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Evaluating spot welds of dissimilar metals via integrated mechanical testing and finite element modeling
Authors:
Kamal Abdulkareem Mohammed1
, Ahmed Ali Farhan Ogaili1
, Abdul Wahab A. Taha1
,
Ahmed Mohsin Alsayah2
1Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad 10052, Iraq
2Refrigeration & Air-condition Department, Technical Engineering College, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq
Received: 12 February 2025
Revised: 1 March 2025
Accepted: 18 March 2025
Published: 30 June 2025
Abstract:
Updated note (2026-01-28): Due to a technical error, reference 14 has been replaced with a new reference, as it was a duplicate.
This study investigates resistance spot welding of dissimilar materials, namely 37.2 carbon steel, 304 stainless steel, and commercial aluminium. The effect of welding parameters on nugget growth, tensile shear strength, and failure modes in various material combinations was investigated using a combined experimental and finite element modeling (FEM) approach. Experimental studies included a welding current range (5-15 kA) and time range (10-30 cycles), complemented by tensile testing and hardness measurements. It was observed that Carbon Steel-Stainless Steel (CS-SS) joints achieved the highest strength (9.5 kN at 9 kA), while aluminium-containing joints exhibited lower strengths but required higher optimal currents. Hardness profiles showed extensive variations across weld zones, particularly for aluminium-steel joints. Failure mode analysis showed a prevalence of pullout failures for CS-SS joints, in contrast to more interfacial failures in aluminium-steel combinations. A finite element model was developed and validated against experimental data, showing excellent predictive capability for nugget size and joint strength (R²>0.96). This study contributes to the development of dissimilar material welding by providing new insights into parameter optimization, failure mechanisms, and industrial application, particularly for automotive and aerospace industries.
Keywords:
Dissimilar Metals, Tensile shear strength, Failure modes, Finite element analysis, Welding parameters
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© 2025 by the authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Volume 11
Number 1
March 2026
Last Edition
Volume 11
Number 1
March 2026
How to Cite
K. Abdulkareem Mohammed, A.A.F. Ogaili, A.W. A. Taha, A.M. Alsayah, Evaluating Spot Welds of Dissimilar Metals via Integrated Mechanical Testing and Finite Element Modeling. Applied Engineering Letters, 10(2), 2025: 77-89.
https://doi.org/10.46793/aeletters.2025.10.2.2
More Citation Formats
Abdulkareem Mohammed, K., Ogaili, A.A.F., Taha, A.W. A., & Alsayah, A.M. (2025). Evaluating Spot Welds of Dissimilar Metals via Integrated Mechanical Testing and Finite Element Modeling. Applied Engineering Letters, 10(2), 77-89.
https://doi.org/10.46793/aeletters.2025.10.2.2
Abdulkareem Mohammed, Kamal, et al. “Evaluating Spot Welds of Dissimilar Metals via Integrated Mechanical Testing and Finite Element Modeling.“ Applied Engineering Letters, vol. 10, no. 2, 2025, pp. 77-89.
https://doi.org/10.46793/aeletters.2025.10.2.2
Abdulkareem Mohammed, Kamal, Ahmed Ali Farhan Ogaili, Abdul Wahab A. Taha, and Ahmed Mohsin Alsayah. 2025. “Evaluating Spot Welds of Dissimilar Metals via Integrated Mechanical Testing and Finite Element Modeling.“ Applied Engineering Letters, 10 (2): 77-89.
https://doi.org/10.46793/aeletters.2025.10.2.2
Abdulkareem Mohammed, K., Ogaili, A.A.F., Taha, A.W. A., and Alsayah, A.M. (2025). Evaluating Spot Welds of Dissimilar Metals via Integrated Mechanical Testing and Finite Element Modeling. Applied Engineering Letters, 10(2), pp. 77-89.
doi: 10.46793/aeletters.2025.10.2.2.