“Microstructural and Mechanical Investigation of Resistance Spot Welded DP600, TRIP780 and MS980 Steel Joints”

Abstract

The Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) (including Dual Phase (DP600), Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP780) and Martensitic Steel (MS980) seem to have all the qualities desired by the automotive industry - high strength, enhanced crash performance and better fuel economy. The most widely used technique to weld automotive bodies is body structures made of such steels. This welding process, however, has an important effect on the development of the microstructure and mechanical properties of the welds. targeted TRIP780 and MS980 steels. Shear in tension properties of the materials while optical and scanning electron microscopy were carried out to analyse the microstructures. heat input nugget formation, nugget HAZ characteristic and strength of the welded joints. The superior energy absorption properties were found in TRIP780 materials while the high hardness values were obtained in MS980 materials by the presence of martensitic microstructures in these materials. The findings are important for deciding the best parameters for welding in order to obtain better performance of joints for automotive applications.