Joining lightweight components by short-time resistance spot welding

Resistance welding is a very cost- and energy-efficient welding process for thin sheets with wide distribution in the automotive manufacturing. With the challenges of lightweight construction in this area, new high-strength steel grades, light metals, and fiber-reinforced plastics are increasingly used. Hence, to that, adjustments of the welding processes are required. New process variants such as the resistance element welding (REW) are used to join mixed compounds of lightweight components and steel. Similar to the welding of functional elements, a low energy input in the base material is targeted, so only a small thermal influence of the materials occurs. This requires new approaches to short-term welding, to be presented in this paper. The content is based on a bilateral research project with a welding machine manufacturer. The influence of adhesive on REW joints is described. In addition to the produced joints, the mechanical properties and the process parameters are shown.