Advances in Manufacturing ›› 2024, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (3): 409-427.doi: 10.1007/s40436-024-00503-2

   

Improving RSW nugget diameter prediction method: unleashing the power of multi-fidelity neural networks and transfer learning

Zhong-Jie Yue1,2,3, Qiu-Ren Chen1,3, Zu-Guo Bao1,3, Li Huang1,3, Guo-Bi Tan3, Ze-Hong Hou3, Mu-Shi Li4, Shi-Yao Huang3, Hai-Long Zhao3, Jing-Yu Kong3, Jia Wang2, Qing Liu3   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory for Light-weight Materials, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China;
    2. School of Advanced Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China;
    3. Material Academy, JITRI, Suzhou, 215100, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China;
    4. School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China
  • Received:2023-10-24 Revised:2023-11-30 Published:2024-09-07
  • Contact: Zu-Guo Bao,E-mail:baozuguo@njtech.edu.cn E-mail:baozuguo@njtech.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    This research has been founded by the Construction Project of the National Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 52205377), the National Key Research and Development Program (Grant No. 2022YFB4601804), and the Key Basic Research Project of Suzhou (Grant Nos. SJC2022029, SJC2022031).

Abstract: This research presents an innovative approach to accurately predict the nugget diameter in resistance spot welding (RSW) by leveraging machine learning and transfer learning methods. Initially, low-fidelity (LF) data were obtained through finite element numerical simulation and design of experiments (DOEs) to train the LF machine learning model. Subsequently, high-fidelity (HF) data were collected from RSW process experiments and used to fine-tune the LF model by transfer learning techniques. The accuracy and generalization performance of the models were thoroughly validated. The results demonstrated that combining different fidelity datasets and employing transfer learning could significantly improve the prediction accuracy while minimize the costs associated with experimental trials, and provide an effective and valuable method for predicting critical process parameters in RSW.

The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-024-00503-2

Key words: Resistance spot welding (RSW), Nugget diameter prediction, Multi-fidelity neural networks, Transfer learning