influence of surface pretreatment in resistance spot welding of aluminum aa1050

Resistance spot welding (RSW) of aluminum alloys implies a major problem of inconsistent quality from weld to weld due to problems of varying thickness of the oxide layer. The high resistivity of oxide layer causes strong heat development, which has significant influence on electrode life and weld quality. An experimental study of the influence of pretreatment on weld quality in RSW of AA1050 sheets with three thicknesses, comparing welding of as-received sheet with pretreated sheet by either pickling in NaOH or glass-blasting were investigated. Different weld settings were applied with low-, medium-, and high-energy inputs. The as-received sheet showed higher electrical contact resistance because of thicker oxide layer. Lower values were noticed with pickled surfaces, whereas the lowest electrical contact resistance was obtained when glass blasting, resulting in the roughest surface topography, which facilitated breakdown the oxide layer. Highest strength and smaller scatter in strength were obtained by pickling in NaOH.