Research on welding parameter model of resistance spot welding based on energy consumption

Resistance spot welding (RSW) is the primary body-in-white joining technology, and the welding energy consumption (WEC) of RSW is the main component consumed in welding production. Based on the design of the RSW hardware and system algorithm, this study systematically studied the WEC in RSW and the 4-D spatial relationship between the WEC, welding current, welding pressure, and welding time under all conditions and established the corresponding spatial model. The model provides the distribution of the RSW WEC considering all the parameter combinations of welding current, pressure, and time under the premise that the diameter of the RSW nugget, width-to-depth ratio of the indentation, and spatter meet the requirements, which provides theoretical data support for the RSW adjustment of the body line. This can not only shorten the welding adjustment time and adopt the welding parameter with the minimum WEC, but also ensure the joint quality and reduce the welding spatter. In the meantime, based on the large amount of data from RSW production, the model between the best WEC and plate thickness was provided for the first time, which can define the best recommended WEC value of different plate thickness combinations and provide a theoretical basis for the optimization of welding parameters and WEC space. A model reflecting the relationship among welding current, pressure, time, and WEC is first established, which provides a new method for the green development and application of RSW technology in the future.