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Design of Experiment (DoE) Primer for Resistance Welding

By David Steinmeier

The words, “Design of Experiment” generate instant Table A – Key Resistance Welding Variables
fear in the minds of most manufacturing personnel Variables Controllable Un-
responsible for any type of welding or joining Controllable
process. Complex mathematics and software put off Weld Power Υ
most people from even trying. This primer seeks to
take the fear out of the DoE process and provide a
Weld Time Υ
starting point for conducting your own DoE on your Weld Force Υ
next welding project. Electrode Tip Υ
Area
DoE Definition Electrode Tip Υ
The DoE process is simply a scientific approach to Material
understanding how the input affects the output. Electrode/
Inputs include some combination of machines, Material
materials, methods, people, and environment.
Υ Υ
Position *1
Outputs include quantitative measurements like pull Electrode Gap Υ
testing and subjective factors like electrode sticking. Material [A] Υ
Why Use the DoE Process? Material [A]
Plating
The DoE process is the quickest way to identify Υ
which input variables are important, how the key Thickness *2
input variables relate to output measurements, and Material [B] Υ
where on the set of operating curves do you need to Material [B]
be to have a robust welding process. Six-sigma Plating Υ
manufacturers are insisting on reducing scrap and to Thickness *2
do that, they must have a robust welding process. Material Υ Υ
Overlap *1
What Are the Limitation of the DoE Process? *1 Controlled by automated assembly. Not
The DoE process can not replace a thorough controlled by hand assembly.
understanding of any process, nor can it find *2 Vendor controlled within specified tolerance.
“missing input variables” or provide a starting point
to begin DoE experiments. These “negatives” are far Step 3 – Identify Key Output Measurements
outweighed by the positive reasons for using a DoE Identify key output measurements. Table B shows
and this primer will provide you with a starting point some typical resistance welding output
strategy. measurements.

Step 1 – Identify Key Input Variables Table B – Output Measurements

Identify both the controllable and un-controllable Output Quantifiable Un-
input factors. The Table A lists some of the key Measurement Quantifiable
input variables for making a resistance weld with two 90° Peel Υ
different materials.
180° Pull Υ
Step 2 – Reduce Input Variables Electrode +1 = None
Reduce the number of controllable input variables to Sticking 0 = Slight
no more than four. Fix variables like electrode tip -1 = Severe
area, tip material, and Overlap. Your selection of
material for parts A and B automatically places Step 4 – Find The “Corners of The Box”
controls on the material alloys and plating. Guard The software that generates the DoE procedure does
against possible inadvertent changes that can occur not provide the minimum and maximum input factor
due to plating thickness variations in a new lot run of values. The experimenter must generate these values
material. before beginning the DoE.

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 microJoining Solutions – microTips™
5563 Hallowell Avenue • Arcadia, CA 91007
Phone: 626-444-9606 • Fax: 626-279-7450 • Email: mjs@microjoining.com • Web: www.microjoining.com

To find the minimum “corner of the box”,

experiment with weld energy, time, and force to
produce a weld that just sticks together when pulled.
Hold all other input variables constant.
0.8

To find the maximum “corner of the box”, 0.7

experiment with the same variables to produce a 0.6

strong weld with minimum electrode sticking.

90° Peel Test (lbs)

0.5

0.4
Use the minimum force value and maximum energy 37
40

0.3 34
and time values to make a weld. Does it blow up? If 31
so, reduce the weld energy until minimum electrode 0.2
25
28

sticking is achieved. Use your final min and max 0.1

22
19
values in the DoE set up procedure. 0 16

0.5
13

0.625
Weld Time (msec)

0.75

0.875

1.125

1.25
10

1.375
Step 5 – Conduct the DoE

1.5

1.625

1.75
Power (KW)
To conduct the following DoE procedure, you will
need to obtain a copy of the Kiss® DoE software
from Digital Computations and Air Academy
Associates (719-531-0777). This author uses Kiss
DoE Pro®.

Using the Kiss software, set up a 3-Level, 3 or 4 0.9

factor (input variable) L9 Taguchi experiment. Use 0.8

at least 5 repetitions at each weld setting to get the 0.7

average pull strength. There are 9 different weld 0.6

90° Peel Test (lbs)

settings for the L9 Taguchi DoE. 0.5

19
0.4 17.5
Step 6 – Analyze the DoE 0.3
16
14.5
After completing the DoE, you must run the 0.2
13
11.5
regression model. This action creates a prediction 0.1
10
8.5
model relating the inputs to the outputs. Don’t worry 0 7
0.5

about understanding the regression model. The 5.5 Weld Force (lbs)
0.625

0.75

0.875

1.125

1.25

4
1.375

1.5

model provides access to the plotting function, which

1.625

1.75

Power (KW)
allows you to plot each input variable combination
against the output measurement.

The following plots represent an opposed weld

consisting of two pieces of tin plated kovar ribbon.
First Plot = Power versus Weld Time 0.8

Second Plot = Power versus Weld Force 0.7

Third Plot = Power versus Material Overlap 0.6

90° Peel Test (lbs)

0.5
Step 7 – Select the Optimum Weld Settings
The most robust welding process occurs using the 0.4
0.3
0.28
following combination: 0.3 0.26
0.24
0.2 0.22
0.2
Power Time Force Overlap 0.18
0.1
(KW) (msec) (lbs) (inches) 0.16
0 0.14
0.5

0.12
0.625

0.75

1.185 26.5 11.5 0.3 Overlap (in)

0.875

1.125

1.25

0.1
1.375

1.5

1.625

1.75

Power (KW)

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