Abstract

With the desire to improve passenger safety and fuel efficiency, Ultra High Strength Steels (UHSS) have been developed for use in the automotive industry. UHSS are high strength steels with high ductility and strength. DP 980 is one of these UHSS being applied in automobile manufacturing. DP 980 is difficult to join with Resistance Spot Welding (RSW) because of the high carbon content and alloying in this material. The weld becomes brittle when it solidifies during the welding process. With the desire and motivation of widely using UHSS, new welding processes are needed to be developed in order to effectively join DP 980. Friction Stir Spot Welding (FSSW) is a developing welding process aimed to replace RSW in the automotive industry because of its ability to join materials at a lower temperature. Currently the welding loads of the tools are higher than 2000 pounds, ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 pounds, which exceeds the limit of the welding robots in the automotive factories. It is proposed that the welding loads can be reduced by increasing the spindle speed of the FSSW tool. Other focuses in the research include increasing the life of the tool and developing acceptable welding parameters for High Speed FSSW. The experimental work done for this thesis provided support that weld strength can be obtained at levels above the acceptable standard for DP 980 material (greater than 2400 pound lap shear fracture load for 1.2 mm material) while keeping the vertical load on the welding machine spindle below 2000 lbs.

Degree

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology; Technology

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