METHOD OF PREDICTING SPOT WELD FAILURE

• US 20130092663A1
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Lee, Yung-Li, Balur, Santosh
• Application Number:
  US13/334,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20130092663A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/91.2
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/115 by means of two electrodes placed opposite one another on both sides of the welded parts
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 31/125 Weld quality monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 19/04 Measuring adhesive force between materials, e.g. of sealing tape, of coating
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0218 Calculations based on experimental data
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0296 Welds
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 3/00 Investigating strength properties of solid materials by application of mechanical stress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design

Abstract

A method is provided and may include generating by a computer a virtual vehicle model and providing the vehicle model with spot-welds. The method may further include providing data regarding the spot-welds and applying forces by the computer to the spot welds during a simulated impact event of the vehicle model. The computer may analyze each of the spot welds at predetermined time intervals during the simulated impact event and may identify failed spot welds based on the analyzing. The computer may further remove failed spot welds from the vehicle model and may continue to apply the forces to the spot-welds following removal of the failed spot welds.

Claims