Spot Weld Growth on 304L Austenitic Stainless Steel for Equal and Unequal Thicknesses

The austenitic stainless steel (304L) is common material that used in spot welding research. It has been welded and analyzed for many types of conditions and also for many situations, previously. In this research, unequal and equal thicknesses were welded and also analyzed for tensile shear strength, hardness changes and macrograph views. Generally the weld nugget is determined by the process parameters such as welding current, weld time, electrode force and electrode tips. Noticeably the welding current is the main parameter which creates the heating effects between metal sheets and unites them together. The current flow is, however, allowed by sufficient weld time in the welding process. In this experiment, the welding current and weld time were varied for equal and unequal thicknesses. The results are showing different macro structures and also slightly different characteristics in terms of hardness and strength.