint quality. For Al/steel dissimilar RSW, the technique of resistance element welding, the use of optimized electrode morphology, the technique of RSW with cover plates, and the use of interlayers such as Al-Mg, AlSi12, and AlCu28 alloys were found to suppress the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds (IMC) and improve the joint quality. The employment of pure Ni foil, Au-coated Ni foil, Sn-coated steel, and Zn-coated steel interlayers was also found to restrict the formation of brittle IMCs during RSW of Al/Mg alloys. Furthermore, the techniques of RSW with cover plates and RSW under the influence of electromagnetic stirring effect were found to improve the weldability of Al/Ti dissimilar alloys.
ISSN:0268-3768
1433-3015
DOI:10.1007/s00170-016-9225-9