Process
Resistance welding
Cross-wire and projection welds close a 4–14 mm form or attach a second piece without filler metal. Fast, repeatable, and the default joint on wire baskets and frames — when the alloy and the access allow it.
What resistance welding is
Two pieces of wire (or wire to a plate) are pressed together and a current is passed through the contact. Heat is generated at the interface; a nugget forms; the electrodes retract. No filler, no shielding gas, cycle time in fractions of a second.
That is why wire baskets, racks, and many frames in this band are formed as open pieces and then welded, rather than forced through a fully closed CNC path. Leave a joint on the print. Do not discover the closure after the housing is tooled.
Joint types that show up on wire forms
- Cross-wire — round on round, usually at 90°. The classic wire-basket grid. Nugget size scales with diameter and force.
- Projection / coined — a flattened or dimpled feature concentrates current. Used when round-on-round is unstable or when welding wire to sheet.
- Butt / mash — ends or overlaps mashed into a single section. Appearance and strength both depend on electrode dress and force. Call the finished thickness if it matters.
- Wire to stamping — a form welded to a bracket. Projection on the sheet is usually the more honest joint.
What changes from 4 to 14 mm
| Diameter | Inch | Weld |
|---|---|---|
| 4 mm | 0.157 in | Cross-wire is routine. Flash is small; still call if the joint is visible. |
| 8 mm | 0.315 in | Standard wire-basket and frame work. Electrode force and alignment are the process. |
| 12 mm | 0.472 in | Nuggets are large. Heat-affected zone can locally anneal high-tensile — fixture the span. |
| 14 mm | 0.551 in | Heavy current, heavy force. Some alloys want MIG/TIG instead. Do not assume a clip welder scales. |
When resistance weld is the wrong joint
MIG / TIG wins when the joint is not a clean cross, when the alloy is a poor resistance candidate (some stainless and high-nickel), when you need a fillet you can see and inspect as a weldment, or when access for electrodes is impossible.
Resistance wins on grids, volume, and repeatability. It loses on one-off sculpture and on joints that have to look like a fabricated frame.
Print, flash, and inspection
- Weld allowed — yes/no, and where. Closed CNC paths are not free.
- Joint type: cross-wire, mash, projection, wire-to-sheet
- Flash: as-welded, dressed, or none visible on a named face
- Pull or peel requirement if the joint is structural
- Finish: weld then plate, or plate then weld (usually the first)
“Weld as required” is how you get a grid that rattles. Put the intersections on the drawing.
Related
- Mesh grids and cable trays — the parts this weld is for
- MIG / TIG assembly
- End forming — coined weld tabs
- Heavy wire, 4–14 mm