Papers by Author: Martin Thornton

Abstract: A study was carried out to investigate the effect of governing metal thickness (GMT) on weld quality and strength of resistance spot welded (RSW) AA5754 aluminium. Quasi-static joint strengths were evaluated for 27 different joint stack-ups in three test geometries: lap-shear, coachpeel and cross-tension; whilst micro examination was conducted on some of the samples to assess weld quality. The results derived from over 1000 samples show the importance of GMT and its various effects: the GMT has a significant effect on welding quality and joint strength by controlling the attainable weld diameter, regardless of stack-ups; depending on loading conditions, its effect may differ.

Abstract: The increased application of lightweight materials, such as aluminium has triggered many investigations into new joining techniques for aluminium alloys. The Resistance Spot Welding concept for aluminium has always attracted many researchers from different organizations. Self-piercing riveting is the major production process used to join aluminium sheet body structures for the automotive industry. Mean while, interest in laser welding and application as a candidate for joining aluminium is also growing. These key technologies for aluminium assembly are therefore being investigated by the research team at the University Of Warwick. The paper reported here looks at the feasibility of each process for joining thin gauge aluminium and compares the mechanical behavior for each joint type. The results suggested that all three joining technologies are feasible for joining aluminum and their mechanical behaviour is strongly dependent on the selection of process parameters