Resistance Spot Welding of Advanced High-Strength Steels

Author

Dr. G. Janardhan, Lutta Syam Sundhar, B. Jaswanth, S. Nithin Kumar, N. Charan

Abstract

 Resistance spot welding (RSW) is a high-volume joining process used extensively in automotive body-in-white structures because it produces joints rapidly, requires no filler metal, and can be automated. The increasing use of interstitial-free (IF), high-strength low-alloy (HSLA), and advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) has made weld quality more dependent on the interaction between electrical and thermal process parameters, base-metal chemistry, sheet thickness, coating, weld-zone microstructure, and loading condition. This review integrates the uploaded studies on IF steel, single- and double-pulse welding, fatigue behaviour, and HSLA/AHSS welds. Particular attention is given to nugget formation, dynamic resistance, hardness distribution, phase transformation, tensile-shear and cross-tension performance, failure-mode transition, and cyclic durability. IF-steel studies show that nugget diameter and loading mode strongly influence load-bearing capacity, while zinc coatings and dissimilar sheet combinations modify heat generation and weld metallurgy. Double-pulse studies on DP steels demonstrate that a second current pulse can partially remelt or anneal the primary nugget and alter martensitic substructure; reported mechanical benefits depend on the steel grade and pulse schedule, and are not universal. HSLA studies show that the fusion-zone hardness and critical nugget size influence whether fracture occurs through the interface or by pullout. Fatigue papers directly concerned with RSW establish the importance of nugget diameter and material combination, whereas several other supplied fatigue papers concern laser welding, friction stir welding, or drilled-sheet specimens and are therefore used only as supporting evidence on fatigue mechanisms, not as direct RSW data. The combined evidence indicates that robust RSW qualification should consider weldability lobes, microstructure, hardness, defects, failure mode, and service loading rather than nugget size alone.

Keywords

Resistance spot welding; advanced high-strength steel; interstitial-free steel; HSLA; dual-phase steel; single pulse; double pulse; weld nugget; microstructure; fatigue; failure mode.

Full Text:

Download Paper PDF

References

[1] N. T. Williams and J. D. Parker, “Review of resistance spot welding of steel sheets: Part 1—Modelling and control of weld nugget formation,” International Materials Reviews, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 45–75, 2004.

[2] P. Podržaj, I. Polajnar, J. Diaci, and Z. Kariž, “Overview of resistance spot welding control,” Science and Technology of Welding and Joining, 2008. (Bibliographic volume/pages should be checked against the publisher copy.)

[3] M. I. Khan, M. L. Kuntz, E. Biro, and Y. Zhou, “Microstructure and mechanical properties of resistance spot welded advanced high strength steels,” Materials Transactions, vol. 49, no. 7, pp. 1629–1637, 2008. doi:10.2320/matertrans.MRA2008031.

[4] M. Pouranvari, “Failure mode transition in similar and dissimilar resistance spot welds of HSLA and low carbon steels,” Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 67–76, 2012. doi:10.1179/1879139511Y.0000000020.

[5] S. Salimi Beni, M. Atapour, M. R. Salmani, and R. Ashiri, “Resistance spot welding metallurgy of thin sheets of zinc-coated interstitial-free steel,” Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 2019. doi:10.1007/s11661-019-05146-8.

[6] F. Hayat, B. Demir, M. Acarer, and S. Aslanlar, “Effect of weld time and weld current on the mechanical properties of resistance spot welded IF (DIN EN 10130–1999) steel,” Kovove Mater., vol. 47, pp. 11–17, 2009.

[7] G. Mukhopadhyay, S. Bhattacharya, and K. K. Ray, “Strength assessment of spot-welded sheets of interstitial free steels,” Journal of Materials Processing Technology, vol. 209, pp. 1995–2007, 2009. doi:10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2008.04.065.

[8] A. Hasanbasoglu and R. Kaçar, “Microstructure and property relationships in resistance spot weld between 7114 interstitial free steel and 304 austenitic stainless steel,” Journal of Materials Science & Technology, vol. 22, no. 3, p. 375 onward, 2006.

[9] F. Yaghoobi, R. Jamaati, and H. Jamshidi Aval, “Microstructure and strength analysis of dissimilar resistance welds between interstitial free (IF) steel and low carbon steel,” Journal of Materials Research and Technology, vol. 38, pp. 1911–1920, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.jmrt.2025.07.281.

[10] G. Mukhopadhyay, S. Bhattacharya, and K. K. Ray, “Impact toughness of spot welds on prestrained interstitial free steel sheets,” Materials Science and Technology, vol. 28, 2012.

[11] P. Eftekharimilani, E. M. van der Aa, M. J. M. Hermans, and I. M. Richardson, “Microstructural characterisation of double pulse resistance spot welded advanced high strength steel,” Science and Technology of Welding and Joining, vol. 22, no. 7, pp. 545–554, 2017. doi:10.1080/13621718.2016.1274848.

[12] N. Zhong, X. Liao, M. Wang, Y. Wu, and Y. Rong, “Improvement of microstructures and mechanical properties of resistance spot welded DP600 steel by double pulse technology,” Materials Transactions, vol. 52, no. 12, pp. 2143–2150, 2011. doi:10.2320/matertrans.M2011135.

[13] A. Chabok, E. van der Aa, J. T. M. de Hosson, and Y. T. Pei, “Mechanical behavior and failure mechanism of resistance spot welded DP1000 dual phase steel,” Materials & Design, vol. 124, pp. 171–182, 2017. doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2017.03.070.

[14] A. Chabok, E. van der Aa, I. Basu, J. de Hosson, and Y. T. Pei, “Effect of pulse scheme on the microstructural evolution, residual stress state and mechanical performance of resistance spot welded DP1000-GI steel,” Science and Technology of Welding and Joining, vol. 23, no. 8, pp. 649–658, 2018. doi:10.1080/13621718.2018.1452875.

[15] M. Vural, A. Akkuş, and B. Eryürek, “Effect of welding nugget diameter on the fatigue strength of the resistance spot welded joints of different steel sheets,” Journal of Materials Processing Technology, vol. 176, pp. 127–132, 2006.

[16] D. Parkes, W. Xu, D. Westerbaan, S. S. Nayak, Y. Zhou, F. Goodwin, S. Bhole, and D. L. Chen, “Microstructure and fatigue properties of fiber laser welded dissimilar joints between high strength low alloy and dual-phase steels,” Materials & Design, vol. 51, pp. 665–675, 2013.

[17] Q. L. Cui, D. Parkes, D. Westerbaan, S. S. Nayak, Y. Zhou, D. C. Saha, D. Liu, F. Goodwin, S. Bhole, and D. L. Chen, “Tensile and fatigue properties of single and multiple dissimilar welded joints of DP980 and HSLA,” Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, vol. 26, pp. 783–791, 2017. doi:10.1007/s11665-016-2454-0.

[18] Z.-M. Su, P.-C. Lin, W.-J. Lai, J. Pan, G.-J. Cheng, and H.-W. Yen, “Fatigue analyses and life predictions of laser-welded lap-shear specimens made of low carbon and high strength low alloy steels,” International Journal of Fatigue, vol. 140, 105849, 2020.

[19] M. R. Policena, A. Trindade, W. H. Fripp, C. L. Israel, G. Fronza, and A. J. de Souza, “Fatigue failure analysis of HSLA steel sheets holed by conventional and flow drilling processes,” Matéria, vol. 24, no. 3, e-12468, 2019. doi:10.1590/S1517-707620190003.0784.

[20] V. Infante, D. F. O. Braga, F. Duarte, P. M. G. Moreira, M. de Freitas, and P. M. S. T. de Castro, “Study of the fatigue behaviour of dissimilar aluminium joints produced by friction stir welding,” International Journal of Fatigue, vol. 82, pp. 310–316, 2016.

[21] “Resistance spot welding characteristics of a high strength low alloy steel,” supplied historical HSLA research paper; full author, journal, and publication metadata were not legible in the uploaded scan and should be completed from the original publication before formal submission.

 

 

Share your valuable work from Social Media Buttons