OPTIMIZATION OF WELDING PARAMETERS IN SPOT WELDING OF AISI 316L AND IF 7114 DISSIMILAR JOINTS

This study investigates the optimization of welding parameters in spot welding of dissimilar materials, AISI 316L stainless steel and IF 7114 steel. The objective is to enhance the mechanical properties of the welded joints, particularly the tensile shear strength, by optimizing welding parameters such as electrode force, welding current, and welding time. Using the Taguchi method, an experimental design was developed, and spot resistance welding was performed on 18 different parameter combinations. The results indicate that increased electrode force, welding current, and welding time led to a significant improvement in tensile shear strength. The highest tensile shear strength of 7.877[Formula: see text]N was achieved with 6[Formula: see text]kN electrode force, 9[Formula: see text]kA welding current, and 50 cycles of welding time. Additionally, the weld core diameter and depth increased with higher heat input, and significant grain coarsening was observed in the heat-affected zone of IF 7114 steel. The study concludes that optimizing welding parameters enhances the mechanical properties of dissimilar joints, with the Taguchi method providing an effective approach for determining the ideal welding conditions.