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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Resistance Spot Welding

Resistance Spot Welding (RSW) is an important welding process, used

commonly in automobile and railcar manufacturing industries [30] [70]. It is
less expensive, faster and can be automated easily compared to other welding
processes [24]. In this process, two or more metal sheets are joined by fusion
at discrete spots, at the interface. Both electric current and mechanical force
are applied together to make joints in RSW. When an electric current is
passed through the metal sheets, heat is generated at their interface, by
resistance to the flow of current. The temperature rises at the interface of the
worksheets and when the melting point of the metal is reached, the metal will
begin to melt, and a nugget starts to form out of the fused metal.
Subsequently, the current supply is cut off, with electrode force still acting,
and the weld gets solidified [21] [98]. The formation and enlargement of the
weld nugget is, determined by the variables, such as welding current, weld
time, electrode force and electrode tip size [15] [92]. A modern vehicle
typically contains 2000 to 5000 spot welds [13]. In contrast to other welding
processes, no filler metal or fluxes are used. The welding current and force are
applied to the work piece via copper alloy electrodes [96].

Ferritic Stainless Steel (FSS) account to nearly half of the AISI 400
series stainless steels [43]. They do not contain nickel and hence are
considered as cheaper substitutes to austenitic stainless steels. Nowadays,
ferritic stainless steels are widely used for structural applications in
automobile and rail coaches [65] [56]. These steels contain 10% to 30% Cr
along with other alloying elements, notably molybdenum. Ferritic stainless
steels show excellent resistance to stress corrosion cracking. They are also
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highly resistant to pitting and crevice corrosion [43] [84]. However, the
toughness of ferritic stainless steel welds is reported to be low due to the large
grain size of the fusion zone [43] [90]. Among FSS itself, low chromium
ferritic stainless steels, such as AISI 409 fill the gap between austenitic
stainless steels and low carbon steels, as they have the advantages of both
[90].

In this study, the effects of resistance spot welding on mechanical

performance and microstructure in resistance spot welded joints of ferritic
stainless steel AISI 409M were investigated in similar and dissimilar
configurations and also the optimization of input process variables was done
to achieve maximum weld strength, with a view of enhancing the
crashworthiness of the vehicle.

1.2 Need for the Study

Vehicle crashworthiness is defined as the capacity of a vehicle

structure to provide enough safety to its passengers, in the event of an
accident in the form of a crash. It largely depends on the integrity and the
mechanical performance of the spot welds, as RSW process is one of the main
welding processes used in the manufacturing of vehicle structures [55] [101].
Moreover, the joint failure, e.g. resistance spot weld joint failure, has been
identified as one of the key fault types when a vehicle crashes [60]. Failure of
spot welds may affect the vehicle’s noise, vibration, harshness (NVH)
performance on a global level as well as stiffness [16] [54]. Therefore, the
quality, performance and the failure characteristics of resistance spot welds
are necessary for the determination of durability and safety design of the
vehicles [89]. There are three measures for quality evaluation of resistance
spot welds, such as weld attributes, mechanical properties and failure mode
[58]. An in-depth understanding of the effect of resistance spot welding
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process on the mechanical and metallurgical properties of the weld joint is a

prerequisite for quality evaluation and further improvement.
Any improvement in the mechanical performance of the spot welded
joints in a vehicle or rail coach will certainly contribute to the enhancement of
its crashworthiness and ultimately to passenger safety. The need for the
current study was to help to enhance the crashworthiness of the rail coach
manufactured by RSW, thereby to improve passenger safety.

1.3 Problem Statement

Nowadays, ferritic stainless steel finds more and more applications in

railcar manufacturing, especially for body paneling of railcars. RSW is a
prominent welding process in this area. Quality, performance and failure
characteristics of resistance spot welds are essential for the safety design of
the vehicles. Evaluating spot weld quality requires studying welding process
variables and weld performance interrelations. It is hard to predict weld
properties in RSW due to its diverse nature [29]. Hence it is vital to have a
thorough understanding of the nature of the spot welds, for ensuring
crashworthiness of the vehicle. Evaluation of spot welding quality is also
crucial, in improving the economics of vehicle production.

Enormous research works have been reported on RSW. However,

most of the existing literature on RSW deals with materials, such as low
carbon steel, advanced high strength steel and stainless steels, especially
austenitic stainless steel. Reported literature on mechanical behavior and
microstructure of spot welded joints of various grades of ferritic stainless steel
are limited. Ferritic stainless steel grade AISI 409M is a widely used material
in railcar manufacturing. In rail coach manufacturing, it is quite common that
ferritic stainless steel is often required to be resistance spot welded with same
material as well as with different materials, such as other types of stainless
steel, low carbon steels, etc.
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. In this context, the need to investigate the mechanical properties and

microstructure of spot welded joints of the same, in similar and dissimilar
metal configurations, assumes much significance.

Furthermore, it is also essential to develop suitable welding

conditions by optimizing the process parameters to obtain quality welds, for
enhancing the crashworthiness of the vehicle. In a modern vehicle, out of a
total of 2000-5000 spot welds, around 20% to 30% of these spot welds are
due to the uncertainty of the quality of spot welds [53]. The significant cost
associated with over welding underlines the importance of optimization of
spot welding process.

Presently, literature dealing with the optimization of process

variables in RSW of various grades of ferritic stainless steel to achieve quality
weld are limited. Without a doubt, the most important quality characteristic of
a spot weld is its load bearing capacity or weld strength. Indentation caused
on the surface of the spot weld as a result of spot welding is an undesirable
characteristic which needs to be minimized to improve the aesthetic value of a
vehicle body fabricated by RSW. Therefore, this study also focuses on
optimization of spot welding variables of AISI 409M ferritic stainless steel,
by multi-response Taguchi approach, considering multiple quality
characteristics, such as weld strength and electrode indentation
simultaneously.

Improvement in load bearing and energy absorption capacities of

the spot weld joint will certainly enhance the crashworthiness of the vehicle
and will ultimately contribute towards passenger safety. Use of double pulse
current to improve the mechanical performance of spot weld is a relatively
untested option for many of the steels. This study also aims to explore the use
of the same to improve the mechanical performance of resistance spot welded
joint of AISI 409M steel.
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1.4 Objectives of the Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of RSW on AISI

409M ferritic stainless steel in terms of mechanical properties, microstructure
and failure mode. The core aim is to enhance the crashworthiness of the rail
coach, fabricated by RSW of ferritic stainless steel AISI 409M, by improving
the mechanical properties of the spot welded joints, such as weld strength and
energy absorption capacity. To achieve this larger aim, the individual
objectives are listed below.

[1] To study the mechanical behavior, microstructure and failure modes of

resistance spot welded joints of ferritic stainless steel AISI 409M, in both
similar and dissimilar metal combinations.
[2] To explore the effect of the double pulse current in improving the
mechanical performance of the spot welded joint.
[3] To optimize various input parameters to maximize the peak load and
minimize the electrode indentation, by suitable design of experiments (DOE)
approach.
1.5 Methodology of the Study

[1] Investigate the mechanical properties and microstructure of the resistance

spot welded joint of AISI 409M.

[2] Investigate the effect of input parameters on the mechanical performance

parameters.

[3] Investigate the effects of RSW on mechanical behavior and microstructure

of spot welds in a dissimilar welding configuration, when AISI 409M is
welded with some of the other commonly used materials, such as high
strength low alloy steel (HSLA) and austenitic stainless steel.
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METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

Figure 1.1 Flow Chart Showing Methodology of the Study

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[5] Investigate the effect of double pulse welding current on the mechanical
performance of RSW joints of AISI 409M.

[6] Process parameter optimization in RSW of AISI 409M, considering

multiple quality characteristics, such as weld strength and electrode
indentation simultaneously, by multi response optimization approach in order
to obtain a set of control parameters corresponding to the optimum output.

1.6 Limitations of the Study

Mechanical properties and microstructure of resistance spot welded

joints of ferritic stainless steel AISI 409M sheets are investigated in this
study, with the focus mainly on its load bearing capacity and the energy
absorption capacity. The major limitations of this study are as given below.

1. The mechanical behavior of the resistance spot welded joint of

AISI 409M ferritic stainless steel under fatigue load condition is not
discussed in this study.

2. Corrosion behavior of the resistance spot welded joint of AISI

409M ferritic stainless steel also is not discussed in this study.

3. In this study, an attempt is made to improve the mechanical

performance of the resistance spot welded joint of AISI 409M ferritic
stainless steel by using double pulse current. However the optimum
welding conditions to achieve maximum mechanical performance
parameters is not discussed in this study.

4. Ductile to brittle transformation of the joint due to drop in

temperature also is not discussed in this study.
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1.7 Organization of the Thesis

The thesis is organized as given below.

Chapter 1 gives an introduction to resistance spot welding process, ferritic

stainless steel, motivation, problem statement, methodology,
objectives of the study, benefits of the study, and thesis
organization.

Chapter 2 presents a detailed literature survey pertaining to the research

work done in the area of resistance spot welding of various
materials, especially on stainless steels.

Chapter 3 provides details about materials, welding equipments and

methods used in this investigation.

Chapter 4 presents the details of experimental set-up including welding

conditions for the whole study, such as RSW of AISI 409M in
both similar and dissimilar mode, investigation on the effect of
double pulse current on mechanical performance, optimization of
process parameters with conditions for welding and performance
testing.
Chapter 5 deals with the results and discussion.

Chapter 6 contains conclusion of the study and scope for further study.