In this study by Martinson et al., experimental and numerical investigations were performed to evaluate the load carrying capacity, temperature distributions, and residual stress states of different joint geometries used in the automotive industry. Various laser spot weld path geometries were compared with conventional resistance spot welds to determine residual stress distributions. The findings revealed that, in laser spot welding, the weld region is surrounded by a compressive zone with higher compressive stress values and larger size compared to resistance spot welds. Simulations showed good agreement with experimental temperature distributions and were able to qualitatively predict the residual stress distributions for each weld geometry. Furthermore, the thermal history at known failure locations within the welds and the influence of weld geometries on cooling rates were also discussed.

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