Projection welding of fasteners to hot stamped boron steel, press-hardened steels, where an AlSi coating is present.
We’d like to thank everyone who attended the event. It was a great opportunity to showcase our latest Capacitor Discharge technology and have insightful discussions with industry leaders.
Presenters Allen M. Agin, WSI Midwest Regional Sales Manager and Bob Kollins, Senior Application Engineer – Technical Sales & Solution, discussed welding fasteners to hot stamped coated steels.
Projection welding of fasteners is widely used in automotive component assembly. Hot stamped high-boron AlSi coated steels is becoming more prevalent in the attempt to create components with increased tensile strength, which helps manufacturers meet regulatory requirements while maintaining 5-Star Safety Ratings. This presentation reviewed the manufacturing issues encountered when projection welding fasteners onto hot stamped/press hardened, AlSi-coated components, and examined the impact of using contact resistance, short weld times and high weld forces coupled with fast mechanical response. Welding process comparisons were also addressed.
Capacitor Discharge Welding from Weld Systems Integrators
Fastener welding of weld nuts and studs can be difficult for a number of reason, including:
- Fasteners are extremely soft compared to the base material
- Hot-stamp materials develop AlSi coating in the furnace.
- Resistive qualities of AlSi coating can be inconsistent across the part, and from batch to batch.
- Longer weld times with lower weld currents (as typically called for in projection welding charts) makes it difficult to deliver enough heat to the base material, often vaporizing the projections without welding.
- Consistent projection welding is difficult with most processes, and even with many Capacitor Discharge Welding machines, which may not be properly designed for the projection welding process.
As a result, fastener welding using Capacitor Discharge Welders from Weld Systems Integrators (WSI) may be your solution. WSI manufactured our first Capacitor Discharge Resistance Welder in 2007. That CD Welder is still in production today.
Contact Weld Systems Integrators
CONTACT Weld Systems Integrators for more information on our Capacitor Discharge Welders. For immediate assistance, please feel free to give us a call at 844-WSI-WELD and ask about our IN-STOCK inventory at our Warrensville Heights, Ohio location.
Midwest Regional Sales Manager
Weld Systems Integrators
Allen has been employed in the resistance welding industry for more than 45 years. He started his career with Square D as a test engineer, and then worked as a sales engineer for Weld Controls and Assembly Equipment.
Senior Applications Engineer
Technical Sales & Solutions
Bob has been employed in the resistance welding industry for 27 years. He began his career with Unitek Miyachi in 1992 as a senior application engineer and later as a region manger. He has co-authored several papers on the subject of fastener welding to hot Stamped/press hardened steels.