Numerical simulation of weld nugget in resistance spot welding process

The resistance spot welding (RSW) stands different over other welding techniques as the actual weld nugget is shaped internally relative to the surface of the base metal. The weld formed is fundamentally a mix of heat, pressure and time. The welding conditions are precisely controlled to produce sound nug- gets. The application of interface pressure allows accurate prediction of interfacial heat and electrical resistance, which plays a dominant role in Joule?s heat generation. In this work, lap welding using resis- tance spot welding has been numerically investigated for Mild steel (G-3302) and Stainless steel (SS-202) sheets. Spot welding has been completed by utilizing a 35 kVA DC type resistance spot welding machine, constrained by a Programmable Logic Controller unit. For both materials, two spots, three spots and four spots weld were done in order to obtain various comparative results. The weld nugget formation has been simulated using SIMULIA. The 3D model has been created by using GUI of commercial FEA package ABAQUS 6.14. The model employs coupled thermal-electrical-mechanical analysis. Simulation has been performed for pertinent parameters in ABAQUS 6.14. The obtained plots from numerical model are found to be in strong consistency with experimental data. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International conference on Materials and Manufacturing Methods.