Development of flash butt welding monitor for improvement of quality control in production of steel car wheels

Abstract

An investigation was conducted to identify the defects occurring in steel car wheels for an automotive component manufacturer. That work led to the development of the present flash butt welding (FBW) monitor. The FBW monitor acquires the weld current, voltage, and electrode displacement during the production of a wheel and compares measurements with preset values to determine the integrity of the weld. In addition to checking the weld parameters, the monitor statistically analyses the characteristic of every electrical cycle of the weld current and voltage for abnormalities. Weld parameters and other statistical quantities are recorded and can be used for post-process analysis of production data. The monitor has been employed over a long period of time in a production plant and its capability for use in FBW quality assessment and improvements has been proven.