The University of Gaziantep

WELDING PROCESSES
PART III
ME 473 WELDING TECHNOLOGY
Instructor: Yrd. Do.Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Welding Technology

Resistance welding (RW)

RW is a group of welding processes that produces colescence of the faying surfaces

with the heat obtained from the resistance of the workpieces to the flow of the welding
current in a circuit of which the workpieces are a part, and by the application of
pressure.

Faying surfaces: The surfaces of materials in contact with each other and joined or about to
be joined together.

There are 10 different resistance welding processes:

Flash welding
Percussion welding
Projection welding
Resistance seam welding
Resistance spot welding
Upset welding

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

Welding Technology

RW: Principles of operation

The RW processes differ from arc welding in that pressure is used but filler metal of fluxes
are not.
Four factors are involved in making a resistance weld:

The amount of current that passes through the work

The pressure that the electrodes transfer to the work
The time the current flows through the work
The area of the electrode tip in contact with the work.

The heat is generated by the passage of electrical current through the resistance circuit. The
maximum amount of heat is generated at the point of maximum resistance, which is at the
surface between the parts being joined.
The force applied before, during, and after the current flow forges the heated parts together
so that coalescence will occur.
Pressure is required throughout the entire welding cycle to assure a continious electrical
circuit.
Heat produced by the current is sufficient for local melting of the workpiece at the contact
point and formation of small weld pool (nugget). The molten metal is then solidifies under a
pressure and joins the pieces.
Time of the process and values of the pressure and flowing current, required for formation of
reliable joint, are determined by dimensions of the electrodes and the workpiece metal type.

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

Welding Technology

RW: Advantages and major uses

The following metals may be welded by RW:

Low carbon steels - the widest application of RW

Aluminum alloys, Inconel, Nickel, Magnesium and Titanium
Medium carbon steels, high carbon steels and Alloy steels (may be welded, but the weld is brittle)
Advantages of RW:
High welding rates;
Low fumes;
Cost effectiveness;
Easy automation;
No filler materials are required;
Low distortions.
Disadvantages of RW:
High equipment cost;
Low strength of discontinuous welds;
Thickness of welded sheets is limited - up to 6 mm;

RW is used for joining vehicle body parts, fuel tanks, domestic radiators, pipes of gas oil and
water pipelines, wire ends, turbine blades, railway tracks.
Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

Welding Technology
FORCE

RW: Spot welding

It is a RW process, in which two or more

overlapped metal sheets are joined.
The method uses pointed copper
electrodes providing passage of electric
current
The electrodes also transmit pressure
required for formation of strong weld
Spot welding machines:

A.C
Power
Welding
transformer

FORCE

Single point welding machine (rocker arm

type and press type)
Multiple point welding machine

Electrodes:

Electrode materials in general use are

copper alloys developed to combine high
conductivity and hardness, plus reasonable
resistance to softening at the working
temperature of the tip.

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

A rocker arm spot

welding machine 5

Welding Technology

Spot welding: Machines

For heavier requirements, press-type

machines are used.
Portable spot welding machine is used if
the work is too bulky. Capacities usually
range from 10kVA to 150kVA
Robotic spot welding is widely used
automotive industries.
Multi-welders: Multi-welder systems are
typically large, automatic welding
machines with many welding heads and
component fixturing. Capacities range
from 20kVA to over 400kVA.
Electrode cooling

Robotic

Portable
Press type machine

Electrode life is critically dependent on

water cooling. All electrodes have an
internal cooling passage
Cooling of the tip face during the weld time
depends on the shape and size of the
electrode itself.
Water cooling prevents progressive buildup of heat in the electrode.

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

Electrode

Welding Technology

Spot welding: Principles of operation

The spot welding process involves a series of

precisely controlled events. This sequence
normally consists of five time-periods, which
are set on the spot welding timer/controller

Squeeze time: time set to ensure

predetermined welding force is achieved before
current flow; some timers are also equipped
with a pre-squeeze time setting
Weld time: time for which welding current is
switched on
Hold time (forge): time electrodes are held
together under pressure after weld time
Cool time: current off time between successive
current pulses in pulsation or seam welding
Off time: time used for repeat welding such as
stitch welding; time between end of hold time on
one weld and start of squeeze time on the next,
during which electrodes are re-positioned

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

Welding Technology

Resistance seam welding (RSEW)

RSEW produces a weld at the faying surfaces

of overlapped parts progressively along a
length of a joint.
The weld may be made with overlapping weld
nuggets, a continious weld nugget, or by
forging the joint as it is heated to the welding
temperature by resistance to the flow of the
welding current.
In seam welding a rather complex control
system is required. This involves the travel
speed as well as the sequence of current flow
to provide for overlapping welds.
The welding speed, the spots per mm, and
the timing schedule are dependent on each
other. Welding schedules provide the
pressure, the current, the speed, and the size
of the electrode wheels.

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

Welding Technology

Resistance seam welding

The process is used for producing leaktight, continuous joints in sheet metals;
applications include vehicle fuel tanks,
domestic radiators, tin cans and drums

Seam welding enables high welding speeds

to be obtained compared with many other
techniques, but can be limited by
component shape and wheel access.

High frequency seam welding:

High
frequency
power source

It is a seam welding process variation in

which high frequency welding current is
supplied through electrodes into the
workpieces.

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

Welding Technology

Solid state welding (SSW)

SSW is a group of welding processes that produces coalescence by the application

of pressure without melting any of the joint components.

Cold welding
Diffusion welding
Explosion welding
Forge welding
Friction welding
Hot pressure welding
Roll welding
Ultrasonic welding

In all these processes, time, temperature, and pressure individually or in combination

produce coalescence of the base metal without significant melting of the base
metals.

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

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Welding Technology

Cold welding (CW)

It is a solid-state welding process in which pressure is used to produce a weld at

room temperature with substantial deformation of the weld.
Welding is accomplished by using high pressures on clean interfacing materials.
Sufficiently high pressure can be obtained with simple hand tools when extremely
thin materials are being joined.
When cold welding heavier sections, a press is required to exert sufficient pressure
to make a successful weld.
The process is easily adaptable to joining ductile metals.
Aluminium and copper are easily cold welded.
Cold welding processes are used to seal tin plated steel crystal cans and copper
packages for heat sensitive semiconductor devices

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

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Welding Technology

Friction welding (FRW)

Friction welding is a solid state welding

process which produces coalescence of
materials by the heat obtained from
mechanically-induced sliding motion
between rubbing surfaces.
The work parts are held together under
pressure.
This process usually involves the rotating of
one part against another to generate
frictional heat at the junction. When a
suitable high temperature has been
reached, rotational motion ceases and
additional pressure is applied and
coalescence occurs.

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

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Welding Technology

Friction welding (FRW)

There are two variations of the friction welding

process.

In the other variation, called inertia friction

welding,

In the original process one part is held stationary

and the other part is rotated by a motor which
maintains an essentially constant rotational speed.
The two parts are brought in contact under
pressure for a specified period of time with a
specific pressure.

A flywheel is revolved by a motor until a present

speed is reached. It rotates one of the pieces to be
welded. Rotating power is disengaged from the
rotating piece and the pressure is increased. When
the rotating piece stops the weld is completed.

This process can be accurately controlled when

speed, pressure, and time are closely regulated.

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

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Welding Technology

FRW: Applications

As well as extensive use in the automotive

industry, friction welding is used in the
aerospace, electrical, chemical, shipbuilding,
general manufacturing and construction
industries.
The process is used to fabricate a broad range
of components including axle cases, drills, drill
pipes, steering columns, hydraulic cylinders
and piston rods, general tractor components,
half-shafts, fasteners, engine valves, and many
others.
Friction processes can weld almost all metallic
materials. The basic requirements are for some
plasticity at high temperatures, and for thermal
stability. All common engineering alloys can be
friction welded, although some, for example
cast iron, can be very difficult.

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

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Welding Technology

Ultrasonic welding (USW)

USW is a solid-state welding process that produces a weld by the local application
of high-frequency vibratory energy as the workpieces are held together under
pressure.
Welding occurs when the ultrasonic tip or electrode (the energy coupling device) is
clamped against the workpieces and is made oscillate in a plane parallel to the
weld interface.
The combined clamping pressure and oscillating forces introduce dynamic
stresses in the base metal. This produces minute deformations that create a
moderate temperature rise in the base metal at the weld zone.
The clamping pressure provides for coalescence across the interface to produce
the weld.
The normal weld is the lap joint weld.
The temperature at the weld is not raised to the melting point and therefore has no
nugget similar to resistance welding.
Most ductile metals can be welded together, and there are many combinations of
dissimilar metals that can be welded.
This process is used extensively in the electronics, aerospace, and instrument
industries. It is also used for producing packages and containers and for sealing.
The process is restricted to relatively thin materials normally in the foil or extremely
thin gauge thicknesses.

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

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Welding Technology

Ultrasonic welding (USW)

Ultrasonic Welding uses high frequency

sound waves to soften the material and
melt the pieces of thermoplastic together.
Parts are held together under pressure
and the ultrasonic vibration is applied.
Welding time is typically very short.
The pocess can also be used for joining
plastics and is finding wider use in this
field than joining metals.
Ultrasonic Welding can be used in
applications where:
Mechanical fasteners cant be used
The area to be fastened is hard to
reach
Primary surface aesthetics are a
concern

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

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Welding Technology

Electron beam welding (EBW)

It is a welding process that produces

coalescence with a concentrated beam,
composed primarily of high-velocity electrons,
inpinging on the joint.
The process is used without shielding gas and
without the application of pressure.
It is a fusion welding process with the melting
together of base metal, and possibly of filler
metal, to produce a weld.
Heat is generated in the workpiece as it is
bombarded by a high velocity electron beam.
The kinetic energy (energy of motion) of the
electrons is transferred to heat upon impact.
The generated heat is a highly concentrated,
high powered source and acts similar to the
arc of gas tungsten arc welding in making
welds.

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

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Welding Technology

EBW: Principles of operation

The original work has been done in a high

vacuum using an electron gun similar to an x-ray
tube.
In an x-ray tube the beam of electrons is focused
on a target to give off x-rays; the target becomes
very hot and requires water cooling.
In electron beam welding, the target is the
workpiece, which absorbs the heat to bring it to
the molten stage to allow welding.
A modern electron beam welding machine
consists of at least the following:
Electron beam gun: produces and accelerates electrons
Power supply and control:provides beam current and accelerating voltage
Gun and work motion equipment: adjustment for specific targets
Welding chamber, with vacuum pumps: a container evacuated to reduce the pressure
Alignment and viewing system: an optical viewing system to line up the electron beam with the
weld
Miscellaneous auxiliary equipment:

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

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Welding Technology

EBW: Advantages and major uses

Almost all metals can be welded with the electron beam

welding process, i.e. Superalloys, refractory metals
(tungsten), the reactive metals and stainless steel.
EBW increases the range of alloys and thicknesses that
can be welded to produce high integrity joints.
The manufacture of high specification components in
military and commercial aircraft, space vehicles, satellites,
and rockets requires low heat input welds with minimum
distortion.
EB systems have also been deployed for many other
automotive applications, including gear, turbochargers,
camshaft hardening, etc.
EBW has tremendous penetration and has smaller HAZ.
The cooling rate is much higher.

Disadvantages:

high capital cost, expensive to operate due to need for

vacuum pumps
May result porosity in welding of plain carbon steel
Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

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Welding Technology

Laser beam welding (LBW)

LBW is a welding process that uses the heat generated

when a focused laser beam impinges on the joint.
LBW is used to join multiple pieces of metal through the
use of a laser. The beam provides a concentrated heat
source, allowing for narrow, deep welds and high
welding rates. The process is frequently used in high
volume applications, such as in the automotive
industry.
The process is used with or without a shielding gas and
without the application of pressure.
Currently, there are five types of laser which are
suitable for deep penetration or keyhole welding:
CO2 laser: commonly used industrial lasers.
Nd:YAG laser: particularly suited for welding C-Mn steels,
coated steels, stainless steels, aluminium alloys, titanium
and molybdenum, for a variety of products.
Diode laser: for plastics welding and smaller application
Yb Fibre laser: suitable for cutting as well as welding

Disc Laser.

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

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Welding Technology

LBW: Main uses

Use of laser welding falls into two main categories:

Materials that can be laser welded include:

low carbon and microalloyed steels

precision processing applications

special, one-off tasks which draw on the unique
capabilities of laser technology.

coated steels (including zinc coating)

stainless steels
nickel alloys
aluminium, titanium and magnesium and their alloys
some refractory metals

The sheet thicknesses which are suitable for laser

welding are in the range 0.2-6mm
Current applications cover a wide range of industrial
sectors including automotive, domestic products,
electronic and electrical, power generation,
aerospace, shipbuilding and medical.

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

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Welding Technology

LBW:Principal characteristcs
The key features of the laser welding process are,
In terms of advantages:
high welding speed
continuous joints possible for improved stiffness, sealing and for corrosion
resistance
reduction in flange width
low distortion
narrow weld profile
minimum finishing for visible panels, no mark welding possible on hem
joints
high degree of control of heat input for welding of thinner gauge material
single sided access
access to difficult areas
easy to automate

and in terms of disadvantages are:

high capital and running costs
fit-up/pressing tolerances must be accurate for beam/joint alignment and
focus position
perceptions regarding safety issues
perceptions regarding the introduction of advanced technology

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

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Welding Technology

LBW:Applications

Laser cladding

CO2 laser welding of low carbon steel sheet

Nd:YAG laser weld in

6 mm thick Ti-6Al-4V

Dr. Ouzhan Ylmaz

Repair of turbine blades

Nd:YAG lasers and solid wire filler metal

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End of the chapter

Thank you

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