An iron rivet including a head and a shank, an aluminum plate, an iron plate, and first and second electrodes are prepared. A sandwiching step of sandwiching the rivet, the aluminum plate, and the iron plate between the first electrode and the second electrode, a penetration step of performing pressurization and current application by the first and second electrodes so that the shank penetrates through the aluminum plate, and a forming step of performing pressurization and current application by the first and second electrodes so that a nugget is formed between the shank and the iron plate are included. In the penetration step, the pressurization and current application is performed while air is blown to a side face of the shank so that the air hits a region around a boundary between the shank and the aluminum plate.

A pierce metal includes a head and a shaft. The shaft is configured to penetrate through an aluminum die-cast member with a protruded tip surface of the shaft being exposed from the aluminum die-cast member, and an outer peripheral surface of the shaft is configured to come into contact with a through-hole of the aluminum die-cast member, upon joining the aluminum die-cast member and the iron-based member together. The head and the iron-based member in contact with the protruded tip surface are configured to be held under pressure and applied with electric power by weld electrodes to perform spot welding of the protruded tip surface and the iron-based member, upon joining the aluminum die-cast member and the iron-based member together. The outer peripheral surface includes a non-contact part configured to come into non-contact with the through-hole in a state in which the shaft is penetrated through the aluminum die-cast member.

A method of joining a multiple member work-piece includes providing a first steel work-piece having a first electrical resistivity and a second steel work-piece having a second electrical resistivity that is lower than the first electrical resistivity. A third material is disposed in contact with the second steel work-piece. The third material has an electrical resistivity that is greater than the second electrical resistivity. The method includes resistance welding the first and second work-pieces together. The third material may be in the form of a rivet, a third work-piece, or a coating material disposed between the first and second work-pieces. A bonded assembly includes steel members and a third material being bonded together, wherein the electrical resistivity of the second member is lower than the electrical resistivity of the first member, and the third material has an electrical resistivity that is greater than the electrical resistivity of the second member.

A coupling device couples, using a coupling member, a first plate of a first metal to a second plate of a second metal. A power source is connected to first and second electrodes. A driver moves the first and second electrodes relative to the coupling member and the first and second plates. A controller controls the power source and the driver to electrify the coupling member and the first and second plates under pressure. The coupling member includes a third metal approximately identical to the second metal. The first metal has a melting point lower than melting points of the second and third metals. The coupling member includes a pilot portion that is located about a center of a flat surface of a body of the coupling member and that protrudes in an extending direction. The flat surface has discharge grooves radially extending from the pilot portion.

A hybrid electrode for resistance spot welding and a method of resistance welding are provided. The hybrid electrode comprises a pin and a collar member. The pin comprises an electrically conductive material and a pin contact surface. The collar member comprises a material that is at least one of less electrically conductive than the electrically conductive material of the pin and less thermally conductive than the electrically conductive material of the pin. The collar member comprises a collar member contact surface, and defines an inner cavity and a longitudinal axis. The pin is at least partially disposed in the inner cavity and the pin contact surface extends away from the collar member and is offset a distance along the longitudinal axis from the collar member contact surface.

A coupling device is configured to, using a coupling member, couple a first plate made of a first metal and a second plate made of a second metal to each other, and includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a power source, a driver, and a controller. The power source is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode. The driver is configured to move the first electrode and the second electrode relative to the coupling member, the first plate, and the second plate. The controller is configured to control the power source and the driver to electrify the coupling member, the first plate, and the second plate while controlling the first electrode and the second electrode to apply pressure to the coupling member, the first plate, and the second plate.

A method enables the assembly of a first part and of a second part via an insert including a head intended to bear on the first part and a body including an end portion intended to be welded to the second part. The method includes, before fastening of the end portion of the body of the insert on the second part, a step of conforming the first or the second part so as to form a decoupling area around this end portion.

An apparatus of a setting welding device for an auxiliary joining part with a head and a shaft, includes a linear drive fastenable at the setting device and including an element nest at a movable end, in which an auxiliary joining part is releasably receivable from a transfer unit. The element nest is movable by the linear drive in a first direction. The element nest is supported in a floating manner, and is positionable via a mechanical stop alignment in abutment with an electrode punch in the joining direction below the electrode punch. And/or the element nest is connected with the linear drive via a mechanical direction-changing coupling component so that the element nest is movable by the linear drive in a second direction so that the auxiliary joining part is positionable at the joining location, wherein the second direction is not parallel to the first direction.

An aluminum plate (103) is overlaid on a steel plate (102). A distal end (113) of a button component (101) is pushed in from the obverse surface side of the aluminum plate (103), and the distal end (113) is abutted against the steel plate (102) by applying a first pressure to the button component (101) made of steel without heating. The distal end (113) of the button component (101) and the steel plate (102) are welded by resistance spot welding while applying a second pressure lower than the first pressure to the button component (101).

This insert (1) comprises: a head portion (2) comprising a docking face (20) configured to receive a welding electrode and a bearing surface (22) configured to come to bear on the first part (100) in order to keep the first part (100) assembled to the second part (200), a body portion (4) intended to be inserted into the first part (100), comprising a welding surface (40) configured to be welded to the second part (200), the body portion (4) having a cross section smaller than that of the head portion (2), and thermal decoupling means extending around the body portion (4) to prevent heat released by the body portion (4) from being transmitted to the first part (100) during the welding operation.