Abstract

Resistance spot welding (RSW) is a vital technique for joining materials in industries like automotive and aerospace. This study extends the application of RSW to polymer-metal composite sheets by developing 2D axisymmetric, thermo-electro-mechanical coupled model in ANSYS. The focus is on analyzing the temperature distribution, nugget formation, and parameter optimization in hybrid composite sheets, emphasizing the unique challenges posed by polymers’ thermal and electrical properties. These properties differ significantly from metals, making it difficult to directly apply existing RSW models developed for metallic sheets. Nimonic 90 sheets, chosen for their high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent thermal properties, were used as a benchmark to provide both industrial relevance and a reliable thermal comparison. This validation focused on temperature distribution and nugget size at the sheet contact surface, demonstrating close agreement with published data. This work provides insights into the integration of composite materials in welding applications, optimizing joint quality and process efficiency. Including Nimonic 90 allows the study to showcase the versatility of the 2D axisymmetric thermo-electro-mechanical coupled model. The model consists of convective heat loss at the electrode/air and workpiece/air interfaces, considering atmospheric 21 °C still air and a coefficient of convection around 15 W/m2 ˚C. Using a coefficient of convection around 300 W/m2 ˚C, cooling water at a temperature of 10 ˚C is delivered to the water/electrode interface. The mechanical load of 3000 N is given to the surface of the upper electrode. The model is based on 2D axisymmetric assumptions, with isotropic material properties and simplified boundary conditions to maintain computational efficiency. While earlier studies mainly focused on metallic materials, limited work has addressed polymer-metal composites. This study extends existing RSW models to hybrid systems, underlining its novelty. By examining its behavior, the research can bridge the gap between traditional metallic alloys and hybrid polymer-metal composites.

Keyword: Resistance Spot Welding (RSW), Polymer-Metal Composites, Axisymmetric Modeling, Thermo-Electro-Mechanical Coupling, Nugget Formation

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Refrences:

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