Equipment setup and selection of welding parameters
Equipment:
- To set up your equipment, follow the equipment manufacturer's instructions.
- Select the correct electrode holders (as short as possible).
- Carefully align the position of the electrode holders and tips.
- The tips of the electrodes should be convex (roughly shape with a file, refine the shape with a grinding tool).
Body:
- Make sure that the flanges to be connected are perfectly aligned with each other.
- Prepare a clean metal surface at the joint (inside and outside).
Notes on methodology/technology:
- Perform a test weld on a sample of material coated with welding paste.
- If there are any metal elements between the electrode holders, this will result in a decrease in induction and therefore a loss of power (adjust the current settings).
- High strength low alloy steel requires power adjustment.
- Re-welding over old weld sites often results in poor weld quality.
- Keep the electrode tips at an angle to the contact surface as close to 90° as possible.
- Maintain pressure on the electrodes for a short period of time after welding is completed.
- Electrodes work best if they have a convex shape. Clean the contact surface of the electrodes regularly.
Contact spot welding is used on panels with a thickness of at least 3 mm.
Welding equipment used for body repair on modern Land Rover vehicles must be capable of reliably welding galvanised high-strength steel panels consisting of three or more layers with a total thickness of up to 5 mm. If resistance welding equipment does not meet these requirements, plug welding must be used for safety reasons. The electrical specifications (current, resistance, heat) of resistance spot welding equipment vary depending on the type of equipment. Therefore, it is important to follow the equipment manufacturer's instructions for the actual welding process characteristics.
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