What is resistance spot welding and how does it work?
Resistance (spot) welding is a method of joining metal parts using heat generated by an electric current at the contact point. Parts are compressed by electrodes, through which a high‑current pulse is passed – the metal melts and forms a weld nugget. The method is fast, economical, and requires no filler material.
What products is resistance welding used for?
Resistance welding is widely used in the manufacture of metal enclosures, switchgear, brackets, supports, gratings, and mesh. It is a standard method for joining thin sheet metal (0.5 to 3 mm) in serial production where high operation speed is required.
Which metals does resistance welding work with?
Resistance welding is most effective for carbon steel and galvanized sheet. It is also applicable for stainless steel and aluminum – with properly adjusted current and pressure parameters. Not recommended for copper and copper alloys due to their high electrical conductivity.
What are the advantages of resistance welding over other types?
Main advantages: high speed (one spot in fractions of a second), no consumables (wire, gas, electrodes), minimal part deformation, good surface quality of the joint without visible seams. Ideal for serial production of thin‑sheet metal parts.
What is the strength of a resistance spot weld?
The strength of a weld nugget depends on the nugget diameter (determined by current and pulse time), metal thickness and grade, and distance between spots. With properly set parameters, joint strength is comparable to that of the base metal. Spot locations are indicated in the drawing or agreed with our process engineers.
Can you resistance‑weld parts of different thicknesses?
Yes, but with limitations: the optimal thickness ratio of the sheets being joined is no more than 1:3. With a larger difference, nugget quality deteriorates because current distribution becomes uneven. In such cases, we recommend considering MIG/MAG or TIG welding as alternatives.
How does resistance welding fit into the full enclosure production cycle?
In our production, resistance welding is used as one of the stages in manufacturing metal enclosures and structures – after bending and before finishing operations (cleaning, painting). Having several welding types in‑house allows us to choose the optimal method for each assembly component.
