Experimental and numerical analysis of incremental magnetic pulse welding of dissimilar sheet metals

Magnetic pulse welding is a solid-state welding process using pulsed magnetic fields resulting from a sudden discharge of a capacitor battery through a tool coil in order to cause a high-speed collision of two metallic components, thus producing an impact-welded joint. The joint is formed at room temperature. Consequently, temperature-induced problems are avoided and this technology enables the use of material combinations, which are usually considered to be non-weldable. The extension of the typically linear weld seam can reach several hundred millimetres in length, but only a few millimetres in width. Incremental or sequential magnetic pulse welding is a promising alternative to obtain larger connected areas. Here, the inductor is moved relative to the joining partners after the weld sequence and then another welding process is initiated. Thus, the welded area is extended by arranging multiple adjacent weld seams. This article demonstrates the feasibility of incremental magnetic pulse welding. Furthermore, the influence of important process parameters on the component quality is investigated and evaluated. The suitability of different mechanical testing methods for determining the strength of the individual weld seams is discussed. The results of numerical simulation are consulted in order to obtain deep understanding of the observed effects.