Conical shaped current flow to facilitate dissimilar metal spot welding
First Claim
1. A method of resistance spot welding a workpiece stack-up that includes a steel workpiece and an aluminum alloy workpiece;
- the method comprising;
providing a workpiece stack-up that includes a steel workpiece and an aluminum alloy workpiece, the steel workpiece having a faying surface that overlies and contacts a faying surface of the aluminum alloy workpiece to establish a faying interface at a weld site;
bringing a first welding electrode into electrical communication with the steel workpiece at the weld site;
bringing a second welding electrode into electrical communication with the aluminum alloy workpiece at the weld site;
passing a DC electrical current through the workpiece stack-up at the weld site and between the first and second welding electrodes to initiate and grow a molten aluminum alloy weld pool within the aluminum alloy workpiece, the DC electrical current assuming a conical flow pattern in which a path of current flow expands radially along a direction leading from the first welding electrode towards the second welding electrode such that a current density of the DC electrical current decreases along the direction within at least a portion of the workpiece stack-up spanning from within the steel workpiece, across the faying interface, and into the aluminum alloy workpiece.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of resistance spot welding a workpiece stack-up that includes a steel workpieces and an aluminum alloy workpiece that overlie and contact one another to establish a faying interface at a weld site is disclosed. The method comprises passing a DC electrical current through the workpiece stack-up at the weld site and causing the current to assume a conical flow pattern. The conical flow pattern has a path of current flow that expands along a direction leading from a first welding electrode in electrical communication with the steel workpiece towards a second welding electrode in electrical communication with the aluminum alloy workpiece.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. A method of resistance spot welding a workpiece stack-up that includes a steel workpiece and an aluminum alloy workpiece;
- the method comprising;
providing a workpiece stack-up that includes a steel workpiece and an aluminum alloy workpiece, the steel workpiece having a faying surface that overlies and contacts a faying surface of the aluminum alloy workpiece to establish a faying interface at a weld site; bringing a first welding electrode into electrical communication with the steel workpiece at the weld site; bringing a second welding electrode into electrical communication with the aluminum alloy workpiece at the weld site; passing a DC electrical current through the workpiece stack-up at the weld site and between the first and second welding electrodes to initiate and grow a molten aluminum alloy weld pool within the aluminum alloy workpiece, the DC electrical current assuming a conical flow pattern in which a path of current flow expands radially along a direction leading from the first welding electrode towards the second welding electrode such that a current density of the DC electrical current decreases along the direction within at least a portion of the workpiece stack-up spanning from within the steel workpiece, across the faying interface, and into the aluminum alloy workpiece. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- the method comprising;
Specification