公开(公告)号：US10751830B2

公开(公告)日：2020-08-25

申请号：US15482742

申请日：2017-04-08

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David R. Sigler ,  David S. Yang

IPC: B23K11/20 ,  B23K11/30 ,  B23K103/20

Abstract: A welding electrode is disclosed that includes an electrode welding shell and a blind adapter that are joined together to cooperatively define an internal cavity. The electrode welding shell and the blind adapter may be integrally formed or they may be distinct components that are attached together. The presence of the internal cavity defined by the electrode welding shell and the blind adapter reduces the thermal mass of the welding electrode and slows the rate of conductive heat transfer from the weld face to a cooling fluid, which allows in the center of the weld face to retain heat for a longer duration once current flow through the welding electrode is terminated, thereby positively affecting the spot welding process for particular types of workpiece stack-ups including those that include an aluminum workpiece and an overlapping adjacent steel workpiece.

公开(公告)号：US10730133B2

公开(公告)日：2020-08-04

申请号：US15807219

申请日：2017-11-08

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： Amberlee S. Haselhuhn ,  David R. Sigler ,  Blair E. Carlson

IPC: B23K11/11 ,  B23K11/30 ,  B23K35/02 ,  B23B5/16 ,  B32B15/01 ,  B23K11/14 ,  C22C21/00

Abstract: A welding electrode and a method of using the welding electrode for resistance spot welding are disclosed. The welding electrode includes a body and a weld face. The weld face includes a central dome portion and a shoulder portion that surrounds the central dome portion and extends from an outer circumference of the weld face upwardly and radially inwardly to the central dome portion. The central dome portion has a series of radially-spaced ringed ridges that project outwardly from a base dome face surface. The series of radially-spaced ringed ridges on the central dome portion includes an innermost ringed ridge and an outermost ringed ridge. The outermost ringed ridge on the central dome portion has a radial inner side surface and a radial outer side surface. The radial outer side surface extends below the base dome face surface down to the shoulder portion of the weld face.

公开(公告)号：US10376984B2

公开(公告)日：2019-08-13

申请号：US14673106

申请日：2015-03-30

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David R. Sigler ,  Blair E. Carlson

IPC: B23K103/20 ,  B23K11/20 ,  B23K11/11

Abstract: A method of resistance spot welding a workpiece stack-up that includes a steel workpieces and an aluminum alloy workpiece that overlie and contact one another to establish a faying interface at a weld site is disclosed. The method comprises passing a DC electrical current through the workpiece stack-up at the weld site and causing the current to assume a conical flow pattern. The conical flow pattern has a path of current flow that expands along a direction leading from a first welding electrode in electrical communication with the steel workpiece towards a second welding electrode in electrical communication with the aluminum alloy workpiece.

公开(公告)号：US20190115004A1

公开(公告)日：2019-04-18

申请号：US16213135

申请日：2018-12-07

Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC

Inventor： Anil K. Sachdev ,  Raja K. Mishra ,  Jon T. Carter ,  Tyson W. Brown ,  Blair E. Carlson ,  David R. Sigler ,  Robert N. Saje ,  Matthew P. Simonin

IPC: G10K11/168 ,  B32B15/01 ,  B32B27/08 ,  B32B27/32 ,  B62D25/04 ,  B62D25/10 ,  B60R13/08 ,  B60R7/06 ,  B62D21/00 ,  F16M13/02

Abstract: A panel assembly is formed by a plurality of bonds between two sheet materials in a face to face relationship to form a preform. The plurality of bonds define a closed perimeter region between the two sheet materials and an open perimeter region between the two sheet materials. The preform may be formed into a predefined shape. Pressurized fluid is applied through an inlet into the open perimeter region to expand the preform. The pressurized fluid expands the open perimeter region such that the two sheet materials expand in an opposing direction, thereby defining an expanded open perimeter region. The closed perimeter region between the two sheet materials remains vacant of the pressurized fluid such that the closed perimeter region is not expanded. The expanded open perimeter region is filled with a filler material for improving a performance characteristic of the panel assembly, e.g., strength, sound absorption, or stiffness.

公开(公告)号：US20190105728A1

公开(公告)日：2019-04-11

申请号：US16212147

申请日：2018-12-06

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David R. Sigler ,  James G. Schroth ,  Blair E. Carlson ,  Yelena Myasnikova ,  David Yang

IPC: B23K11/20 ,  B23K11/11 ,  B23K35/02

Abstract: A resistance spot welding method may involve spot welding a workpiece stack-up that includes a steel workpiece and an aluminum alloy workpiece. A pair of opposed welding electrodes are pressed against opposite sides of the workpiece stack-up with one welding electrode contacting the aluminum alloy workpiece and the other welding electrode contacting the steel workpiece. The welding electrodes are constructed so that, when an electrical current is passed between the electrodes and through the workpiece stack-up, the electrical current has a greater current density in the steel workpiece than in the aluminum alloy workpiece to thereby concentrate heat within a smaller zone in the steel workpiece. Concentrating heat within a smaller zone in the steel workpiece is believed to modify the solidification behavior of the resultant molten aluminum alloy weld pool in a desirable way.

公开(公告)号：US10252369B2

公开(公告)日：2019-04-09

申请号：US14792656

申请日：2015-07-07

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David Yang ,  Blair E. Carlson ,  David R. Sigler

IPC: B23K11/00 ,  B23K11/11 ,  B23K11/20 ,  B23K37/00 ,  B23K103/20

Abstract: A workpiece stack-up that includes at least a steel workpiece and an aluminum-based workpiece can be resistance spot welded by a spot welding method in which the welding current is controlled to perform one or more stages of weld joint development. When it is desired to terminate weld current flow and to solidify a liquid weld pool into a weld nugget (of mostly aluminum-based composition), additional cooling is applied to the outer surface of the aluminum-based workpiece around the contact area of the spot welding electrode engaging the surface of the aluminum-based workpiece surface. The additional cooling is applied and controlled so as to increase the rate of solidification of the liquid aluminum-based material and to control the direction of solidification of the weld nugget to better confine impurities, and the like, originally in the melt, at the surface of the steel workpiece.

公开(公告)号：US20170304928A1

公开(公告)日：2017-10-26

申请号：US15492482

申请日：2017-04-20

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David R. Sigler ,  Blair E. Carlson ,  Michael J. Karagoulis

IPC: B23K11/31 ,  B23K11/20 ,  B23K11/11 ,  B23K11/30 ,  B23K11/24 ,  B23K103/20 ,  B23K103/04 ,  B23K103/10

Abstract: A method of resistance spot welding workpiece stack-ups of different combinations of metal workpieces with a single weld gun using the same set of welding electrodes is disclosed. In this method, a set of opposed welding electrodes that include an original shape and oxide-disrupting structural features are used to resistance spot weld at least two of the following types of workpiece stack-ups in a particular sequence: (1) a workpiece stack-up of two or more aluminum workpieces; (2) a workpiece stack-up that includes an aluminum workpiece and an adjacent steel workpiece; and (3) a workpiece stack-up of two or more steel workpieces. The spot welding sequence calls for completing all of the aluminum-to-aluminum spot welds and/or all of the steel-to-steel spot welds last.

公开(公告)号：US09731379B2

公开(公告)日：2017-08-15

申请号：US14592134

申请日：2015-01-08

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David R. Sigler ,  James G. Schroth ,  Xiaohong Q. Gayden ,  Yen-Lung Chen

IPC: B23K20/16 ,  B23K20/02 ,  B23K20/227 ,  B23K20/233 ,  B23K11/11 ,  B23K11/16 ,  B23K11/20 ,  B23K20/10 ,  B23K101/18 ,  B23K103/08 ,  B23K103/10 ,  B23K103/20 ,  B23K101/34 ,  B23K103/04 ,  B23K103/18

CPC classification number: B23K20/16 ,  B23K11/11 ,  B23K11/163 ,  B23K11/20 ,  B23K20/023 ,  B23K20/10 ,  B23K20/2275 ,  B23K20/233 ,  B23K20/2333 ,  B23K20/2336 ,  B23K2101/18 ,  B23K2101/34 ,  B23K2103/04 ,  B23K2103/08 ,  B23K2103/10 ,  B23K2103/15 ,  B23K2103/18 ,  B23K2103/20

Abstract: Aluminum alloy workpieces and/or magnesium alloy workpieces are joined in a solid state weld by use of a reactive material placed, in a suitable form, at the joining surfaces. Joining surfaces of the workpieces are pressed against the interposed reactive material and heated. The reactive material alloys or reacts with the workpiece surfaces consuming some of the surface material in forming a reaction product comprising a low melting liquid that removes oxide films and other surface impediments to a welded bond across the interface. Further pressure is applied to expel the reaction product and to join the workpiece surfaces in a solid state weld bond.

公开(公告)号：US20160346865A1

公开(公告)日：2016-12-01

申请号：US14722563

申请日：2015-05-27

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David R. Sigler ,  Blair E. Carlson ,  Susan M. Smyth ,  John Patrick Spicer

IPC: B23K11/11 ,  B23K11/20 ,  B23K11/18 ,  B23K11/31

CPC classification number: B23K11/115 ,  B23K11/185 ,  B23K11/20 ,  B23K11/312 ,  B23K11/314 ,  B23K2103/04 ,  B23K2103/10 ,  B23K2103/20

Abstract: A method of resistance spot welding workpiece stack-ups of different combinations of steel workpieces and aluminum workpieces includes several steps. In one step, a workpiece stack-up is brought between a first weld gun arm and a second weld gun arm. The first weld gun arm includes a first welding electrode, and the second weld gun arm includes a carrier that supports a second welding electrode and a third welding electrode. Another step involves rotating the carrier and passing electrical current through the workpiece stack-up using the first welding electrode in conjunction with either the second welding electrode or the third welding electrode depending on which electrode has been rotated into facing alignment with the first welding electrode.

Abstract translation: 钢工件和铝工件的不同组合的电阻点焊工件叠层方法包括几个步骤。 在一个步骤中，工件叠置在第一焊枪臂和第二焊枪臂之间。 第一焊枪臂包括第一焊接电极，第二焊枪臂包括支撑第二焊接电极和第三焊接电极的载体。 另一步骤是根据哪个电极已经旋转成与第一焊接电极面对齐，使第一焊接电极与第二焊接电极或第三焊接电极结合，使载体旋转并使电流通过工件叠层。

公开(公告)号：US20150352659A1

公开(公告)日：2015-12-10

申请号：US14724070

申请日：2015-05-28

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David R. Sigler ,  Blair E. Carlson ,  David Yang ,  Hui-Ping Wang

IPC: B23K11/36 ,  B23K11/20 ,  B23K11/11

CPC classification number: B23K11/36 ,  B23K11/115 ,  B23K11/20 ,  B23K2103/20

Abstract: A method of spot welding a workpiece stack-up that includes a steel workpiece and an adjacent aluminum alloy workpiece involves passing an electrical current through the workpieces and between opposed welding electrodes. The formation of a weld joint between the adjacent steel and aluminum alloy workpieces is aided by a cover plate that is located between the aluminum alloy workpiece that lies adjacent to the steel workpiece and the welding electrode disposed on the same side of the workpiece stack-up. The cover plate, which includes an intruding feature, affects the flow pattern and density of the electrical current that passes through the adjacent steel and aluminum alloy workpieces in a way that helps improve the strength of the weld joint.

Abstract translation: 点焊包括钢工件和相邻铝合金工件的工件叠层的方法包括使电流通过工件和相对的焊接电极之间。 在相邻的钢和铝合金工件之间形成焊接接头由位于与钢工件相邻的铝合金工件与设置在工件叠层的同一侧的焊接电极之间的盖板辅助 。 包括入侵特征的盖板以有助于提高焊接接头的强度的方式影响穿过相邻钢和铝合金工件的电流的流动模式和密度。