Seam Welding

Seam Welding
Learning Activities
Lesson Objectives 1. View Slides;
When you finish this lesson you will 2. Read Notes,
understand: 3. Listen to lecture
The various forms of seam welding
4. Do on-line
Nugget formation mechanisms
workbook
Quality testing of Seam Welds
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 Overlapping Seam

Drive Wheel Weld

Continuous Seam
Weld

Workpiece
Throat

Lower Electrode Wheel [Reference: Welding Handbook,

Volume 2, p.553, AWS]
 Lap Seam Weld

Electrodes Overlapping
Weld
Nuggets

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% 66% 60% 54% 50% 46% Heat

6 on, 5 off (54%) 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
Chamfered Side
Electrode

Flash
Broad, Flat
Electrode

Before Welding 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
 2 Stage 1 Takes 1 - 4
1 3 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
 2 Stage 2 Drop in
1 3 4 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
2
1 3 4 current path, nugget
approaching a steady
state growth mode

Waddell, Mechanism of weld formation,

Welding and Metal Fabrication, Aug 1995
 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3
Nugget Initiates Nugget Moves Approaching
Toward Exit Steady State
 2 Stage 4 Steady State
1 3 4 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)

Exit Enter
HAZ Type A
Nugget
Length of Heat Zone
Increased Speed

Increased Speed

HAZ Type B
Nugget
Unstable
Transition Pattern

Type C
Nugget
HAZ
 Sheet Thickness
0.7 mm

1.2 mm

2.0 mm
Heat Zone Distance

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 Enter
End 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 Current

Pulses in Continuous
Therefore Lower Current
Porter, Galvanizing and welding structural steel,
Metal Construction, Nov 1983
 Speed Limited for
Expulsion or Pulse or Continuous
Overheating
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

Hot-Dipped Galvanized
Uncoated Steel
AWS Welding Handbook , Vol 4, 1998
 Entry
Exit
Expulsion

Weld Coating

Coating Melts and

Extrudes Out

Peterson, High Speed Seam Welding..

High Speed 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

Pillow Tests
Resistance Welder Manufacturers
Association Bulletin # 21
 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