Different failure modes were observed for the two types of joints during fatigue life assessment. RSW joints exhibited higher tensile-shear strength with greater scatter compared to SPR joints, whereas SPR joints showed significantly improved fatigue life. Static and dynamic (fatigue) testing of joints was performed at optimized conditions and compared. Similarly, a narrow optimal current range of 0.75 kA was optimized for RSW of steel sheets. SPR was optimized in terms of joint characteristics such as rivet head height, interlock distance, and remaining bottom sheet thickness. Two widely used galvanized steels, CR340 and CR210, were selected for the study.
The current work compares the joinability of dissimilar galvanized steels performed through SPR and RSW, which poses challenges during conventional RSW. Self-piercing riveting (SPR) and resistance spot welding (RSW) are widely used spot joining methods in the automotive sector, with the former in developmental mode.
