Resistance welding

Mechanical engineering

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 Summary

I. Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 3
II. General equipment needed to make resistance welding ............................................................... 4
III. The different resistance welding processes .................................................................................... 5
A. Spot welding ............................................................................................................................... 5
1. General principle .................................................................................................................... 5
2. different types of machines .................................................................................................... 5
3. different types of weld inspection .......................................................................................... 6
B. Butt welding ............................................................................................................................... 8
1. General principle .................................................................................................................... 8
2. Weld inspection ...................................................................................................................... 9
IV. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 10

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 I. Introduction
Resistance welding is one of the fundamental techniques for joining metallic materials used in various
industrial sectors. This method is based on the principle of generating heat by passing an electric
current through the materials to be welded, causing them to melt and bond.

Resistance welding has several advantages and disadvantages, which can vary depending on specific
applications and the materials used. Here is a general list of the main advantages and disadvantages of
this welding method:

Advantages:

• High welding speed: Resistance welding is often fast, making it an efficient process for mass
production.
• Low initial cost: Resistance welding equipment can be relatively simple and inexpensive to
install and maintain compared to other welding methods.
• No need for filler material: Unlike other welding techniques, resistance welding does not
require consumables such as electrodes or shielding gases.
• Precise heat control: It's possible to precisely control the amount of heat applied, reducing
material distortions.
• Adaptability to different materials: This method can be used to weld a wide variety of
conductive materials, including steel, aluminium, copper, etc.

Disadvantages:

• Limitation in material thickness: Resistance welding can be limited in terms of the thickness of
materials to be welded. Special techniques may be required for thicker materials.
• Specific equipment required: While resistance welding equipment is often simple, specific
equipment is needed for different types of welding (spot welding, projection welding, etc.).
• Shape constraints: Some designs or shapes of parts may make it difficult to apply resistance
welding, requiring special configurations to access the welding area.
• Requires supervision: Although machines can operate automatically, resistance welding
requires monitoring to ensure the quality of the welds.

These advantages and disadvantages should be considered when choosing a welding method, based
on the specific needs of the application and the materials to be welded. In this report, we will look at
the two main types of resistance welding: butt welding and spot welding. We will look in detail at the
principles of these welds, as well as the ways in which the resistance of these welds can be controlled.

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 II. General equipment needed to make resistance welding
Resistance welding requires specific equipment to generate the necessary electrical current, maintain
pressure between the parts to be welded, and control the welding process. Here are the main
equipment components needed for resistance welding:

• Power source: This source provides the electrical current required for welding. Transformers or
generators supply the appropriate current intensity for the welding process.
• Electrodes: These components are in direct contact with the parts to be welded and carry the
electrical current through them. Electrodes can be designed to accommodate different shapes
and sizes of parts and are often made of copper or copper alloys for their conductivity and heat
resistance.
• Pressure device: To keep the metal pieces together during the welding process, a pressure
device is necessary. This can be achieved using mechanical arms, hydraulic or pneumatic
cylinders, ensuring close contact between the surfaces to be welded.
• Control system: A control system is essential to regulate welding parameters such as current
intensity, welding duration, applied pressure, etc. Control and monitoring devices ensure weld
quality by adjusting these parameters according to the specific needs of each application.
• Cooling devices: As heat is generated during the welding process, cooling devices such as water-
cooling systems are often used to prevent overheating of the electrodes and equipment.
• Part handling equipment: Devices for positioning the parts to be welded and facilitating their
movement during the welding process may also be necessary, including automatic positioning
devices or manipulators for large or complex parts.

The exact configuration of the equipment varies depending on the type of resistance welding (spot
welding, butt welding) and the specific requirements of the application. These equipment components
need to be carefully chosen to ensure high-quality and reliable welds.

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III. The different resistance welding processes
A. Spot welding
1. General principle
The general principle of spot welding involves the application of high electrical current and pressure to
join two or more metal surfaces together.

First, we need to prepare the workpieces. The metal pieces to be joined are cleaned to remove any
contaminants, ensuring a clean surface for welding. They are then positioned together with a small
overlap at the joint area. Two copper electrodes, one on each side of the workpieces, then come into
contact with the metal surfaces to be welded. Pressure is applied to hold the workpieces firmly
together. A high electrical current is passed through the electrodes and consequently through the metal
workpieces. The resistance to the electrical current generates heat at the contact points between the
metal surfaces. The generated heat causes localized melting at the contact points, resulting in the
formation of a molten pool. As the current is stopped and the electrodes maintained under pressure,
the molten pool solidifies, forming a weld nugget that bonds the metal surfaces together. After the
welding current is turned off, the weld spot is allowed to cool down naturally or may be quenched using
water or another cooling method, ensuring proper solidification of the weld nugget.

2. different types of machines

There are several types of machines used for spot welding, each suited for specific applications and
offering different functionalities. Here are some of the common types of spot-welding machines:

• Manual Spot Welding: These machines are operated manually by an operator to perform spot
welding. They are often used for applications requiring precision or specific flexibility. The
operator controls the positioning of the parts and initiates the welding process.

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 • Hydraulic spot welding: A hydraulic press is used to exert controlled pressure on the electrodes
that hold the metal parts together during welding. This pressure is crucial to ensure adequate
contact between the parts and to guarantee the quality of the weld.

3. different types of weld inspection

To determine the appropriate welding power between two sheets, weld resistance tests need to be
carried out. Depending on the type of machine used, the power will be different and depending on the
thickness of the sheets to be welded, the weld resistance test will also be different.

For the manual spot-welding machine, we welded sheets with a thickness of 3mm or less. They are
placed one on top of the other and welded by a single spot at increasingly high power. To check the
strength of these welds, we try to separate them using a tool that twists the sheet. If the two sheets
separate, the welding power used is too low. This check will enable us to determine the ideal welding
power.

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In our case, after checking the welds, we can see that the three powers used to weld our sheets were
not sufficient. In fact, all the sheets came apart after the test, as the following photos show.

For the hydraulic spot-welding machine, we welded sheets thicker than 3mm. They are placed one on
top of the other at an angle of around 30° and are also welded by a single spot with increasingly high
power. To check the strength of these welds, the sheets are placed in a vice. This clamps down on the
sheets, and if they come apart, the welding power is too low. As with sheets 3mm thick or less, this
test enables us to determine the ideal welding power.

In our case, the welds were made at 40%, 65% and 100% power. After checking the resistance of the
various welds, the first at 40% was too weak. The next two held, as can be seen in the following photos.
We can therefore say that welding at 60% is ideal for this type of sheet.

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Spot welding is commonly used in automotive manufacturing, sheet metal fabrication, and various
industrial applications due to its speed, efficiency, and ability to create strong and reliable joints in a
short period. The process is highly automated in industrial settings, with machinery designed to control
and regulate the welding parameters for consistent and high-quality spot welds.

B. Butt welding
1. General principle
The butt welding, also known as end welding or end-to-end welding, is a technique used to join two
metal pieces by their ends generally for cylindrical parts.

This method begins with the preparation of the pieces. The ends of the metal pieces to be welded are
prepared by cleaning and preheating to remove any contamination and ensure good adhesion during
fusion. The pieces are next precisely aligned to allow perfect contact between the surfaces to be
welded. A heat source, such as a flame, an electric arc, or a laser, is used to heat the ends of the pieces
to be welded at their point of contact, bringing them to a melting temperature. When the ends reach
the melting temperature, they liquefy and fuse together. The heat source is removed, allowing the
molten metals to cool and solidify, forming a strong joint. After solidification, the weld is naturally
cooled or cooled using cooling methods to ensure complete solidification of the molten metal. Then,
the weld may be finished by grinding or polishing to achieve a smooth surface if necessary.

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 2. Weld inspection
For this type of weld, the strength of the weld is checked in a different way to point-to-point welding.
In this case, a mechanical test, more specifically a bending test, will be carried out on our sample to
assess the strength and durability of the joint. To do this, the first cylindrical part is clamped in a vice.
On the second part, a hollow tube is fitted so that the two parts can be bent, and the weld stressed. In
our case, the weld is solid, as can be seen in the following images.

Butt welding is often used in applications where continuity and the strength of the bond are essential,
such as in the manufacturing of pipes, cables, metal bars, and other components requiring a permanent
bond between the ends of metal pieces. This process can be performed using various welding
techniques, each suited to specific materials and particular applications.

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IV. Conclusion
In conclusion, I was very interested to discover the resistance welding. I was not at all familiar with this
welding method. This laboratory enabled me to discover a new method, which will be useful to apply
in my future job as an engineer. Because of its various advantages and areas of application, resistance
welding can replace electric or gas welding. It can be very useful, for example, in the production of
prototypes in a company, as this process does not require any consumables and does not require any
particular skills to carry out. Resistance welding is therefore very interesting to learn about, particularly
for design engineers.

Apart from that, it's crucial to note that resistance welding remains a mainstay in many industrial
sectors, offering fast and robust joining solutions for a wide variety of applications. Technological
advances continue to improve this welding method, paving the way for ever more efficient welds.

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