Method for joining an aluminum component to a steel component using a welded rivet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024051060-A1
Application number	US-202217887956-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 15, 2022
Priority date	Aug 15, 2022
Publication date	Feb 15, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for welding includes arranging an aluminum component including a cavity adjacent to a steel component; and using a weld tool including an electrode and arms configured to engage a rivet, arranging the rivet in the cavity in contact with the steel component. A volume of a portion of the rivet located above of the cavity is approximately equal to an annular volume between a stem of the rivet and an inner surface of the cavity. The method includes applying pressure on the rivet using the electrode; and applying current to the electrode to weld the rivet in the cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for welding comprising:
arranging an aluminum component including a cavity adjacent to a steel component; using a weld tool including an electrode and arms configured to engage a rivet, arranging the rivet in the cavity in contact with the steel component, wherein a volume of a portion of the rivet located above of the cavity is approximately equal to an annular volume between a stem of the rivet and an inner surface of the cavity; applying pressure on the rivet using the electrode; and applying current to the electrode to weld the rivet in the cavity.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after a first predetermined period after applying current to the electrode, retracting the arms of the weld tool; and continuing to apply current to the electrode for a second predetermined period after the first predetermined period.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first predetermined period comprises 1/10 to ⅕ of a total period including the first predetermined period and the second predetermined period.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising after applying pressure on the rivet using the electrode and before applying current, retracting the arms of the weld tool.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the rivet includes a coating on a head of the rivet in contact with the electrode of the weld tool, wherein the coating reduces a resistance between the electrode and the head of the rivet.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a resistance between the electrode and the rivet is less than a resistance between the rivet and the steel component.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the rivet is made of carbon coated steel with an ultimate tensile strength in a predetermined range between 1000 MPa and 1500 MPa.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum component comprises an Al body side outer (BSO) and the steel component comprises a body in white (BIW) support structure.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the steel component comprises a material selected from a group consisting of aluminum-silicon (Al—Si) coated press hardened steel and advanced high strength steel (AHSS) having a tensile strength greater than 980 MPa.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
a head of the rivet has a frustoconical shape and the stem is cylindrical; and sides of the head of the rivet form an angle in a range from 30° to 60° relative to sides of the stem.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an end of the electrode that contacts the rivet is larger than a diameter of a head of the rivet.

12 . A method for welding comprising:
arranging an aluminum component including a cavity adjacent to a steel component; using a weld tool including an electrode and arms configured to engage a head of a rivet, arranging the rivet in the cavity in contact with the steel component, wherein the head of the rivet has a frustoconical shape and a stem of the rivet has a cylindrical shape, wherein sides of the head of the rivet form an angle in a range from 30° to 60° relative to sides of the stem, wherein a volume of the rivet is approximately equal to a volume in the cavity, wherein a head of the rivet in contact with the electrode of the weld tool includes a coating to reduce a resistance between the electrode and the head of the rivet; applying pressure on the rivet using the electrode; and applying current to the electrode to weld the rivet in the cavity.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
after a first predetermined period after applying current to the electrode, retracting the arms of the weld tool; and continuing to apply current to the electrode for a second predetermined period after the first predetermined period.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first predetermined period comprises 1/10 to ⅕ of a total period including the first predetermined period and the second predetermined period.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising after applying pressure on the rivet using the electrode and before applying current, retracting the arms of the weld tool.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein a resistance between the electrode and the rivet is less than a resistance between the rivet and the steel component.

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the rivet is made of carbon coated steel with an ultimate tensile strength in a predetermined range between 1000 MPa and 1500 MPa.

18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the aluminum component comprises an Al body side outer (BSO) and the steel component comprises a body in white (BIW) support structure.

19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the steel component comprises a material selected from a group consisting of an aluminum-silicon (Al—Si) coated press hardened steel and an advanced high strength steel (AHSS) having a tensile strength greater than 980 MPa.

20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein an end of the electrode that contacts the rivet is larger than a diameter of the head of the rivet.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Carlson Blair E
• Ghassemi-Armaki Hassan

Classifications

• B23K11/0066 Primary

  Riveting · CPC title

• B23K11/20

  of different metals · CPC title

• B23K11/11

  Spot welding · CPC title

• B23K2101/18

  Sheet panels · CPC title

• B23K2103/20

  Ferrous alloys and aluminium or alloys thereof · CPC title