Welding of Dissimilar Materials

Combinations for Automotive

Applications
November 10, 2011
Jerry E. Gould
Technology Leader
Resistance and Solid State Welding
ph: 614-688-5121
e-mail: jgould@ewi.org

Metallurgical Aspects of Joining

Aluminum to Steel

Suppression of solidification defects

Suppression of Fe2Al7
Empirically observed critical cooling times
Process selection to achieve necessary
cooling times
1800
6061 Aluminum

1400

1010 Steel

1200

409 SS

1000

2000

800

1800

600

1600

400

1400

200
0
0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

Time (sec)

0.3

Temp (deg. C)

Temperature (deg. C)

1600

0% pene.
25% pene.
50% pene.
75% pene.
100% pene.

1200
1000
800
600
400
200

Cooling characteristics of
magnetic pulse welds for a
number of materials

0
0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

Time (sec)

Cooling characteristics for 0.8-mm

resistance spot welds on mild steel

0.25

Mechanisms of Solid-State Bonding

Contaminant displacement/
interatomic bonding

R
C
R 1

Oxide/contaminant
dissolution
Second material gettering
Metal

Oxide

Al

Al2O3

10-29

Fe

Fe2O3

10-15

Ti

TiO2

10-01

Keq

f
1

t*
Q2 1
exp
t
R T*

1
Ts

3
2

Friction Welding Aluminum to Steel

Process characteristics

Inertia and direct-drive friction

welding variants
Low surface velocities
Short heating times
Forging only in the aluminum

3000
2500
2000

RPM

1500
1000
500
0
0

100

200

300

400

500

-500
Time (ms)

Deceleration profile for an inertia weld between

aluminum and steel

Macrosection of an aluminum to steel

inertia friction weld

Intermittent Nature of Intermetallic

Formation

Intermetallic across joint

Governing Equations Relating MPW Processing and

Contact Velocities
d 2B
dr 2

1 dB
k 2B 0
r dr

Maxwell equation defined in cylindrical

components

2
n
f2 2
o
I t
2
2 L

Pressure on the flier as defined by the

Maxwell equation

As

2
n
f2 2
o
I t ts
2
2 Ls m

Flier velocity derived from the magnetic

pressure and part geometry

Metallurgical Implications of MPW Thermal Cycles

Cooling rates seen here
comparable with other pulse
welding processes

Suppression of solidification
related segregation
Reduced liquation cracking
Reduced solidification cracking

Tungsten

Rapid cooling rates suppress

solid state precipitation
reactions

Aluminum

Rapid cooling rates imply rapid

solidification

Percussion welding
Electro-spark deposition

Suppression of intermetallic
phases
Reduction in solid-state-related
cracking

Rapid cooling rates responsible

for the wide range of materials
joinable by MPW

1.E+09
1.E+08

Cooling rate (C/s)

1.E+07
1.E+06
1.E+05

Al/steel
Al/W
TI/IN625

1.E+04
1.E+03
0

10

20
30
Splat Thickness (um)

40

50

Resistance Welding Processes

Resistance spot welding
Prior use of transition materials
Thermal cycles as short as 200 ms
Resolidification as bonding
mechanism
Button pullout behavior
Benefits of welding onto
galvanized steel

Direct resistance spot welds made between

1-mm Al and 0.8-mm galvanized steel sheet

Resistance butt welding

Short duration thermal cycles
Forging similar to friction welding
Resistance butt joint between 1-mm 5754
Al and 1-mm galvanized steel sheet

Dissimilar Metals Welding - Summary

1000
induced current
Primary current

800
600

Current (KA)

Mechanisms of bonding for

solid-state and fusion
processes
Short thermal cycles a
necessity
Fusion and solid-state
variations possible
Suppression of intermetallics
key to effective joining
Range of candidate processing
technologies demonstrated in
a preliminary way

400
200
0
-200 0

100

200

-400
-600
-800
Time (microsec)

300

400

Questions?
Jerry E. Gould
Technology Leader
Resistance and Solid State Welding
ph: 614-688-5121
e-mail: jgould@ewi.org