Resistance welding method and resistance welding apparatus

A resistance welding apparatus configured to perform a spot joining on a workpiece composed of a plurality of overlapped plate materials by clamping and pressing the workpiece with a pair of electrodes and then by applying a welding current between the pair of electrodes, the apparatus comprising:

• a welding current generating circuit configured to apply the welding current;
• and
• a welding current control unit configured to control the welding current generating circuit to execute a current control which sequentially performs:
• a first control for maintaining the welding current being a direct current at a first target value or in a vicinity of the first target value;
• a second control for raising the welding current from the first target value to a second target value being larger than the first target value and for subsequently maintaining the welding current at the second target value or in a vicinity of the second target value;
• and
• a third control for lowering the welding current from the second target value to a value being smaller than the first target value;
• wherein the welding current control unit is further configured to repeat the current control plural times until a predetermined energization period of time elapses.