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Seam Welding

Seam Welding
Lesson Objectives
When you finish this lesson you will
understand:
The various forms of seam welding
Nugget formation mechanisms
Quality testing of Seam Welds

Learning Activities
1. View Slides;
2. Read Notes,
3. Listen to lecture
4. Do on-line
workbook
5. Homework

Keywords
Roll Spot Weld, Overlapping Seam Weld, Continuous Seam Weld,
Lap Seam Weld, Mash Seam Weld, Metal Finish Seam Weld, Butt
Seam Weld, Foil Butt Seam Weld, Projection Seam Weld, Weld
Current-Pulse Time, Welding Speed, Overlap Distance, Nugget
Formation, Seam Weldability, Pillow Test

Introduction to Resistance Seam Welding


Roll Spot Weld
Upper Electrode Wheel
Knurl or Friction
Drive Wheel

Overlapping Seam
Weld

Continuous Seam
Weld
Workpiece
Lower Electrode Wheel

Throat
[Reference: Welding Handbook,
Volume 2, p.553, AWS]

Lap Seam Weld


Overlapping
Weld
Nuggets

Electrodes

Travel

Front view

Side View

[Reference: Welding Handbook, Volume 2, p.554, AWS]

Effect of Weld Current and Pulse Timing

3 on, 2 off (60%)

4 on, 3 off (57%)

6 on, 5 off (54%)

Resistance Welder Manufacturers Association Bulletin # 23

Effect of Cool Time (Heat %)


on Nugget Properties

@ 6 Cycle Heat

75%

6 on, 5 off (54%)

66%

60%

54%

50%

46% Heat

Resistance Welder Manufacturers Association Bulletin # 23

Effect of Electrode Force


Increased Electrode Force
increases nugget penetration

Increased Electrode Force causes


increase in nugget width while
reducing penetration, more
electrode cooling

Resistance Welder Manufacturers Association Bulletin # 23

Welding Speed

Resistance Welder Manufacturers Association Bulletin # 23

Seam Welding Multiple Thickness Sheets

Resistance Welder Manufacturers Association Bulletin # 23

Improper
selection of
Parameters
Leads to
Porosity in
Weld

Resistance Welder Manufacturers Association Bulletin # 23

Mash Seam Weld


Slightly Lapped
Sheets

Wide, Flat
Electrodes

Weld Nuggets

Before welding

After Welding

[Reference: Welding Handbook, Volume 2, p.554, AWS]

Effect of Sheet Overlap on


Mash Lap Joint properties

Resistance Welder Manufacturers


Association Bulletin # 21

Effect of Electrode Force


on Mash Seam Weld

Resistance Welder Manufacturers


Association Bulletin # 21

Metal Finish Seam Weld


Finish
Side

Chamfered
Electrode

Broad, Flat
Electrode

Before Welding

Flash

After Welding

[Reference: Welding Handbook, Volume 2, p.554, AWS]

Effect of Weld Current


and Electrode Force on
Finish Seam Welds

Resistance Welder Manufacturers Association Bulletin # 24

Effect of Current on Metal


Finish Seam Weld

Resistance Welder Manufacturers


Association Bulletin # 21

Recommended
Sheet
Positioning

Resistance Welder Manufacturers Association Bulletin # 24

ASM Handbook Vol6, 1993

Porter, Galvanizing and welding structural steel,


Metal Construction, Nov 1983

ASM Handbook Vol6, 1993

ASM Handbook Vol6, 1993

Nugget Formation in Continuous Seam Weld

Waddell, Mechanism of weld formation,


Welding and Metal Fabrication, Aug 1995

Stage 1 Takes 1 - 4
cycles, Increased
resistance due to
increased temp
outweighs reduction in
resistance due to better
surface contact through
asperity softening and
surface oxide
breakdown
Peak occurs earlier
with thinner
materials

Resistance Curve for Establishment


of Leading Edge of a Continuous Nugget

Waddell, Mechanism of weld formation,


Welding and Metal Fabrication, Aug 1995

Stage 2 Drop in
resistance because of
current shunting into
the mushy and solid
state bonded region

Waddell, Mechanism of weld formation,


Welding and Metal Fabrication, Aug 1995

Stage 3 Instability in
current path, nugget
approaching a steady
state growth mode

Waddell, Mechanism of weld formation,


Welding and Metal Fabrication, Aug 1995

Stage 1
Nugget Initiates

Stage 2
Nugget Moves
Toward Exit

Stage 3
Approaching
Steady State

Stage 4 Steady State


Growth of Nugget
until either expulsion
or current off time and
new nugget formation

Waddell, Mechanism of weld formation,


Welding and Metal Fabrication, Aug 1995

Particular Interest in Steady State Region

Actual Data
(effect of Speed)

2 m/min

4 m/mim

Attorre, Heat Development in Resistance Seam Weldin


Ironmaking and Steelmaking, 1996

At Lower Speeds

At Higher Speed
Increased Current
Ahead of nugget
Less Heat Extracted
through Electrode
Larger thru Sheet
Nugget Growth
Waddell, Mechanism of weld formation,
Welding and Metal Fabrication, Aug 1995

Through Sheet
Nugget Growth
2 m/min

6 m/min

16 m/min
Waddell, Mechanism of weld formation,
Welding and Metal Fabrication, Aug 1995

Factors Promoting Thru Thickness Growth


High Welding Speeds
Increased Sheet Metal Thickness (less electrode cooling)
Increased Sheet Metal Resistivity
Increased Force (increased Electrode Arc Contact-Current Length)
Increased Current

Steady State Heat Flow Patterns


(Examine HAZ in Front of Nugget Formation)

Enter

Exit

Increased Speed

Nugget

Type A

HAZ
Length of Heat Zone
Increased Speed

HAZ

Nugget

Type B
Unstable
Transition Pattern

Nugget

Type C
HAZ

Sheet Thickness
0.7 mm
1.2 mm

Heat Zone Distance

2.0 mm

For Type A Pattern

Welding Speed

2 m/min

10 m/min
At High Speeds,
Current Flow and
Heat Generation
Extended to Sheet
Surface

Higher Speeds move from A to C


Waddell, Mechanism of weld formation,
Welding and Metal Fabrication, Aug 1995

Exit
End

Enter
End

Transverse

Longitudinal

Higher Speeds Result in Nugget Moving toward


Exit End and Expulsion on Exit

Waddell, Mechanism of weld formation,


Welding and Metal Fabrication, Aug 1995

Increased
Electrode
Force

Contact
Area

Nugget Moves Back


Heat Zone Increases

Increased Indentation

Nugget Formation in Pulsed Welds

ASM Handbook Vol6, 1993

Schematic of seam weld.


Length of electrode footprint holds 3 welds

ASM Handbook Vol6, 1993

Irregular nuggets
irregular pulses that does not give time for heat flow
ASM Handbook Vol6, 1993

RSW Certification Training Class, Boeing

Dynamic Resistance

Series of Overlapping Nuggets

Continuous
Seam Weld

Time
Attorre, The influence of welding parameters on formation of solute bands,
Welding In the World, Vol37, 1996

Parameter (Lobe) Curves for Seam Weld

Pulsed Current

No Cooling Between Continuous


Pulses in Continuous
Therefore Lower Current

Current

Porter, Galvanizing and welding structural steel,


Metal Construction, Nov 1983

Expulsion or
Overheating

Speed Limited for


Pulse or Continuous
Current Options

Minimum Condition for


Continuous Weld

Gould, Resistance Seam Weldabilit,


Report MR9112, EWI, 1991

What About Coated Sheets?

Resistance Seam Weldability of Low-Carbon


Steel
Lower Speed
Surface Eruption, Cu Contamination Cracking

Higher Current

Non-Continuous
Seam

Uncoated Steel

Hot-Dipped Galvanized
AWS Welding Handbook , Vol 4, 1998

Exit

Entry
Expulsion

Weld

Coating

Coating Melts and


Extrudes Out

High Speed

Peterson, High Speed Seam Welding..


AWS Sheet Metal Welding Conf. VI, 1994

Coated Steels have lower contact resistance


delaying heating until coating is removed thus
slower speeds are required to get coating out

Peterson, High Speed Seam Welding..


AWS Sheet Metal Welding Conf. VI, 1994

Factors Limiting Travel Speed


Bulk Resistivity
The higher the bulk resistivity of the material, the higher the heating (H=I2Rt) and thus
the higher the travel speed possible

Current Density
As travel speed increases, more material is presented to the rolls per half cycle of current
thus reaching a limit to the current density in the part

Conductive Coating Materials


When conductive coatings are present at the faying surface, they offer an increased shut
path for current and thus also reduce current density. Welding takes place when these
coatings are melted and extruded out of the weld zone.

Expulsion
With increased travel speed, complete nugget formation is delayed until the weld forms
outside the pressure influence of the rolls (see next slide) and expulsion is easier.

Projection Seam Welds


Experimental Procedure to Maximize Current Density

Peterson, High Speed Seam Welding..


AWS Sheet Metal Welding Conf. VI, 1994

Peterson, High Speed Seam Welding..


AWS Sheet Metal Welding Conf. VI, 1994

Seam Weld
Quality Tests

Tensile Tests

Resistance Welder Manufacturers


Association Bulletin # 21

Pillow Tests

Typical data from Pillow Testing

6 x 6 inch Pillow
6 x 10 inch Pillow

Douglas Process Standard DPS 10.800,


McDonnell Douglas Corp, 1996

Seam Welding

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