This paper deals with a pair of robotic spot-welding lines one at General Motors plant and the other installed at a metal stamping facility, fabricates aluminum lift-gate assemblies for the Chevrolet Suburban sportutility vehicle. Herein it is reported weld-schedule development, the use of high-end spot-welding equipment and controls and timely equipment maintenance ensure consistent weld integrity. The lift gate on the Suburban is a one-piece door that contains approximately 100 spot welds. During the prototype stage, engineers addressed issues regarding fitup, and optimized weld schedules through repetitive testing. The test welds were made in order to evaluate electrode wear, surface condition, water temperature within the welding electrode, electrode face, electrode alloy, metalforming lubricant, the effect of water-spotting contamination, the effect of dust and the tolerance to misfit conditions. The robust weld schedules were developed using lobes, a development technique commonly used in the aerospace industry. For the GM application the engineers developed weld lobes by evaluating seven different alloy combinations. On the two lift-gate resistance-welding lines, engineers frequently take metallographic samples of the welds, to verify the weld quality.
Resistance welding of high-volume aluminum automotive assemblies
Metal Forming ; 35 , 3 ; 27-32
2001
4 Seiten, 2 Bilder
Article (Journal)
English
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