‘QUICKIE’ REFERENCE WELDING MANUAL AADEX CONTROLS, INC. ringing Experience and ovation Conals Enghesing | To place an order please contac | 3566 Highland Dr. | Hudsonville, MI 49426 Phone: (616) 669-5111 Fax: (616) 669-8115InDEX What Is @ Resistance Weld Importance of Water Deflector Tubes Important Welding Hints Effect of Changing Electrode Tip ‘Areas on Welding Weld Defects and Possible Causes Resistance Welding Do's Resistance Welding Don'ts Resistance Welding of HS.LA, Steels Welding Schedule Spotwelding Low Carbon Steels Welding Schedule Spotwelding Galvanized Coated Steels Welding Schedule Seam Welding Low Carbon Steels, Welding Schedule Projection Welding Low Carbon Steels Projection Welding Design Data Types of Projection Welds Portable Spot Welding Guns Types of Spot Welds Diagram of Flash Welder Types of Flash Welds Conversions Page 12 13 “4 5 16 Ww 6 ‘QUICKIE” REFERENCE WELDING MANUAL Published by THE RESISTANCE WELDER. MANUFACTURERS’ ASSOCIATION » Resistance Welder Manufecturers' Association 1983This booklet is designed for the operator of 2 resistance welding machine, and for his super visor. It is intended as a handy, pocket-size reference manual, Included are basic information on resis- tance welding, important “do's” and “don'ts”, ‘common weld defects and their probable causes, ‘and various charts including sample weld schedules. While this booklet contains important safety tips, it is NOT a safety manual. Nor is it an operator's, ‘manual or a maintenance manual. It cannot take the place of any of these, Similarly, itis not an industry standard and does not replace any existing industry standards. Its sole purpose is to help you, the operator, make better and more consistent welds, and to make you ‘and your company more productive. We hope this Quickie Reference Welding Manual is Useful to you. The members of our association stand ready to help you solve any of your resistance welding problems. ‘The assistance of Chrysler Corporation in the prep: aration of this manual is gratefully acknowledged. Resistance Welder Manufacturers Association 1900 Arch Street Philadelphia, Pa, 19103 (216) 564.3486 WHAT IS A RESISTANCE WELD? It is the fusion of metal due to heat and pressure. High current, passed thru the metal to be welded, causes local fusion, Air or hydraulic pressure is ap- plied to the weld through the electrodes. Force Upper Electrode ‘current sistance to low of lctrie current gon ‘rates heat Guickly causing 3 weld Lom Electrode Force HOW IS A RESISTANCE WELD MADE? ‘The weld is made by passing a very high current through a small area in two or more pieces of metal that are held in intimate contact by force applied by the welding electrodes, The welding electrodes serve ‘three functions: 1) They hold the parts under pressure.2) They provide a path for the welding current into and out of the work. 3) They cool the outer surface of the work. This permits the inner surfaces to get hot enough to fuse without welding the work to the electrodes IMPORTANCE OF WATER DEFLECTOR TUBES One of the most common errors in cooling welding electrodes is to overlook the importance of the water deflector tubes and their effect on water pas- sage in the electrodes. Following is shown the con- ventional water circuit for cooling a standard weld- ing electrode. Although the location of each part may be different with various types of holders, the principle is the same, “point Wes Falowanes || * vetiector ube adjusted correctly in tip. Cold, froah water strikes the hottest part of the tip fit IMPORTANT WELDE0G Heels Use only welding electrodes of the specified type and shape and see that they are clean when. installed. Electrodes meeting R.W.M.A. Class specifications are the most suitable for spot welding, Avoid using electrodes that are (of unknown material. Use straight electrodes wherever possible, Only use offset electrodes when nothing else will do the job. ‘Always check the location of the deflector ‘tubes when installing electrodes, see that they {90 well up into the electrode cooling recesses Always check the flow of cooling water to the electrodes, transformer, ignitron, and S.C.R contactor before welding, Always use the correct size hose to supply cooling water to these parts. When for any rea: son hoses must be removed from the water Connections, look into the ends before reassem- bling to ensure against loose material that may partially block the hose: When an electrode holder will not be used for several days, remove the welding electrodes to prevent them from freezing into the holder due to corrosion. Use fine emery cloth to dress welding elec: trodes. If the electrodes have deteriorated to @ point where such methods are inadequate re- Move them for machine dressing. If you in struct a mechanic on how to machine-dress electrodes, tell him to remove a minimum a- mount of metal. Resistance welding electrodes fare made from valuable alloys that should not be wasted by removing more metal than abso. lutely essential, The use of files is not recom: ‘mended for dressing electrodes. Certain contour files designed for this purpose may be used with discretion.10. " 12, NEVER, NO NEVER STRIKE A CONDUCT. ING PART OF YOUR EQUIPMENT WITH A STEEL HAMMER, If there is a need for a blow holder or arm, use a rubber, Fav mallet, never @ steel hammer. If @ leak developes or exists in any part of the cooling system for your equipment including the water hose connections, correct it if it is within your province to do’so. If it is not, re- port it at once to the appropriate person and Fequest correction and instructions. ‘See that all mechanical connections in the sec: ondary circuit of your welder are kept tight and clean. Look for damaged shunts and cables. Always perform maintenance regularly as ‘scheduled. This includes cleaning and tubri: cation. Make sure that functions, assigned to Others, ARE PERFORMED BY THEM at specified intervals, reporting any failure in this regard to the appropriate person. REMEMBER {you ere responsible for your equipment. Carry Gut your responsibilities fully but do not ex ‘ceed them, Keep in mind that sparks in resistance welding are a sign of borderline balance between current and pressure, Among the items to check when frequent sparking or expulsion of metal from the joint is encountered are the squeeze and hold times. Material condition is also a factor while adequate pressure between the tips is essential to freedom from sparking. On some jobs, a minimum of sparking is difficult to prevent; in such cases make sure that the slides ‘and other vulnerable parts of your machine are protected from spark damage and above all PROTECT YOURSELF, especially your eyes, Remember no doctor has spare eyes in stock, you now have your full allotment. Keep the throat of your welder to the minimum possible size consistent with doing the required work: 13. As far as possible do NOT extend the metal into the throat of your machine, Remember that ferrous metals react in the throat of the machine secondary, increasing their reactance which will reduce the available amperage necos- ary to produce the weld. When it is not pos: sible to prevent some metal being present in the ‘throat as the weld is made, insert the same a mount of metal within the throat area when the test welds are being made to obtain comparable results. 14. Check all air and oil filters. This may not be ‘your responsibility, however you should see that they are functioning properly by reporting any observations of inadequate operation of these items. 15. On air-operated machines check daily to see that there is an adequate supply of oil in the lubricator bowl. The lubricator should be ad. justed so that oil spray is not visible in the exhaust air but that the presence of oil could be detected if a hand is held in the exhaust area,LOW CARBON STEEL EFFECT OF CHANGING ELECTRODE TIP AREAS ON WELDING rocuneercuaee| ve | ve | soe | an | ve SEE Yousn| awe. ae.se | so |. | ser EFFECT OF SPOT SPACING ON CURRENT IN SERIES WELDING Spot Spacing ‘Shunt Current As Per Cent of Weld Current neh (Stock Thickness) lia a = NOPE: (0) For tsk eeneames rt shown, roparton the prcatage Courtesy of Chrysler Coxporation WELD DEFECTS AND POSSIBLE CAUSES ‘A) Expulsion at weld interface ity, scaley material 2 ~Poor fit up 3 — Squeeze time ~ short 4 —Weld force — low 5 —Weld current too high or weld time too long 6 —Poor followup B) Surface expulsion, electrode sticking 1 — Squeeze time ~ short 2 —Weld force — low 3 —Dirty, scaley material 4 — Tips dirty (require dressing) 5 —Weld current too high or weld time too long C) Electrode mushrooming 1 — Weld time too long 2 —Weld force too high 3 ~Weld current high 4 — Insufficient cooling 5 — Electrode area too small 6 ~ Electrode alloy too soft D) Excessive weld indentation 1 —Weld time too long 2 —Weld force too high 3 —Poor fit up 4 Weld current too high E) Little or no weld nugget 1 = Weld time too short 2 Weld force too high 3 —Weld current too low 4 ~ Electrode face too large5 — Poor heat balance 6 —Welds too close together 7 Machine not turned to “Weld” 8 — Dirty or coated material 9 —Tap switch off 10 — Control malfunction F) Cracks in weld nugget 1 — Hold time too short 2 = Weld force too low 3 — Dirty, scaley material 4 ~ Poor follow-up G) Displaced weld nugget 1 — Electrode misaligned 2 —Poor heat balance 3 —Poor fit up H)Weld not holding 1 —Weld force too high 2 —Weld force too low 3 — Poor fit up of parts 4 — Poor follow up 5 — Incorrect weld projections (projection weld only) 6 —Weld current too low 7 —Poor setup of tooling 8 — Weld time too low 1) Flash butt welding — weld not holding 1 = Tool alignment incorrect 2 —Poor fit up of part 3 — Insufficient upset 4 — Clamp jaw skid '5 — Insufficient clamp pressure 6 — Flashing current too high or too low 7. — Flashing time too long or too short 8 —Weld current cut off too long or too short RESISTANCE WELDING ELECTRODES ‘AND HOLDERS po's 1. te eroper decode mat for he job you joing. 2. Use standard electrodes wherever possible, 3, Use the most suitable tip diameter for the thickness of stock being welded. 4. Use open sight drains to observe more readily the water ‘low through the holders. 6. Connect the water inlet hose tothe proper holder inlet ste th wat lows hough the caer cotig ube ist. G.lnternally cool the spot welding tips with coo! water flowing ta rate of at least 1% gallons per minute through each tip. 7. Be sure the internal water cooling tube of the hold projects the i water holo within" of he ale bottom, 8, Adjust the internal water cooling tube of the holder to the proper height when changing to a different length tip, 9. Be sure top of adjustable water cooling tube in holders js cut at an angle so as to avoid jemming tip down and shutting water off, 10, Place a thin film of cup grease on the tip taper pri ingertng in the holder, to make it easier to remove, 11, Use ejector type holders for easy removal of tips and to avoid damage to tip walls. 42, Keep the tip taper and holder taper clean, smooth and {ree'of foreign deposits. 13, Dress spot welding electrodes frequently enough to main- ‘ain the quality of the welds. 14, Dress electrodes in alathe to their original contour winen- ever possible 16, Use a rawhide or rubber maliet for tips in aligning operations. 16. Provide a high-velocity coating water jet on the exit side of the seam welding wheel at both top and bottom. 1010 17, Use properly designed knurling wheels to maintain pro- per seam welding wheel shape, 18, Padlock switches in “OF ‘maintenance, position while performing Don'ts 1. Never use unidentified electrodes or electrode materials. 2, Avoid special, offset or iregular tips when the job can bbe done with’a standard straight tip. 3. Don’t use small tips on heavy gauge welding jobs or large tips on small work, 4. Don’t forget to turn on the cooling water full force be- fore starting to weld, 5. Never use water hose that will not fit the holder water connection nipples snugly. 6. Donotaliow water connections to become leaky, clogged or broken, 7. Avoid using holders with leaking or deformed tapers, 8. Never use electrode holders that do not have an adjust able internal water cooling tube. 9. Do not permit adjustable water tube to be “frozen” by accumulation of deposits, A few drops of oil periodically will keap the tube free, 10. Do not allow electrodes to remain ide in tapered holder seats for extended periods. 11.Don't use pine wrenches or similar tools in removing lactrodes, 12, Avoid using white lead or similar compounds to s Feaking taper, 13, Never permit a spot welding tip to mushroom enough to make dressing difficult. 14, Never dress electrodes witha coarse file, 18, Don't pound on the alder or tip witha steel hammer in aligning the welder arms, 16, Avoid the use of seam welder wheels too thin to stand the heat or pressure of your job. 17.Do not permit seam welding wheel to run off the cor ners of the work being welded, 18, Don't put hands inside without turning offal power and lacking out, RESISTANCE WELDING OF HSLA oIkey ‘Spot Welding Depending on the complexity of the components boing welded, the electrode force should be up to 2 times greater than in the tables for low carbon steels. New electrode materials, now available, may give more consistent welds than RWMA class 2 or 3 copper, on coated materials. Truncated ‘cone electrode configuration should be used wherever possible to obtain maximum electrode life between dressings, On each machine set up the weld face of each electrode should be dressed to the same diameter to obtain good consistent welds ‘The weld times should be doubled to assure ductile welds, which means less welding current. Precautions should be used to assure the elec- trodes are sufficiently water cooled. Hold time is critical, too long a time will too rapidly cool the welds causing failures and too little hold time will ‘cause porosity and or failures. Projection Welding To achieve consistency, electrode forces should be up to 2 times greater than in the tables for low car- bbon steel. Weld times should at least be cut in halt This requires high currents and good followup— the electrode force must be maintained during the weld or expulsion could be severe, resulting in inferior welds. "courtesy of Chrysler Corporation asiss00n= 169 oe om 0 en oo eo oe om eo. oa oot eo oo co fo coat oo seo come a =o Fe eo Se ge oo eo ea Courtesy of Chrysler Corporation 1318 Courtesy of Chrysler Corporation Courtesy of Chrysler Corporation 14PROJECTION WELDING DESIGN DATA 0.012 10.018 0.085 0.082 9.015 0.015. 0.085 0.008 clots tw cou pcoeT odd 0.017 0.020 0.089 0.005 o.t2s, 0.081050 0,020 0.025 0.044 0,008 7 Son 0.0m 0.082 0.082 0.030 9.089 0.008 G ! o.ost 0.118 0,078 0.028 0.025 0.082 0.008 = fit Sie ote SIGE Ss Sh ee rome re a oh MSR GE Se ch tt p SR Se a Se oe T —— See EE Sak See Se ee I cig ESE S22 Gai cite iss vee =s- om 0.975 0.265 © G.078 0.118 0.210 1/64 i 0.250 elas] 0.978.110. 0.17% 0.285 0.028 o Courtesy of Chrysler Corporation Se‘entender bre ine owas A (roporretog are face EE 6] »| os] ©] &| = 3 19 | wa | 50 | 5 | oo [os a | 9c [am [sm [ome | es | ra | oe | 0 | oe [es | azsse [ae [om [ra [ | or | ona [ows fron fase va [as Tos [ons [fin [ins fae faa fase fue SR AGHISCEROOE PONCE TH) ie masome (P52 er fe [am | 2] 5] | «| m] =| »] ©] fi 5 > [ms [os] os{ mal mm] oo | [ox fice fon 3h [ ance [om [om [acm [oar fis fer [ nee fe | a9 fos fis un [ism [ra fas ie [soe [as 1 | 3st [isn [ase sos [sot [no [eae Jas [a [ase 18 Courtesy of Chrysler Corporation Courtesy of Chrysler Corporation 19ATEN cecil SSS HYORAULIC CYLINDER: FOR ere SERS MOVABLE PLATEN of Flash Welder FIXED PLATEN CONTACTOR Courtesy of Chrysler Corporation 21enone secrion Arve. Feo ror @ AXIALLY ALIGNED WELO 8 MITER WELD Feo | fuowae coss-secTION AFTER caren | [Pcaten “Wecone — "uwTRameD a, | Common Types of Flash Welds 22, moves “ rege CONVERSIONS DECIMAL 13805 ‘125, rs 17 incnes "% Courtesy of Chrysler Corporation becimal, 58 ‘2