An investigation on the resultant-based failure criterion for resistance spot welding joint in crush test

ABSTRACTThe failure of resistance spot welding (RSW) joint will severely affect the deformation behaviours of sheet metal parts and it is crucial for vehicle safety to predict whether and when the RSW joints will fail in crash loading. The objective of this paper is to investigate the resultant-based failure criterion for RSW joint and to verify its applicability in crush simulation of structural components. The testing methods of the failure criterion were proposed and implemented for single-spot RSW joint. The failure parameters of tension, shear, bending and torsion were resolved from the testing result of single-spot RSW joint. Validation of the failure criterion was conducted through a crush test of a component consisting of multiple RSW joints. It was concluded that the proposed testing methods and the resultant-based failure criterion could reflect the spot welding performance and predict the failure of RSW joints in the crush simulation.