15. - 17. 5.

2013, Brno, Czech Republic, EU

THE INFLUENCE OF RESISTANCE SPOT WELDING ON WELD JOINT QUALITY

AND SERVICE LIFE OF ELEKTRODES
Marie KOLAKOV, Ladislav KOLAK
CTU in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic, EU

Abstract
The contribution deals with results of research of resistance spot welding of deep drawn sheets with surface
treatment used in automotive industry. Welded material was low carbon, high strength, deep drawn steel
HX180BD with hot-dip galvanic layer ZnMg. There were welded two of the same plates with thickness 0.8
mm with the same surface treatment. To obtain welding parameters area there was made optimalization
according to EN ISO 14327. The weld joint quality was evaluated by visual testing and mechanized peel test
according to EN ISO 14270. Spot joints welded by optimized parameters were compared with joints welded
by parameters commonly used in automotive industry for this material. There were made durability tests of
electrodes (according to EN ISO 8166) for optimized welding parameters and commonly used parameters.
The comparison of worn electrodes shown, that the optimized parameters result in increased service life, but
also to reducing the strength of resistance spot weld joints.
Keywords: Resistance Spot Welding; Weld Joint Quality; Service Life; Surface Treatment; Deep Drawn
Sheet
1.

INTRODUCTION

Automotive industry is a typical sector using resistance spot welding. It is mainly used in production of car
bodies, where spot welds are main connecting element. Present trends lead to combining of materials of
different thicknesses, quality and surface treatment. Surface treatment is very important in terms of corrosion
protection. Therefore is necessary that welding does not damage or delete it. Coatings based on zinc are
used. This may leads to complications during welding. For this reason is constant development of materials
and its coatings, as well as optimization of welding parameters.
This paper deals with resistance welding of material HX180BD with hot-dip galvanic coating ZnMg. There
are presented results of optimization of welding parameters according to procedure described in EN
standards. Furthermore, there are evaluated the service live of welding electrodes. Both are compared with
actual parameters used in company KODA Auto a.s.
2.

WELDED MATERIAL

Bake hardening steel HX180BD is soft deep-drawn steel with controlled yield strength. Chemical
composition and base mechanical properties are in Tab. 1. The steel was hot dip galvanized by zinc alloy
2
ZnMg (100 g/mm ). Sheet thickness was 0.8 mm.
Table 1: Chemical composition and mechanical properties of base material
C

Si

Mn

Al

Nb

Ti

0.003

0.04

0.17

0.008

0.006

0.032

0.007

0.0007

Tensile strength Rm [MPa]

Yield strength Rp0,2 [MPa]

Ductility A80 [%]

330

210

36.5

15. - 17. 5. 2013, Brno, Czech Republic, EU

During resistance spot welding, in point of weld lens, is zinc layer melted earlier than base material (BM). On
the opposite surface (at the point of contact of electrode and BM) this layer must remain undamaged.
Compared to parameters for welding of uncoated plates, higher current and shorter time is used. Welding is
done in so called hard mode of welding (short time, high welding current, high electrode force). Short time
provides the shortest contact of Zn coating and contact cap. This leads to increase of service life of welding
electrodes, [1] [4]
3.

USED EQUIPMENT

Equipment DALEX PMS 11-4 (Fig. 1a) was used for welding. Electrode caps 39D 1978-1 (Fig. 1b) were
used. Material of caps was CuCr1Zr according to DIN ISO 5182-A2/2. Caps were placed on the electrode
holders DALEX 2S30. Electrode diameter was 5 mm.

1a

1b

Fig. 1: Resistance welding machine DALEX PMS 11-4 (1a), electrode cap 39D 1978-1 - schema (1b)
4.

EXPERIMENT

Optimization of welding process was made according to EN ISO 14327. Optimization is made either constant
electrode force or constant welding time. Recommended spacing of welds is according to EN ISO 14373.
(The distance from the plate edge to centre of weld shall not be shorter than 1.25 x d, where d is diameter of
weld. The distance between neighboring spot welds should not be shorter than 16 x t, where t is plate
thickness). [2] Three parameters were optimized: electrode force, welding time and welding current, 49 welds
were performed to optimize one parameter. The overall number of testing welds was 438. [4]
Quality of welds was verified by chisel and peel testing. The result of optimization of welding was
construction of diagrams suitable area of welding parameters. [2] From these diagrams were determined
optimized parameters. These parameters allow the production of spot welds without defects and with
adequate diameter of weld lens. Diagram must be created from at least four growth curves. These curves
must be created in four established welding times or four levels of electrode forces. [3]
Optimized parameters were compared with real parameters used in KODA Auto a.s. for the same material
and thickness (electrode force = 26 N, welding time = 260 ms, welding current = 8 kA) in terms of electrode
service life. Assessment of service life of welding electrodes was made according to EN ISO 8166. The

15. - 17. 5. 2013, Brno, Czech Republic, EU

service life of electrodes is defined as number of welds performed before treatment (cleaning, grinding) of
contact surface of electrodes. Electrode reaches its service time, if three consecutive welds have a diameter
-1/2
of lens shorter than 3.5t (according to mentioned standard). The quality of performed welds is verified by
peel and chisel testing or by metallography. Visual testing was done. Cracks, burned welds, spatters of BM,
baked electrodes or zinc was evaluated. Indentations depth of electrodes and lens diameter was also
evaluated. [5]
For optimized parameters (also for taken over parameters) were performed spot welds on plates - overall
192 welds according to EN. Another 8 welds (on separate plate) was tested by peel test. The size of weld
lens was 3 times measured on each weld. Arithmetic average was calculated form these values. To obtain
reference values (state of new electrode) the first 8 welds on first welded plate were evaluated. The total
number of welds was 2600 (for optimized parameters) and 1200 for taken over parameters. Then the welds
were evaluated as poor-quality and test of service life of electrodes was terminated.
The surface of welded plates was before welding free of grease, without residue of corrosion, coatings, burrs
or others defects. These defects can negatively affect the contact in the dividing plane or can require
excessive force for clamp plates. [2]
5.

RESULTS

The resulting diagram of welding area at a constant electrode force is on Fig. 2. Optimal welding parameters
are: electrode force = 24 N, welding time = 240 ms, welding current = 7 kA.
Limit of spatters

Optimal weld

of weld = 5t

min of weld = 3.5t

Weld time ts [ms]

svar

Weld current Is [kA]

breach in dividing plane, particularly torned weld, torned weld, - spatters

Fig. 2: Diagram of welding area (WCR = welding current ratio)

15. - 17. 5. 2013, Brno, Czech Republic, EU

12

Indentation depth of electrode [%]

50
45

10

40
35

30
6

25
20

15
10

5
0

0
0

400

800

1200

1600

Number of sample

2000

2400

2800

Diameter of electrode [mm]

In determining the service life of electrodes was monitored indentation depth of electrode, its contact
diameter and diameter of weld lens. The dependence of indentation depth of electrode on its diameter is in
Fig. 3. Indentation depth of electrode during first 50 to 100 welds dropped below 30% of thickness of welded
material. To stabilization occurred in 12% of thickness of welded material (Fig. 3) which is compliant with EN
ISO 14327. The contact diameter of electrodes increased during welding (Fig. 4). The increase of electrode
diameter is comparable for optimized parameters and for parameters used in KODA Auto a.s. (see Table
2). The greater number of welds the lower rate of increase in diameter of electrode.

- indentation
depth of
electrode

- diameter of
electrode

Fig. 3: Dependence of indentation depth of electrode on its diameter optimized parameters

Macrostructures of quality welds made with used (assumed) parameters and with optimized parameters are
in Fig. 5. Microstructure of worn electrode cap is in Fig. 6.
Electrodes have reached its service life after welding 1800 spot welds see Fig. 7. The limit diameter of
weld lens for plate with thickness 0.8 mm is 3.1 mm (according to EN ISO 8166).

5 mm

9.4 mm

9.8 mm

Fig. 4: Macrostructure of electrode caps: new (left), after reaching the service live with parameters used in
KODA Auto a.s. (middle), after reaching the service live with optimized parameters (right)

15. - 17. 5. 2013, Brno, Czech Republic, EU

Table 2: Indentation depth of electrode, its contact diameter and weld lens diameter
Parameters from KODA Auto a.s.
Number of
sample
Weld lens
diameter [mm]
Electrode
diameter [mm]
Indentation depth
of electrode [mm]

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

6.1

6.1

5.3

5.7

5.7

5.3

4.1

7.5

7.9

8.9

9.4

0.44

0.43

0.12

0.26

0.21

0.22

0.20

Optimized parameters
Number of
sample
Weld lens
diameter [mm]
Electrode
diameter [mm]
Indentation depth
of electrode [mm]

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2400

2600

5.2

5.0

4.5

4.8

4.8

4.0

4.5

3.4

4.7

3.8

3.4

4.0

2.9

3.9

6.8

7.4

7.9

7.98

8.3

8.8

9.0

9.1

9.1

9.2

9.6

9.6

9.8

0.37

0.15

0.09

0.07

0.08

0.08

0.13

0.14

0.09

0.10

0.10

0.11

0.07

0.07

Weld produced with

parameters used in
KODA Auto a.s.

Weld produced with

optimized parameters

Fig. 5: Macrostructure of spot welds

Alloy
Zn and
CuCr1Zr

Zinc layer
baked on
electrode cap

Base material of
electrode cap
(CuCr1Zr)

Fig. 6: Microstructure of worn electrode cap

15. - 17. 5. 2013, Brno, Czech Republic, EU

On surface of electrode cap was deposited Zn layer from welded plates (Fig. 6). With higher number of
welds the zinc layer was peel off. Loose zinc negatively affects the weld quality. It caused inclusions in weld
lens, spatter of BM and burn of welded material.

Fig. 7: Joints after peel test after reaching the service life of electrode caps for optimized parameters
6.

CONCLUSION

Welding parameters were optimized (according to the procedure described in standard EN ISO 14327).
Optimized parameters are lower than parameters used in practice in KODA Auto a.s. This is advantageous
in term of thermal effect, service life of electrodes and smaller deformations. On the other hand the lower
parameters may cause a higher sensitivity to impurities and inequality on surface of welded material. This
corresponds with real experience in automotive industry, where are used higher parameters for this type of
weld. Both tested parameters do not cause problems with corrosion of weld joints.
Electrode caps have higher service life using optimized welding parameters (1800 spot welds) than using
parameters used in KODA Auto a.s. (1200 spot welds). For welds performed with optimized parameters is
lower deformation of welded plate (Fig. 5) and surface quality is better. However higher service life of
electrodes reflected in size of spot welds. From this result the lower strength can be deducted. The smaller
diameter of weld lens was detected but according standard it is still acceptable. Both used parameters lead
to approximately the same growth rate of electrode diameter. Used parameters do not affected thickness of
zinc layer diffused or baked on the electrodes.
It can be said, based on the verification and optimization of welding parameters according EN, that the way
of welding in KODA Auto a.s. leads to quality of welded joints. Reduces service life is compensated by
regular maintenance of electrode surface.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The research was financed by the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport within the frame of
project SGS CVUT SGS13/187/OHK2/3T/12.
LITERATURE
[1]

LIPA, M. Odporov zvranie. 1.vyd. Bratislava: WELDTECH, 1995, 81 s. ISBN 80-88734-13-4.

[2]

SN EN ISO 14373. Odporov svaovn - Postup pro bodov svaovn nepovlakovanch a povlakovanch
nzkouhlkovch ocel. Praha: esk normalizan institut, 2007, 20 s.

[3]

SN EN ISO 14327. Odporov svaovn - Zpsoby uren diagramu oblasti svaovn pi odporovm bodovm,
vstupkovm a vovm svaovn. Praha: esk normalizan institut, 2005, 20 s

[4]

ROKAI, R. Odporov svaovn povrchov upravench plech v automobilovm prmyslu, diplomov prce,
2012, 119 s.

[5]

NERAD, K. Posouzen ivotnosti elektrod pro odporov svaovn, Bakalsk prce, 2012, 58 s.