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Aluminum Alloy to Steel Welding Process

  • US 20150096962A1
  • Filed: 10/01/2014
  • Published: 04/09/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of spot welding a steel workpiece to an aluminum alloy workpiece, the method comprising:

  • providing a stack-up that includes a steel workpiece and an aluminum alloy workpiece, the steel workpiece and the aluminum alloy workpiece overlapping to provide a faying interface;

    contacting an electrode-contacting surface of the steel workpiece with a steel welding electrode;

    contacting an electrode-contacting surface of the aluminum alloy workpiece with an aluminum alloy welding electrode;

    passing an electrical current between the steel and aluminum alloy welding electrodes and through the stack-up to initiate a molten aluminum alloy weld pool within the aluminum alloy workpiece and at the faying interface, the electrical current having a greater current density in the steel workpiece than in the aluminum alloy workpiece; and

    ceasing passage of the electrical current at which time a contact patch formed by the aluminum alloy welding electrode at the electrode-contacting surface of the aluminum alloy workpiece is greater in surface area than a contact patch formed by the steel welding electrode at the electrode-contacting surface of the steel workpiece, the contact patch formed by the aluminum alloy welding electrode having a surface area that is greater than the contact patch formed by the steel welding electrode by a ratio of 1.5;

    1 to 16;

    1.

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