Effect of Coating Layer on Advanced Stud Welding of 2024 Aluminum Alloy to Galvanized and Galvannealed Steel Sheet

High strength 2024 aluminum alloy studs were joined to galvanized, galvannealed and non-coated steel sheets by using an advanced stud welding method. Effect of the coating layer on the interfacial microstructure and the tensile fracture load of the joints were evaluated. A specially-designed stud having a circular projection at its bottom was pressed against a sheet surface. A discharge current was introduced from the upper part of the stud. Local heating could be achieved by a high current density at a contact point between the projection and sheet. The observation of joint area revealed the projection was severely deformed and spread along the sheet surface. The coating layer of the galvanized steel sheet was removed at the joint interface under the charging voltage of 200 V, while that of the galvannealed one locally remained on the steel surface even at 400 V. This would be strongly related to the melting or liquidus and solidus temperatures of each coating layer. Joining was not achieved at a low charging voltage in the non-coated and galvannealed steel sheets, while high tensile fracture load was obtained even at 200 V in the galvanized ones.