Spot Welding has been integral to the industrial sector since 1925, and it’s paramount importance is further highlighted by the fact that it accounts for a whopping 23% of welding operations in factories today. This powerful welding process has led to a revolution in the way parts and components and even entire products are put together.
Spot Welding is increasingly becoming the go-to method for joining thin sheets of material with accurate and repeatable results. It is a process whereby two joined pieces of metal are touched together and current flows across a welding area; creating a strong connection between them. This connection is strong enough to ensure that the metal sheets stay together even under the toughest of conditions.
Spot Welding can be used on a wide range of materials such as steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and various metal alloys. But why is this welding process so effective and efficient? To truly understand the power of Spot Welding, let’s dive a bit deeper.
What is Spot Welding?
Spot welding is a popular industrial process of welding sheet metals together in order to create a lasting connection between them.It is a specialized form of resistance spot welding, much like the welding process used in arc welding that transfers energy from one surface to the other. Spot welding is often used in the automotive industry, but is also used for a variety of other metalworking applications.
How does spot welding work?
Spot welding is a form of resistance welding, so it works by applying pressure from two electrodes onto the surface of the metal that is to be joined. The electrodes act as a medium for transfer of electric current between the two sheets of metal.
The electric current creates an electrical arch that melts and fuses the materials together.
Advantages of Spot Welding
Spot welding has some major advantages when it comes to joining sheet metals:- It is a much faster process than traditional welding or soldering, making it invaluable in many industrial applications.
- The formation of the weld is very consistent, and produces very few defects in the finished product.
- It is one of the cheapest and most efficient methods of connecting sheets of metal.
- The solid state connection formed by spot welding is extremely strong and durable.
- The process is relatively easy to learn and does not require any special protective gear.
Disadvantages of Spot Welding
Spot welding also has some drawbacks:- It is limited to welding sheets that are no thicker than 3mm (1/8 inch).
- The process is simply not able to create enough heat to weld heavier metals.
- The welds created by spot welding can be difficult to inspect or verify for quality control.
- It is not a suitable process for welding metals that have different melting points.