Multi-Spot Ultrasonic Welding of Aluminum to Steel Sheets: Process and Fracture Analysis
Ultrasonic metal welding is an energy-efficient, fast and clean joining technology without the need of additional filler materials. Single spot ultrasonic metal welding of aluminum to steel sheets using automotive materials has already been investigated. Up to now, further studies to close the gap t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Metals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/11/5/779 |
| _version_ | 1797534643140952064 |
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| author | Michael Becker Frank Balle |
| author_facet | Michael Becker Frank Balle |
| author_sort | Michael Becker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ultrasonic metal welding is an energy-efficient, fast and clean joining technology without the need of additional filler materials. Single spot ultrasonic metal welding of aluminum to steel sheets using automotive materials has already been investigated. Up to now, further studies to close the gap to application-relevant multi-metal structures with multiple weld spots generated are still missed. In this work, two different spot arrangements are presented, each consisting of two weld spots, joined 0.9 mm thick sheets of wrought aluminum alloy AA6005A-T4 with 1 mm sheets of galvannealed (galvanized and annealed) dual-phase steel HCT980X. An anvil equipped with variable additional clamping punches was used for the first time. The tensile shear forces reached 4076 ± 277 N for parallel connection and 3888 ± 308 N for series connection. Temperature measurements by thermocouples at the interface and through thermal imaging presented peak temperatures above 400 °C at the multi-metal interface. Microscopic investigations of fractured surfaces identified the Zn layer of the steel sheets as the strength-limiting factor. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) indicated intermetallic phases of Fe and Zn in the border areas of the weld spots as well as the separation of the zinc layer from the steel within these areas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:32:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2acb179bebee40d7ba637af6496b4889 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4701 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:32:27Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Metals |
| spelling | doaj.art-2acb179bebee40d7ba637af6496b48892023-11-21T19:06:02ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012021-05-0111577910.3390/met11050779Multi-Spot Ultrasonic Welding of Aluminum to Steel Sheets: Process and Fracture AnalysisMichael Becker0Frank Balle1Walter und Ingeborg Herrmann Chair for Power Ultrasonics and Engineering of Functional Materials (EFM), Department of Sustainable Systems Engineering (INATECH), Faculty of Engineering, University of Freiburg, Emmy-Noether-Str. 2, 79110 Freiburg im Breisgau, GermanyWalter und Ingeborg Herrmann Chair for Power Ultrasonics and Engineering of Functional Materials (EFM), Department of Sustainable Systems Engineering (INATECH), Faculty of Engineering, University of Freiburg, Emmy-Noether-Str. 2, 79110 Freiburg im Breisgau, GermanyUltrasonic metal welding is an energy-efficient, fast and clean joining technology without the need of additional filler materials. Single spot ultrasonic metal welding of aluminum to steel sheets using automotive materials has already been investigated. Up to now, further studies to close the gap to application-relevant multi-metal structures with multiple weld spots generated are still missed. In this work, two different spot arrangements are presented, each consisting of two weld spots, joined 0.9 mm thick sheets of wrought aluminum alloy AA6005A-T4 with 1 mm sheets of galvannealed (galvanized and annealed) dual-phase steel HCT980X. An anvil equipped with variable additional clamping punches was used for the first time. The tensile shear forces reached 4076 ± 277 N for parallel connection and 3888 ± 308 N for series connection. Temperature measurements by thermocouples at the interface and through thermal imaging presented peak temperatures above 400 °C at the multi-metal interface. Microscopic investigations of fractured surfaces identified the Zn layer of the steel sheets as the strength-limiting factor. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) indicated intermetallic phases of Fe and Zn in the border areas of the weld spots as well as the separation of the zinc layer from the steel within these areas.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/11/5/779multi-spot ultrasonic weldingmulti-metal structuresaluminum alloy sheetgalvannealed dual-phase steel sheetzinc layerintermetallic phases |
| spellingShingle | Michael Becker Frank Balle Multi-Spot Ultrasonic Welding of Aluminum to Steel Sheets: Process and Fracture Analysis Metals multi-spot ultrasonic welding multi-metal structures aluminum alloy sheet galvannealed dual-phase steel sheet zinc layer intermetallic phases |
| title | Multi-Spot Ultrasonic Welding of Aluminum to Steel Sheets: Process and Fracture Analysis |
| title_full | Multi-Spot Ultrasonic Welding of Aluminum to Steel Sheets: Process and Fracture Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Multi-Spot Ultrasonic Welding of Aluminum to Steel Sheets: Process and Fracture Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multi-Spot Ultrasonic Welding of Aluminum to Steel Sheets: Process and Fracture Analysis |
| title_short | Multi-Spot Ultrasonic Welding of Aluminum to Steel Sheets: Process and Fracture Analysis |
| title_sort | multi spot ultrasonic welding of aluminum to steel sheets process and fracture analysis |
| topic | multi-spot ultrasonic welding multi-metal structures aluminum alloy sheet galvannealed dual-phase steel sheet zinc layer intermetallic phases |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/11/5/779 |
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