Contact Modelling in Resistance Welding, Part II: Experimental Validation

Contact algorithms in resistance welding presented in the previous paper are experimentally validated in the present paper. In order to verify the mechanical contact algorithm, two types of experiments, i.e. sandwich upsetting of circular, cylindrical specimens and compression tests of discs with a solid ring projection towards a flat ring, are carried out at room temperature.

The complete algorithm, involving not only the mechanical model but also the thermal and electrical models, is validated by projection welding experiments. The experimental results are in satisfactory agreement with the simulation prediction, showing the validity of the algorithm.