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<p>Resistance spot welding (RSW) is the predominant joining technique in automotive body-in-white manufacturing, and the severe thermal cycles imposed during welding significantly influence the microstructure and mechanical behavior of advanced high-strength steels. In this work, the response of a third-generation quenching and partitioning steel grade QP1180 to representative RSW heat-affected zone (HAZ) thermal cycles was investigated through an integrated approach combining physical simulation with conventional RSW experiments. Representative thermal cycles of the upper-critical (UCHAZ), intercritical (ICHAZ), and sub-critical (SCHAZ) regions were reproduced using physical simulation approach with a Gleeble® thermomechanical simulator. To achieve the extremely high heating and cooling rates characteristic of RSW, a dedicated notched specimen geometry was designed and optimized via a transient thermo-electrical finite element model. The optimized geometry was subsequently validated experimentally, confirming the accurate reproduction of the target RSW thermal cycles in the physical simulation tests. Microstructural evolution was characterized by light optical and scanning electron microscopy, and the local mechanical response was evaluated through microhardness measurements correlated with peak temperature. To relate local HAZ behavior to structural performance, resistance spot-welded joints were produced under industrial conditions consistent with the simulated thermal cycles and mechanically tested by shear tensile and cross-tensile configurations. In addition, metallographic and hardness analyses were performed on real welded joints for comparison with the simulated results, although the inherent complexity of the welding process limits a direct point-by-point correlation between local thermal history and resulting properties, which can instead be effectively achieved through physical simulation. The results establish a direct processing–microstructure–property–performance relationship for resistance spot-welded QP1180 steel and highlight the engineering relevance of the hardness–peak temperature correlation for interpreting welding thermal history and joint performance, while demonstrating the capability of the proposed physical simulation approach to support and enhance the interpretation of experimental observations on real welded joints.</p>

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Effects of Resistance Spot Welding HAZ Thermal Cycles on a Third-Generation Quenching and Partitioning Steel: An Integrated Approach via Physical Simulation and Industrial Welding Validation

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月3日

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  • Maria Emanuela Palmieri,
  • Cesare Marco Puro,
  • Michele Maria Tedesco,
  • Giuseppe Macoretta,
  • Matteo Villa,
  • Luigi Tricarico

摘要

Resistance spot welding (RSW) is the predominant joining technique in automotive body-in-white manufacturing, and the severe thermal cycles imposed during welding significantly influence the microstructure and mechanical behavior of advanced high-strength steels. In this work, the response of a third-generation quenching and partitioning steel grade QP1180 to representative RSW heat-affected zone (HAZ) thermal cycles was investigated through an integrated approach combining physical simulation with conventional RSW experiments. Representative thermal cycles of the upper-critical (UCHAZ), intercritical (ICHAZ), and sub-critical (SCHAZ) regions were reproduced using physical simulation approach with a Gleeble® thermomechanical simulator. To achieve the extremely high heating and cooling rates characteristic of RSW, a dedicated notched specimen geometry was designed and optimized via a transient thermo-electrical finite element model. The optimized geometry was subsequently validated experimentally, confirming the accurate reproduction of the target RSW thermal cycles in the physical simulation tests. Microstructural evolution was characterized by light optical and scanning electron microscopy, and the local mechanical response was evaluated through microhardness measurements correlated with peak temperature. To relate local HAZ behavior to structural performance, resistance spot-welded joints were produced under industrial conditions consistent with the simulated thermal cycles and mechanically tested by shear tensile and cross-tensile configurations. In addition, metallographic and hardness analyses were performed on real welded joints for comparison with the simulated results, although the inherent complexity of the welding process limits a direct point-by-point correlation between local thermal history and resulting properties, which can instead be effectively achieved through physical simulation. The results establish a direct processing–microstructure–property–performance relationship for resistance spot-welded QP1180 steel and highlight the engineering relevance of the hardness–peak temperature correlation for interpreting welding thermal history and joint performance, while demonstrating the capability of the proposed physical simulation approach to support and enhance the interpretation of experimental observations on real welded joints.