Inventors:
Pei-Chung Wang - Troy MI, US
Robert J. Gollehur - Macomb Township MI, US
Assignee:
GM Global Technology Operations, Inc. - Detroit MI
International Classification:
B23K 11/00
US Classification:
219 93, 219 912, 219 92, 2191171, 83 30, 761071, 1562739, 1562744, 2281731, 228174
Abstract:
A method is provided for welding a laminated metal sheet to a workpiece. The laminated metal sheet includes an outer metal sheet and an inner metal sheet bonded together by a polymer material that impedes the flow of weld current. A punch is applied against the outer metal sheet and driven through the laminated metal sheet to create a hole and also create an annular metallic burr that bridges across the polymer material layer between the outer metal sheet and the inner metal sheet. A weld electrode is positioned against the outer metal sheet at the punched hole and weld current is conducted through the first annular metallic burr to create an electric resistance weld between the laminated metal and the workpiece.