Development of Al/Steel Resistance Spot Weld for Industrial Applications.

Resistance spot welding is a common subject taught to engineering students learning about manufacturing processes. Teaching welding to students can often pose quite a challenge, because of the wide variety of uncertainties. In this paper 6061 Aluminum (Al) and 1008 Carbon Steel (CS) were welded together using Resistance Spot Welding for two groups: one with a Silicon Carbide powder (SiC) added as a coating and one without the powder. Welding often causes metals to change in composition, which can lead to a decline in physical properties, including strength and corrosion resistance. Even more so when the welded pieces are dissimilar metals. In this paper it was found that the corrosion resistance of the welded joint in acidic environments (1% HCl at 35, 45, and 55 Celsius) increased when the SiC powder was added. It was also found that the tensile strength of the welded joint increased in the samples that the powder was used in. If Engineering students understand the changes to metals that welding can produce, they can make educated decisions about how to prevent any negative consequences such as failure of materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]