Good design practices attempt to limit spot welding on appearance or cosmetic surfaces. While textured paints can be used to hide small electrode marks on finished surfaces, grinding, or filling and grinding, is often required and can double the cost of the welding operation. Often, structural elements such as stiffeners are required to reinforce large cosmetic surfaces. For these applications, designers should select material which is thinner than the material from which the appearance part is fabricated. This assures that weld shrinkage will occur on the noncosmetic part which helps to control the cost of filling and abrasive finishing.
One alternative to plug welding is “MIG spot welding”. It is similar to plug welding, although a hole is not drilled in the front sheet of metal. Instead the power of the MIG is relied upon to fully melt the top sheet and penetrate into the back sheet. This technique would require less preparation work than plug welding, but the two sheets need to be in tight contact and high amps used to complete the weld or else the weld could be very weak. Plug welding is a much more suitable technique for all but the most experienced welders.
How Does Spot Welding Work? A form of resistance welding, spot welding is one of the oldest welding processes whereby two or more sheets of metal are welded together without the use of any filler material. The process involves applying pressure and heat to the weld area using shaped alloy copper electrodes which convey an electrical current through the weld pieces. The material melts, fusing the parts together at which point the current is turned off, pressure from the electrodes is maintained and the molten “nugget” solidifies to form the joint. Read more info on https://www.weldingsuppliesdirect.co.uk/welding-equipment/spot-welding.html.
In the same category you also find generators, always operating on direct current, intended for car bodywork including repairing dented panels. The machine consists of a holder which lets you position your welding gear precisely in front of the deformed zone, and uses mechanical or hydraulic force to restore it to its original shape. All you have to do is crack out your hammer to fine-tune the finish. The “gougeonneuse”, as it’s known in France, can be used to mend tow rings and other specific parts. The huge advantage of being able to return a panel or component to its original shape without needing to disassemble the car body makes this machine a must-have tool for bodywork!