RESISTANCE SPOT WELDING STEEL AND ALUMINUM WORKPIECES USING ELECTRODE WELD FACE COVER

摘要

A method of resistance spot welding a steel workpiece and an aluminum or aluminum alloy (“aluminum”) workpiece together includes several steps. One step involves providing a workpiece stack-up with a steel workpiece and an aluminum workpiece. Another step involves attaching a cover over a weld face of a welding electrode. The cover is made of a metal material with an electrical resistivity that is greater than an electrical resistivity of a material of the welding electrode. Yet another step involves performing multiple individual resistance spot welds to the workpiece stack-up. The cover abuts the aluminum workpiece while the individual resistance spot welds are performed. And another step involves removing the cover from the welding electrode after the individual spot welds are performed.

主权项

1. A method of resistance spot welding a steel workpiece and an aluminum or aluminum alloy workpiece together, the method comprising:
providing a workpiece stack-up that includes a steel workpiece and an aluminum or aluminum alloy workpiece; attaching a cover at least over a weld face of a welding electrode, the cover being made of a metal material with an electrical resistivity that is greater than an electrical resistivity of a material of the welding electrode; performing a plurality of individual resistance spot welds to the workpiece stack-up, the cover abutting the aluminum or aluminum alloy workpiece while the individual resistance spot welds are performed; and removing the cover from the welding electrode after the individual resistance spot welds are performed.