2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Resistance spot welding (RSW) is a key manufacturing process widely taught to engineering students due to its prevalent use in industry. While students across various engineering disciplines typically learn RSW applications specific to their fields, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding valuable to students in engineering. This study focuses on the challenges of using RSW to join two pieces of (1008) Carbon Steel (CS), incorporating pure Copper (Cu) between the plates to improve weld quality. These materials are explored for their potential to enhance joint integrity and weld performance. By investigating these innovative welding techniques, this work seeks to equip students with a deeper understanding of material compatibility, advanced welding processes, and optimization strategies. The findings are designed to enrich the educational experience, bridging theoretical knowledge with hands-on applications in both academic and research settings. This research provides valuable insights for students preparing for industry roles, where mastery of complex welding challenges and material science is critical. Although we tested with different configurations of current, electrode force, and weld time, the best results were obtained by using a current of 8 kiloamps (kA), an electrode force of 15 newtons (N), and weld time of 15 seconds (s). As Copper is an exceptional conductor, we observed better current throughout all the weld cycles compared to our steel-only control specimen. Our study arrived at the conclusion that the tensile strength of the joint between steel plates was increased due to the introduction of Copper.