Effect of Forging Force on Fatigue Behavior of Spot Welded Joints of Aluminum Alloy 5182

Using experimental and finite element analysis methods, the effects of electrode forging force are investigated on fatigue behavior and residual stress of spot welded joints of aluminum alloy 5182. Results show that applying forging force significantly reduces the residual stresses in the heat affected zone and the fatigue cracks no longer initiate from there; instead, all cracks begin from the nugget edge. In addition, the mitigation of residual stress by forging force decreases the driving force for crack propagation and leads to longer fatigue life. It can be concluded that applying forging force appropriately has a positive effect on the fatigue strength of resistance spot welded joints.