Multi-coupled Field Simulation and Experimental Study of AISI 316L Stainless Steel using Resistance Spot Welding

The objective of the current study is to research the influence of resistance spot welding process (RSW) parameters in regard with the sounding of similar AISI 316L weldment by using a combined experimental and numerical investigation. Four welding process parameters were utilized; “welding current, electrode pressure, squeeze time, and welding time”. Sheet metal AISI 316L with 0.6 mm thickness was utilized. A tensile-shear experiment is applied to decide the value of tensile-shear force for the welded sample. The findings of tensile-shear force were analyzed statistically through utilizing a Taguchi technique with the assistance of a Minitab software. The results demonstrated that the optimum estimations of process parameters that gave the higher tensile-shear force 4.6 KN were; welding current: 6000A, electrode pressure: 30Bar, squeeze time: 0.5second, welding time: 0.5second. An experimental analysis was carried out to explore the required considerations for building an appropriate simulation model. In order to investigate the effect of welding parameters and to analyze the welding nugget formation process in AISI 316L, a thorough finite element model is developed by using ANSYS software, the adopted model involve electrical and thermal fields, therefore, to solve the strong interactions of the thermal and electrical phenomena during this process, the model of FE takes into consideration as material properties of temperature-dependent and interactions of electric-thermal contact through whole interfaces.