The influence of steel chemistry &

surface coatings on resistance spot

weld strength and failure
mechanisms

Dolfred
RSW joint quality depends on
• Power supply type & set up
• Electrode alloy& Geometry
• Electrode Force
• Welding Parameters
(TIME<CURRENT, etc)
• Metal Characteristics
- Steel chemistry(alloying
elements)
- Surface
conditions(coatings,etc)
• Examples of surface splashing

Surface Severe
splash & surface
surface splashing
cracking in
coated steels

Excessive
heat & s
splash
leading to
gross
porosity
Weld metal Expulsion (A)
Welding Imperfections

LME Zn bounding after

(Liquid metal embitterment)
in Zn coated steel
sheet separation

Void formation in
weld nuggets
Zn oxide and carbide inclusion
RSW failure mode is dependent upon
• Strength
• Chemistry
• Processing of AHSS

Destructive Testing
• Tensile-shear test
• Coach-peel test
Dimensions of specimen for tensile-shear test and
coach-peel test
AHSS-UHSS
• High strength
• High formability
• Crash protection(High energy
absorption capacity)

• Dual Phase steels • TRIP (Transformation Induced

Plasticity)
- DP 600
- TRIP 800
- DP 780
- DP 980 • Manganese-Boron-Steel(MBW)

- For ultra-high strengths

Failure modes of RSW’s

Failure Modes
• Interfacial
• Pullout

To ensure
reliability for spot
welds, process
Interfacial Pullout
parameters failure mode failure mode

should be adjusted to get Pullout failure

Failure Behaviour for Tensile shear test

• Interfacial failure
- Driving force for interfacial failure
mode is SHEAR STRESS at the weld
centreline

-Necking is the main failure

mechanism in pullout failure
mode
-Tensile stress is the driving force
• Pullout failure for necking
• Failure located in BM
• Due to low hardness of BM then HAZ
• FZ provides excellent location for •BM exhibits Ferritic
necking microstructure
• FZ has Martensite
Summary showing materials, hardness
characteristics & failure mode of DP steels

• Reduction occurs in HAZ

• Because martensite is tempered in this
region
• Failure occurs in HAZ
• Best impact performance eg. DP780
Effect of weld fusion zone on size on the peak
load & failure
Pullout failure mechanism of coach-peel
specimen

• Pullout
failure is
accompanied
by crack
initiation (in
HAZ) &
propagation
 • Load bearing capacity
of spot welds under
peel test is much lower
then under tensile-shear
test

• Fusion zone size most

important parameter for
determining mechanical
properties
Conclusion

• Both HDGA & HDGI have similar welding

performance
- Lower welding current required to form a nugget in HDGA
compared to HDGI
- Longer electrode life, less distortion in BM due to less heating
• DP steels higher alloying content offers higher bulk receptivity.Hence
required different welding parameters compared to Low strength steels

• Fusion zone size most important parameter for

determining mechanical properties
• Weld strength is fully controlled by steel
substrate( chemical composition)
• Type of coating has no effect on weld shear tension or
cross tension strength