SORPAS® 3D.welding has been developed on the basis of successful applications of SORPAS® 2D.welding on the same concept with easy-to-use graphic user interface (GUI) and straightforward functions for industrial applications of resistance welding. It is now possible to simulate complex and challenging applications of resistance welding.
SORPAS® 3D Input Wizard has been specially designed for quickly building and operating 3D models, setting up welding parameters, programming movements of electrodes and workpieces similar to a production assembly line of resistance welding.
Any industrial users and welding professionals can learn SORPAS® 3D quickly and use it easily.To the right is a screenshot of the GUI with the step of Input Wizard for building 3D models.
SORPAS® 3D shares the material database and machine database with SORPAS® 2D. Two new libraries have been developed for storing and loading 3D models of hexahedral mesh objects for electrodes and workpieces.
Industrial Applications of SORPAS® 3D welding
Our goal with SORPAS® 3D.welding is to facilitate and support research and development, product design, and welding process optimization. SORPAS® 3D.welding can be used for simulation of complex welding applications such as multiple welds, projection welding, electrode misalignment and rotational movement in seam welding.
Below are some examples of SORPAS® 3D.welding simulations.
Multiple welds (Shunt effect)
Resistance spot welding is commonly used for the assembly of larger sheet metal components with multiple welds. When spot welding is made one after another, the weld current for a new weld partly passes through the previously welded spot welds. Due to this current loss, the nugget size of the new weld will be slightly reduced. This is the shunt effect. The amount of current loss depends on the distance of the new weld from the welded points.
Spot welding with the gap
It is quite common during welding production, that there may be a gap between sheets before starting spot welding, mainly due to the process tolerances in the preceding stamping process, stamping, or sheet forming. This will need special process parameter settings to close the gap, for example,
- to prolong the squeeze time
- to increase the electrode force
- to use a preheating pulse
Electrode misalignment
Due to mounting errors or elastic deflection of the weld gun during spot welding, the electrodes are quite often not perfectly aligned to each other. The electrodes may be tilted with a small angle to each other or maybe offside with a small distance between the contacting centers of the two electrodes. The electrode alignment may produce irregular weld nuggets or cause severe expulsions (spatter, splash).
Battery tab welding
The rapid increasing production of electric vehicles (EVs) demands faster manufacturing of more battery packs. Among different joining methods, resistance welding is the most cost-effective method for battery tab welding and can also be easily automated for mass production.
Hot staking (fusing)
Hot staking (fusing) is commonly used in the electronics industry for producing electrical connections with single or multiple wires. This process can be simulated with SORPAS® 3D to support design and optimize process parameters.
Resistance brazing
In this process the base metals remain solid but the brazing alloy is melted to make the joint. For joining high conductive materials, tungsten electrodes are often used to generate more heat in electrodes then transfer to the joint interface.
3D simulation of spot welding and weld strength testing in one go
It is also possible to continue with SORPAS® 3D.testing after completing the welding simulation with SORPAS® 3D.welding. This has made SORPAS® 3D the only software system with simulation of welding process and subsequent weld strength testing with failure mode prediction all in one go.