Spot Welding (Resistance Spot Welding)
Spot welding joins overlapping steel panels by passing a strong current through them at small points.
What is Spot Welding (Resistance Spot Welding)?
Car bodies are held together by thousands of factory spot welds. Bodyshops use spot welders to replace panels such as sills and quarter panels. Modern high-strength steels need inverter welders with precise settings. Some repairs use rivet bonding instead of welds.
How it works
Electrodes clamp the sheets and current melts a small nugget of metal that joins them.
Why it matters for your car
Repair methods must follow the manufacturer, as some steels must not be heated. Poor welds reduce crash strength.
Other terms
- Airbag Control Module (SRS Module)
- DOHC (Double Overhead Camshaft)
- Driving In Hot Weather
- Driving In Snow
- ESP / Stability Control Warning Light
- Frunk (Front Trunk)
- Headlight Levelling (Headlight Range Control)
- Hill Descent Control
- Impact Wrench (Impact Gun)
- Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
- Mineral Engine Oil
- Ohm’s Law
- Power Tailgate (Electric Boot Lid)
- Self-Sealing Tyre
- Sun Visor
- Tappet Noise (Lifter Tick)
- Torsion Beam Rear Axle (Twist Beam)
- TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System)
- Traffic Sign Recognition
- V Engine (V6, V8, V12)