GMW 14057

WORLDWIDE
ENGINEERING Material Specification GMW14057

STANDARDS
Weld Acceptance Criteria and Repair Procedures

Resistance Spot Welds - Steel
1 Introduction
Note: Nothing in this standard supercedes applicable laws and regulations.
Note: In the event of conflict between the English and domestic language, the English language shall take
precedence.
This standard applies to steels approved by GM for Resistance Spot Welding (RSW).
1.1 Purpose. This standard provides the acceptance criteria and repair procedures for resistance spot welds in
automotive products for which GM is responsible for establishing or approving product design.
1.2 Applicability. The criteria established in this standard become mandatory when referenced on a weld design
document. Deviations from any weld criteria provided in this standard must be identified on a weld design
document or other product design document.
1.3 Remarks. Welded structures are considered satisfactory when they carry the intended service loads for a
required period. Service loads on weldments in a vehicle are varied in both type and magnitude and cannot be
addressed by this standard. Therefore, while the weld quality criteria of this standard are consistent with service
loading requirements, they have been established specifically for use in process and product monitoring. Any
attempted application of this document to other uses, such as post-crash weld quality assessment, may lead to
an erroneous result or conclusion. Discrepant welds by retaining a portion of their engineering properties may
still contribute to the integrity of the assembly.
1.4 Clarification. For clarification of this standard or editorial comments, email the GM Global Weld Council at
[email protected].
Proposed changes to this standard must be presented to the Global Weld Council. To suggest a change to this
standard, reference the “Procedure for Weld Standard Changes” on the Global Weld Council’s web page.
2 References
Note: Only the latest approved standards are applicable unless otherwise specified.
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2.1 External Standards/Specifications.
None
2.2 GM Standards/Specifications.
GMW14058
GMW15563
2.3 Additional References.
 GM Global Customer Audit Procedure - Appearance Zones
 Global Manufacturing System (GMS) Operating Guidelines and Global Launch Manual
3 Requirements
3.1 General Acceptance Criteria.
3.1.1 Individual Spot Weld Criteria. There are multiple visual and measurable attributes that are used to
evaluate spot weld quality. These attributes are divided into two categories: attributes that make the weld
discrepant; and attributes that do not make the weld discrepant, but the attribute is undesirable for appearance
or processing.
3.1.2 Categories of Spot Welds. There are two categories of spot welds: structural and process.
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GM WORLDWIDE ENGINEERING STANDARDS GMW14057
3.1.2.1 Structural Spot Welds. Structural spot welds are installed for performance of the welded product. All
spot welds are structural unless specifically noted as process welds on the weld design document.
3.1.2.2 Process Spot Welds. Process spot welds are installed to facilitate in-process assembly, but are not
required for structural performance of the product. Process spot welds must be approved by Product and
Manufacturing Engineering and shown on the weld design document.
3.1.3 Adjacent, Missing or Cold Welds. Product detected with two or more adjacent structural spot welds that
are not installed (missing welds), or judged to be cold welds must be repaired regardless of the pattern tolerance.
3.2 Visual Acceptance Criteria.
3.2.1 Visual Attributes–Discrepant Welds. Welds that exhibit any of the following attributes are discrepant
welds.
3.2.1.1 Cracks. Spot welds with crack(s) around the circumference that are visible without the aid of
magnification, are discrepant welds. Spot welds with surface cracks confined within the impression left by the
electrodes are not discrepant welds. See Figure A1.
3.2.1.2 Holes. Spot welds that contain holes extending through the weld are discrepant welds and cause the
product to be nonconforming, regardless of the quantity tolerance. See Figure A2.
3.2.1.3 Edge Welds. Welds in which the spot weld imprint, as defined by the impression left by the electrodes,
is not contained within all edges of the sheet metal being welded are discrepant. See Figure A3, welds E and F.
3.2.1.4 Missing Welds. When fewer welds exist than are specified on the weld design document, the omitted
welds are discrepant.
3.2.2 Visual Attributes–Appearance and Processing Considerations. Welds that exhibit the following
attributes are undesirable either from an appearance or processing viewpoint. However, these attributes do not
make the weld discrepant and should not be used in determining weld pattern conformance.
3.2.2.1 Extra Welds. The number of spot welds installed shall not exceed the number specified on the weld
design document, except as required by the repair procedures described in 3.4 of this standard. The welding
process shall be adjusted to eliminate extra welds.
3.2.2.2 Whiskers. Welds exhibiting whiskers should have the welding process adjusted to eliminate the
condition. See Figure A4.
Note: Welds shall be free of whiskers when using ultrasonic inspection equipment to avoid damage to the
transducer.
3.2.2.3 Distortion. Spot welds in which the sheet surfaces are distorted more than 25 degrees from the normal
plane shall have the welding process adjusted to the original qualified setup in order to reduce the distortion to
less than 25 degrees. See Figure A5.
3.2.2.4 Thinning and Indentation. Spot welds exhibiting thinning greater than 30% of the total metal stackup
should have the welding process adjusted to the original qualified setup in order to reduce the thinning below
30%. See Figure A6.
3.2.2.5 Trim Edge Deformation. Welds in which the original edge of the weld flange is deformed by the
electrodes but whose spot weld imprint is contained within all edges of the sheet metal being welded are not
discrepant. The process shall be adjusted to the original qualified setup to eliminate the condition. See Figure
A3, welds C and D.
3.2.2.6 Surface Eruption. Surface eruption is an upsurge of the sheet surface adjacent to the electrode cap
imprint. See Figure A7. The appearance criteria for surface eruption are listed in Appendix A.
3.2.2.7 Spatter. Spatter is weld metal expulsion that remains attached to surface(s) adjacent to the weld. See
Figure A4. The appearance criteria for spatter are listed in Appendix A.
3.2.3 Perceptual Quality Requirements. Spot welds visible to the customer in strategic areas of the body are
to be considered Perceptual Quality (PQ) spot welds (reference the GM Global Customer Audit (GCA) Procedure
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– Appearance Zones). Product Quality Standards are to be utilized to document the appearance acceptance
standards addressing the desired weld spot precision (alignment, spacing, concentricity) and prominence
(indentation, distortion, whiskers). Spot welds not meeting appearance standards should have the process
adjusted to the original qualified setup to eliminate the undesirable condition.
3.3 Measurable Acceptance Criteria.
3.3.1 Weld Location. Spot welds must be properly located relative to design location as indicated on the weld
template and to each other as follows.

 In a pattern consisting of a single in-line row of welds in which a distinct product feature provides visual
reference to the end weld, an end weld installed greater than 10 mm in radial distance from the design
location is a discrepant weld. A distinct product feature must be a visible trim edge or other recognizable
part feature that is perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the row of welds and within 30 mm of the end
weld.
 For all other welds, a spot weld installed greater than 20 mm in a radial distance from the design location is
a discrepant weld.
 If the spacing between two adjacent welds in a pattern consisting of a single in-line row of welds exceeds
the design spacing by greater than 20 mm, the weld furthest from the design location is a discrepant.
3.3.2 Weld Size. The weld size may be measured by either using the weld button (Figure A8), the weld nugget
(Figure A9), or the fusion zone. A spot weld is discrepant when the measured weld size at each faying surface
is less than the minimum acceptable weld size specified in Table 1.
Table 1: Minimum Acceptable Weld Size
Determining Thickness
Minimum Acceptable Weld Size
(DT)
0.60 to 0.64 mm 3.0 mm
0.65 to 1.29 mm 4.0 mm
1.30 to 1.89 mm 5.0 mm
1.90 to 2.59 mm 6.0 mm
2.60 to 3.25 mm 7.0 mm
3.3.2.1 Two (2) Thickness Welds. To determine the acceptable weld size for a two thickness weld (two loose
pieces or one loose to two previously welded), use the metal thickness (t) of the thinner of the two layers being
welded to determine the weld size as listed in Table 1.
3.3.2.2 Three (3) Thickness Welds. To determine the acceptable weld size for a three thickness weld (three
loose pieces) use the metal thickness (t) of the thinner of the two layers at each interface to determine the
acceptable weld size. However, in the case where the thinnest layer is stacked between two thicker layers use
the second thickest piece (t) to determine the acceptable weld size for both welds.
3.3.2.3 Interfacial Fracture. With certain steels or types of loading, a weld button may not always result from
destructive testing. In these cases of interfacial fracture, examination of the fusion zone must be used to
determine weld size. Criteria for evaluation of the fusion zone must be in accord with an approved Product
Quality Standard.
3.3.2.4 Cold Welds. Weld locations that do not produce a weld button after a destruct test and are not interfacial
fractures are cold welds. Cold welds are discrepant welds.
3.3.2.5 Laminated Vibration Damping Steel. The minimum weld size specified in Table A1 is required only at
the faying surface for laminated steel. There are no minimum weld size requirements for the interface between
the layers of the laminated steel.
For purposes of determining the minimum weld size, the laminated steel shall be treated as one sheet whose
thickness is equal to the sum of the two outer sheets and the inner visco-elastic layer as shown in Figure A10.
3.4 Disposition/Repair Procedure.
3.4.1 Spot Weld Pattern Conformance Criteria. A pattern is a collection of spot welds to which a tolerance is
applied to meet structural requirements and for determining manufacturing acceptance of the product. The
default pattern is all structural spot welds on the structure installed at the same manufacturing plant. The quantity
tolerance for the single default pattern is no more than 5% of the total weld count can be discrepant.
The spot weld pattern is conforming when the number of acceptable spot welds (not discrepant per the
requirements of this standard) within a pattern meets or exceeds the default pattern tolerance or the tolerance
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as stated on the weld design document. Manufacturing acceptance of product is based on all patterns
conforming. Disposition of product nonconforming to this standard shall be handled in accord with GM Global
Quality Requirements for Corrective Action and Nonconforming Material.
Note: Two or more adjacent missing or breaking welds cause pattern nonconformance regardless of the quantity
tolerance. Structural spot welds with holes cause the pattern to be nonconforming regardless of the quantity
tolerance.
3.4.2 Repair Exceptions. An exception to specified product repair requirements may be permitted provided
there is documented review and approval by the responsible Product Engineer allowing the suspect product to
deviate from specification and pattern conformance criteria.
3.4.3 Surface Appearance. Spot weld surface appearance criteria are not used in determining weld pattern
conformance.
3.4.4 Process Spot Welds. Process spot welds are not to be used in determining weld pattern conformance.
Process welds containing holes require product repair.
3.4.5 Repair Procedures. When required spot welds shall be repaired according to the procedures specifically
authorized by the appropriate Product Engineer. In the absence of an engineering approved repair procedure,
the following repair methods shall be used in the following order of preference.
3.4.5.1 Resistance Spot Weld Repair. Spot weld with a weld gun that is qualified for the metal types and
thicknesses to be welded. One repair spot weld shall be added for each spot weld being repaired. Repair spot
welds must meet the requirements of this standard. Locate repair spot welds as close as possible to the original
designated weld location without overlapping the existing spot weld.
3.4.5.2 Arc Weld Repair. Arc weld repair of laminated steels is not permitted.
3.4.5.3 Arc Spot or Plug Weld Repair. For each spot being repaired, weld using MIG plug or Arc spot with steel
filler wire. The Arc spot or MIG weld shall conform to the applicable arc spot and plug weld acceptance criteria
standard. All repair personnel using this method of repair must be periodically qualified and approved following
local procedures.
3.4.5.4 Arc Fillet Weld Repair. A MIG fillet weld may be used for two metal thickness joints. The MIG repair
weld must be located as close as possible to the original designated weld location and must be a minimum of
20 mm in length. The repair welds must conform to GMW14058. All repair personnel using this method of repair
must be periodically qualified and approved following local procedures.
4 Manufacturing Process
4.1 Process Control. The welding source is responsible for establishing practices and test methods to assure
that the criteria of this standard are met, and are consistent with the GM Joining and Dispense Process
Control Procedure (GMW15563).
5 Notes
5.1 Glossary.
Arc Spot: A weld type which uses a timed arc welding process to penetrate through the surface sheet into
adjoining sheets fusing them together.
Cold Weld: A weld that does not produce a weld button after a destruct test. At the faying surface of a cold weld,
there is no indication of fusion. Cold welds do not indicate a nugget when the weld is cross-sectioned.
Crack: A fracture type discontinuity characterized by a sharp tip and high ratio of length to width of opening
displacement on the exterior surface. See Figure A1.
Distortion: Angle of displacement that the sheet surfaces are distorted from the normal plane. See Figure 5.
Edge Weld: A condition in which the spot weld imprint, as defined by the impression left by the electrodes is not
contained within all edges of the sheet metal being welded. See Figure A3, welds E and F.
Extra Welds: The number of spot welds that exceed the number specified on the weld design document.
Faying Surface: The mating surface of two members to be welded. See Figure A11.
Hole: A perforation in the spot weld that allows light to travel through the material from one exterior surface to
the opposing exterior surface of the weld. See Figure A2.
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Indentation: The depression on the sheet surfaces caused by the welding electrodes. See Figure A6.
Interfacial Fracture: A fracture mode of a spot weld where all or part of the weld nugget separates through the
plane of the weld at the faying surface.
MIG: MIG welding is welding in an atmosphere of inert gas, which means welding with a shielding gas that does
not react with other substances. The process is also called MIG welding even when the inert gas is mixed with
small quantities of O2, CO2, H2 or similar substances. MIG also may be referred to as solid wire welding or Gas
Metal Arc Welding.
Missing Welds: The number of spot welds not installed as specified on the weld design document.
Original Qualified Setup: The weld parameters established and documented during Weld Verification. Also
referred to as Initial Qualified Setup.
Pearls: See Weld Spatter.
Product Quality Standard (PQS): Measurable requirements for product characteristics, which when satisfied
ensure the product meets internal and external customer requirements. (Refer to GMS Operating Guidelines
and Global Launch Manual.)
Radial Distance: The distance between two points. For spot weld location tolerance the radial distance is the
measurement from the center of the spot weld design location to the center of the installed spot weld.
Surface Eruption: Upsurge of the metal surface adjacent to the weld imprint. See Figure A7.
Thinning: The amount of the original total metal stackup thickness reduced by the welding process. See Figure
A6.
Trim Edge Deformation: A condition in which the original edge of the weld flange is deformed by the electrodes
but whose spot weld imprint is contained within all edges of the sheet metal being welded. See Figure A3, welds
C and D.
Weld Button: That part of the weld that tears out in a peel or chisel test. See Figure A8.
Weld Button Size: The weld button size of a symmetrical (round) button is the diameter of the button. The weld
button size of an asymmetrical (oval or oblong) button is calculated by adding the measurement of the major
axis to the measurement of the minor axis and dividing by 2. See Figure A12. The measurements are to be taken
at the faying surface. See Figure A13.
Weld Design Document: A product document that describes welding requirements such as number of welds,
location of welds, applicable weld standards, weld patterns, surface appearance classification, weld notes etc.
Weld Expulsion: Molten metal that is extruded from between the sheets being welded or from the interface
between the outer sheet metal surface and the electrode(s). See Figure A4.
Weld Imprint: The impression left in the metal surface by the electrodes after welding. See Figure A3.
Weld Nugget: The weld nugget is that part of the weld where fusion is evident at the faying surface and
extending into the parent metal resulting in a metallurgical structure change. See Figure A9.
Weld Nugget Size: The weld nugget size is the dimension of the fusion zone measured from a macro section
examination or weld cross section. See Figure A9.
Weld Size: Resistance Spot Weld Size refers to either the weld button size or the weld nugget size.
With certain steels or types of loading, a weld button may not always result from a peel or tensile test. In these
cases of interfacial fracture, examination of the fusion zone must be used to determine weld size.
Weld Spatter: Weld expulsion metal that remains attached to an adjacent metal surface away from the
electrodes. The visible weld spatter is sometimes referred to as pearls. See Figure A4.
Weld Template: An inspection device used to evaluate weld location. Templates are typically created by plotting
the weld spot location as defined by the weld design document on a transparent overlay for comparison to the
actual weld locations. See Figure A14.
Whiskers: Sharp weld expulsion metal that remains attached to the metal surface adjacent to the weld imprint.
See Figure A4.
5.2 Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Symbols.
DT Determining Thickness
GCA Global Customer Audit
GMS Global Manufacturing System
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PQ Perceptual Quality
PQS Product Quality Standard
RSW Resistance Spot Welding
6 Coding System
This standard shall be referenced in other documents, drawings, etc., as follows:
GMW14057
7 Release and Revisions

This standard was originated in August 2004. It was first approved by the CCRW Global Council in December
2005. It was first published in January 2006.
Issue Publication Date Description (Organization)
1 JAN 2006 Initial publication.
2 OCT 2009 Reformat to approved GMW Welding template. Revised weld surface
appearance criteria, clarified weld size measurement criteria. Moved
and renumbered figures to Appendix A. (GM Global Weld Council)
3 AUG 2011 Update to address acceptance criteria for adjacent missing or
breaking welds and for welds with visible surface cracks or holes.
(GM Global Weld Council)
4 OCT 2012 Updated to align weld appearance requirements with Perceptual
Quality Best Practices (section 3.2.3). (GM Global Weld Council)
5 JAN 2014 Edits to section 2.3, 3.2.2.4, 3.2.3, 3.3.1, and 3.4.1. Section 3.2.2.6
(thinning) combined with 3.2.2.4 (renumbered paragraphs as
necessary), and radial distance added to glossary. (GM Global Weld
Council)
6 APR 2014 Changed references of Gas Metal Arc Welding to MIG. Edit to
Table 1 and added two and three thickness welds to Section 3.3.
Eliminated Appendix B. (GM Global Weld Council)
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Appendix A
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Figure A1: Surface Cracks Figure A2: Hole
Weld Spatter
F
Edge Weld
E Whiskers
D Trim Edge
Deformation
C
B
Spot Weld
A
Weld Expulsion
Figure A3: Edge Weld Figure A4: Weld Expulsion

B
A E D
Angle of Distortion
C
% Thinning = 100 - E x 100

B+D
Figure A5: Distortion Figure A6: Indentation and Thinning
Figure A7: Surface Eruption Figure A8: Weld Button

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Measure Weld Size at Faying Surface
Figure A9: Weld Nugget Size Figure A10: Laminated Steel
d1
Faying
Surface
d2
Figure A11: Faying Surface Figure A12: Weld Button Size
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Figure A13: Weld Button Measurement

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Figure A14: Weld Template


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WORLDWIDE

ENGINEERING Material Specification GMW14057

Weld Acceptance Criteria and Repair Procedures

April 2014 Page 1 of 10

Copyright General Motors Company Order Number: W1682030

April 2014 Page 2 of 10

Copyright General Motors Company Order Number: W1682030

Table 1: Minimum Acceptable Weld Size

0.60 to 0.64 mm 3.0 mm

0.65 to 1.29 mm 4.0 mm

1.30 to 1.89 mm 5.0 mm

1.90 to 2.59 mm 6.0 mm

2.60 to 3.25 mm 7.0 mm

April 2014 Page 3 of 10

Copyright General Motors Company Order Number: W1682030

© Copyright 2014 General Motors Company All Rights Reserved

April 2014 Page 4 of 10

Copyright General Motors Company Order Number: W1682030

April 2014 Page 5 of 10

Copyright General Motors Company Order Number: W1682030

7 Release and Revisions

© Copyright 2014 General Motors Company All Rights Reserved

April 2014 Page 6 of 10

Copyright General Motors Company Order Number: W1682030

Figure A1: Surface Cracks Figure A2: Hole

Figure A3: Edge Weld Figure A4: Weld Expulsion

© Copyright 2014 General Motors Company All Rights Reserved

April 2014 Page 7 of 10

Copyright General Motors Company Order Number: W1682030

% Thinning = 100 - E x 100

Figure A5: Distortion Figure A6: Indentation and Thinning

Figure A7: Surface Eruption Figure A8: Weld Button

© Copyright 2014 General Motors Company All Rights Reserved

April 2014 Page 8 of 10

Copyright General Motors Company Order Number: W1682030

Measure Weld Size at Faying Surface

Figure A9: Weld Nugget Size Figure A10: Laminated Steel

Figure A11: Faying Surface Figure A12: Weld Button Size

© Copyright 2014 General Motors Company All Rights Reserved

April 2014 Page 9 of 10

Copyright General Motors Company Order Number: W1682030

Figure A13: Weld Button Measurement

Figure A14: Weld Template

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April 2014 Page 10 of 10

Copyright General Motors Company Order Number: W1682030

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