A method of resistance spot welding a workpiece stack-up that includes a steel workpiece and an aluminum workpiece includes adhering an aluminum patch to faying surface of a steel workpiece, positioning an aluminum workpiece over the aluminum patch and the steel workpiece to assemble a workpiece stack-up, passing an electric current through the workpiece stack-up to create a molten aluminum weld pool, and terminating passage of the electric current to solidify the molten aluminum weld pool into a weld joint that bonds the steel and aluminum workpieces together through the aluminum patch. A workpiece stack-up having a weld joint that bonds an aluminum workpiece and a steel workpiece together through an aluminum patch is also disclosed. The weld joint establishes a bonding interface with the faying surface of the steel workpiece, and the aluminum patch is adhered to the faying surface of the steel workpiece around the weld joint.

A method of resistance spot welding a workpiece stack-up that includes a steel workpiece and an aluminum workpiece includes adhering an aluminum patch to faying surface of a steel workpiece, positioning an aluminum workpiece over the aluminum patch and the steel workpiece to assemble a workpiece stack-up, passing an electric current through the workpiece stack-up to create a molten aluminum weld pool, and terminating passage of the electric current to solidify the molten aluminum weld pool into a weld joint that bonds the steel and aluminum workpieces together through the aluminum patch. A workpiece stack-up having a weld joint that bonds an aluminum workpiece and a steel workpiece together through an aluminum patch is also disclosed. The weld joint establishes a bonding interface with the faying surface of the steel workpiece, and the aluminum patch is adhered to the faying surface of the steel workpiece around the weld joint.

Device (10) for manufacturing a component compound by resistance welding, comprises a welding electrode (12) for transmitting an electric current to a joining element (17) and for exerting a joining force onto the joining element (17) along a joining direction (22) in order to establish a connection of the joining element (17) with a structural element by resistance welding; as well as a positioning device (20) for positioning at least one joining element (17) on the axis of the joining direction (22) in order to contact and particularly apply a force to the joining element (17) by means of the welding electrode (12). The positioning device (20) comprises a retention device (30) for exerting a retention force onto the joining element (17), wherein the retention device (30) is movably arranged.

Device (10) for manufacturing a component compound by resistance welding, comprises a welding electrode (12) for transmitting an electric current to a joining element (17) and for exerting a joining force onto the joining element (17) along a joining direction (22) in order to establish a connection of the joining element (17) with a structural element by resistance welding; as well as a positioning device (20) for positioning at least one joining element (17) on the axis of the joining direction (22) in order to contact and particularly apply a force to the joining element (17) by means of the welding electrode (12). The positioning device (20) comprises a retention device (30) for exerting a retention force onto the joining element (17), wherein the retention device (30) is movably arranged.

A transition structure includes a metallic portion, a fiber portion including a plurality of tows embedded within the metallic portion and extending out from the metallic portion forming a fabric, and a binding material forming a matrix surrounding the fiber portion embedded within the metallic portion. The fiber portion may be attached to or form part of a composite vehicle component. The transition structure may join a metallic component and a composite component. The transition structure may be manufactured by creating first channels within a layer of a metallic substrate, inserting fiber tows into the first channels, placing a first metallic layer over the metallic substrate and the fiber tows, consolidating the metallic layer to the metallic substrate, and binding the fiber tows within a resin. Prior to binding, additional layers of channels and fiber tows may be consolidated onto the first metallic layer.

An electrically conductive tip member includes: an inner periphery portion including a Cu matrix phase and a second phase that is dispersed in the Cu matrix phase and contains a Cu—Zr-based compound, the inner periphery portion having an alloy composition of Cu-xZr (where x is the atomic percentage of Zr and satisfies 0.5≤x≤16.7); and an outer periphery portion that is present on an outer circumferential side of the inner periphery portion, made of a metal containing Cu, and has higher electrical conductivity than the inner periphery portion.

A spot welded joint of at least two steel sheets is provided. At least one of the steel sheets presents yield strength above or equal to 600 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength above or equal to 1000 MPa, uniform elongation above or equal to 15%. The base metal chemical composition includes 0.05≤C≤0.21%, 4.0≤Mn≤7.0%, 0.5≤Al≤3.5%, Si≤2.0%, Ti≤0.2%, V≤0.2%, Nb≤0.2%, P≤0.025%, B≤0.0035%, and the spot welded joint contains a molten zone microstructure containing more than 0.5% of Al and containing a surface fraction of segregated areas lower than 1%, said segregated areas being zones larger than 20 μm.sup.2 and containing more than the steel nominal phosphorus content.

A spot welded joint of at least two steel sheets is provided. At least one of the steel sheets presents yield strength above or equal to 600 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength above or equal to 1000 MPa, uniform elongation above or equal to 15%. The base metal chemical composition includes 0.05≤C≤0.21%, 4.0≤Mn≤7.0%, 0.5≤Al≤3.5%, Si≤2.0%, Ti≤0.2%, V≤0.2%, Nb≤0.2%, P≤0.025%, B≤0.0035%, and the spot welded joint contains a molten zone microstructure containing more than 0.5% of Al and containing a surface fraction of segregated areas lower than 1%, said segregated areas being zones larger than 20 μm.sup.2 and containing more than the steel nominal phosphorus content.

A method for resistance spot welding comprising the following successive steps: —providing at least two steel sheets with thickness (th) comprised between 0.5 and 3 mm, at least one of the sheets being a zinc or zinc-alloy coated steel sheet (A) with a tensile strength (TS) higher than 800 MPa and a total elongation (TEL) such as (TS)×(TEL)>14000 MPa %, wherein the composition of the steel substrate of (A) contains, in weight: 0.05%≤C≤0.4%, 0.3%≤Mn≤8%, 0.010%≤Al≤3%, 0.010%≤Si≤2.09%, with 0.5%≤(Si+Al)≤3.5%, 0.001%≤Cr≤1.0%, 0.001%≤Mo≤0.5% and optionally: 0.005%≤Nb≤0.1%, 0.005%≤V≤0.2%, 0.005%≤Ti≤0.1%, 0.0003%≤B≤0.005%, 0.001%≤Ni≤1.0%, the remainder being Fe and unavoidable impurities, —performing resistance spot welding of the at least two steel sheets for producing a weld with an indentation depth (IDepth) on the surface of said steel sheet (A) such as: 100 μm≤(IDepth)≤18.68 (Zn.sub.sol)−55.1, wherein (IDepth) is in micrometers and wherein Zn.sub.sol is the solubility of Zn in the steel of sheet (A) at 750° C., in weight %.

Proposed is a resistance spot welding method to join parts to be welded which are a plurality of overlapping metal sheets, including: dividing a current pattern into two or more steps for welding; before actual welding, performing test welding; and subsequently, as actual welding, performing adaptive control welding, in which the two or more steps for welding include a step of securing a current path between the sheets directly below the electrodes and a subsequent step of forming a nugget having a predetermined diameter, and a welding interval time is provided between these steps. This method thus yields a good nugget without causing splashing even under special welding conditions.