Characterisation of Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Resistance Welding Machines

The dynamic mechanical properties of a resistance welding machine have significant influence on weld quality, which must be considered when simulating the welding process numerically. However, due to the complexity of the machine structure and the mutual coupling of components of the machine system, it is very difficult to measure or calculate the basic, independent machine parameters required in a mathematical model of the machine dynamics, and no test method has so far been presented in literature, which can be applied directly in an industrial environment. In this paper, a mathematical model characterizing the dynamic mechanical characteristics of resistance welding machines is suggested, and a test set-up is designed determining the basic, independent machine parameters required in the model. The model is verified by performing a series of mechanical tests as well as real projection welds.