During the formation of the resistance spot weld, the heat generated causes thermal expansion of the sheet metal which forces the electrodes to move apart. This phenomenon is called electrode separation.
This paper describes an experimental investigation of the electrode movement trace. A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of welding parameters on electrode separation which is characterized by peak movement and rate of rise. The welding parameters include welding current, electrode force and weld time.
The experimental results show that the rate of rise can be correlated with weld quality. Thus, the rate of rise could be used in monitoring and controlling the weld quality.
