4.

0 DISCUSSION
At Autokeen Sdn Bhd, where the industrial visit had been taken, the company only performed
resistance spot welding (RSW) for welding process. Based on talk that had been given by the
companys representative, Mr. Jamri, resistance spot welding is the most suitable welding process for
joining parts into a final assembly. The product to be make is inner body of the cars side. They are
making parts for many cars from national brands such as Persona (Proton), Axia (Perodua), Myvi
(Perodua), and others. At Autokeen Sdn Bhd, they provide welding and assembly services of modular
parts and components utilized by their clients.
In the manufacturing process, there are several steps involving the welding process The three
steps in the resistance spot welding process done on by the company on their product which are
assembly, welding, and marking which are being explained details on process section. Technology
employment for the joining is by using robotic arm spot welding that pressing sub assembly or parts
into a desired shaped or form. At Autokeen, the robotic arms spot welding can divided into two which
are stationary and portable. For the stationary, the operator do not need to handle the machine, but
only need to assemble the parts. Then, the robotic arm will automatic welds the parts when sensors
activated. While for the portable, the robotic arm is fully operated by the welder. The portable robotic
arm is required good technique, skill and experience of welder.
In industry of car fabrication, welding problems that have been state in problems faced
section are always occurred. Therefore some solutions should be made by the company that uses
welding process for joining process. For Autokeen Sdn Bhd, they have their own solution to those
problems. Those solutions are also widely use in the welding industry. The first solution to overcome
the inconsistent weld nugget is by increasing the electrode tips pressure. Besides that, welding current
and welding time are the most sensitive parameters to control expulsion. Tighter control of either
parameter will improve weld nugget soundness and reduce expulsion, and thus improve electrode
wear.
Another welding process can replaced the resistance spot welding done by that factory is
metal inert gas (MIG) welding process, or commonly known as gas metal arc welding (GMAW). As
noted, GMAW is currently one of the most popular welding methods, especially in industrial
environments. It is used extensively in many of the sheet metal industry and the automobile industry.
This process is often used for replacing arc spot welding, thereby eliminate riveting or resistance spot
welding. GMAW process can be also enhanced to the automated welding, in which robots handle the
workpieces and the welding gun to speed up the manufacturing process. GMAW process can replaces
the spot welding in Autokeens factory because that place is well-enclosed by the wall and has
suitable movement of air. Generally, it is unsuitable for welding outdoors, because the movement of
the surrounding air can dissipate the shielding gas and thus make welding more difficult, while also

decreasing the quality of the weld. The problem can be alleviated to some extent by increasing the
shielding gas output, but this can be expensive and may also affect the quality of the weld. Moreover,
processes such as shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) and flux cored arc welding are preferred for
welding outdoors, making the use of GMAW in the construction industry rather limited.
In general, resistance welding methods are efficient and cause little pollution, but their
applications are limited to relatively thin materials and the equipment cost can be high. Table below is
shows the advantages and disadvantages of gas metal arc welding and resistance spot welding.
Table 4.1 : The advantages and disadvantages of GMAW and resistance spot welding.
Gas metal arc welding

Advantages

Disadvantages

Resistance spot welding

Versatile (can weld various

metals & thicknesses).
Better arc time because of
continuous wire electrode.
Higher welding quality.
Less distortion of workpiece.

Minor post-weld cleaning.

Requires shielding gas.
Cannot be done at location
where a lot of the movement of
air.

Quick and easy.

No need to use any fluxes or
filler metal to create a join by
spot welding.
Can be performed without
any special skill.

Can create only localized

joins, which may not be
particularly strong.
Only can weld certain size of
product.
Difficulty for maintenance or
repair.
Applying too little energy
will not melt the metal or will
make a poor weld.
Applying too much energy
will melt too much metal,
eject molten material, and
make a hole rather than a
weld.

Generally, there are many differences btween gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and resistance
spot welding. Table below is shows the comparison between both welding processes.
Table 4.1 : The comparison between GMAW and resistance spot welding processes.

Factors
Welding time
Finishing Appearance

Gas Metal Arc Welding

Has slower weld time.
Has better weld finish.

Resistance Spot Welding

Has faster weld time.
Suitable for application which
does not required good weld
finish.

Cost

Expensive because required

Economical for mass

shielded gas.

production

Yes

No

Yes

No

Size of weld

Varies

Small

Material distortion

Minimal to extreme

Minimal to none

Finishing or grinding
requirement after welding
Skill and experience
requirement

Practically, resistance spot welding is also used in electrical and electronics industry for
joining components of various materials and shapes such as electrical connectors, rotors, and printing
circuits, which often good conductive but more difficult to weld. Besides that, resistance welding is
also applied in aerospace industry for joining components of special metals with light weight and high
strength such as titanium alloys and aluminium alloys, as well as high temperature resistant materials
such as nickel chromium alloys. Lastly, this welding is also used in the orthodontist's clinic, where
small-scale spot welding equipment is used when resizing metal "molar bands" used in orthodontics.