Numerical simulation of deep cryogenic treatment electrode tip temperature for spot welding aluminum alloy

Deep cryogenic treatment technology of electrodes is put forward to improve electrode life of resistance spot welding of aluminum alloy LF2. Deep cryogenic treatment makes electrode life for spot welding aluminum alloy improve. The specific resistivity of the deep cryogenic treatment electrodes is tested and experimental results show that specific resistivity is decreased sharply. The temperature field and the influence of deep cryogenic treatment on the electrode tip temperature during spot welding aluminium alloy is studied by numerical simulation method with the software ANSYS. The axisymmetric finite element model of mechanical, thermal and electrical coupled analysis of spot welding process is developed. The numerical simulation results show that the influence of deep cryogenic treatment on electrode tip temperature is very large.

Improving the fatigue performance of longitudinal welded joints by low transformation temperature electrodes

For a longitudinal welded joint, the tensile residual stresses are as high as the yield stress of the metal, so that the weld toes are sensitive to fatigue load. In this case a low transformation temperature electrode (LTTE) is one of the most useful methods used to improve the fatigue strength of the longitudinal welded joint, because the tensile residual stress is reduced or changed into compressive stress. Three kinds of longitudinal welded joints were selected to conduct fatigue tests. The tests results show that the fatigue strengths at 2×10 6 cycles of the joints welded with LTTE were improved by 41%, 47% and 59% respectively compared with those of the joints welded with E5015, and the fatigue lives at 162 MPa were improved by 9.9 times, 9.6 times and 46.8 times respectively. Furthermore, the LTTE method is not necessary to add process after welding and so that it can be valuable method to improve the fatigue performance of longitudinal welded joints.

New Developed Welding Electrode for Improving the Fatigue Strength of Welded Joints

A new welding electrode, low transformation temperature electrode (LTTE), was introduced in this paper. It was described in design principle, mechanics, chemical compositions of their deposited metal and manufacturing methods. It was proved that the best transformation starting temperature from austenite to martensite of the deposited metal of LTTE was at about 191℃ and it was obtained by adding alloying elements such as Cr, Ni, Mn and Mo. The microstructure of the weld metal of the LTTE was low carbon martensite and residual austenite. The compressive residual stress was induced around the weld of the LTTE and the -145 MPa in compression could be obtained in middle of weld metal. The fatigue tests showed that the fatigue strength of the longitudinal welded joints welded with the LTTE at 2×106 cycles was improved by 59% compared with that of the same type of welded joints welded with conventional E5015 and the fatigue life was increased by 47 times at 162 MPa. It is a very valuable method to improve the fatigue performance of welded joints.