To better understand the impact of joining on modern vehicle manufacturing, the Edison Welding Institute (EWI) has recently developed an automotive structures roadmap. The objective of the roadmap was to gain a high-level, global view of the drivers and directions of the automotive structures market. Due to the wide range of applications, it was determined that to maintain focus EWFs roadmap would be limited to the vehicle's structural components. By structural components we are referring to the body-in-white (BIW), chassis, subfrarnes, interior structures, intrusion beams, and suspension systems. Weight reduction will also make up to one third of the needed efficiency gains. The challenge for weight reduction is twofold. On one hand, additional components are constantly being added to the vehicle for improved vehicle emissions, safety devices, and information/entertainment. Each of these devices increases the weight of the vehicle. The majority of the materials currently used in a vehicle structure are under 800 MPa. The survey results suggest a striking change in material direction. The majority of responses from the survey indicated that five types of materials: DP 980, martensitic, hot-stamped boron, aluminum, and magnesium materials are being considered for future use. The second leading deciding factor used to select a material was its manufacturability. Due the combination of ultrahigh strength (a UHSS grade of steel), high formability, and relative weldability, hot-stamped steels are one of the fastest growing materials for critical safety applications. This formability issue has been acute for the higher strength dual-phased (DP) steels like DP 980. These issues include springback and cracking during stamping. Automotive structures have evolved from body-on-frame designs to unibody designs and back to body-on-frame. One of the key advantages the new UHSS offer is the ability to downgauge material thickness while still meeting the strength requirements. Space-framed vehicles can also work well within an agile manufacturing system. By attaching different outer panels to the space frames, OEMs can build multiple vehicles off the same frame. Weld flanges mainly serve to create resistance spot weld joints. If designers could employ flangeless designs, many advantages from weight reduction and materials savings to better driver visibility could be realized. Tailor-welded blanks are another method that designers use to reduce weight since it is possible to optimize the strength and stiffness of the panels by changing materials and thickness within the blank. However, one of the biggest changes that was identified in the roadmap was the interest in using light materials for structural applications. Engineers and designers expressed interest in joining any combination of UHSS, aluminum, magnesium, or cast steel. Resistance welding has long been a staple joining process in auto assembly plants. For thicker gauge applications like frames and suspension systems, gas metal arc welding is also widely used. The roadmap suggests that these processes won't be eliminated anytime soon. One trend identified is the interest in expanding the use of brazing for BIW and structural applications. In addition, direct laser welding offers potential for high productivities, high assembled structure stiffness, and a reduction in required flange widths. Based on the high level of interest in applying Multi-Material Vehicles (MMV) designs, OEMs and structural suppliers will have to employ a range of nonstandard joining technologies. These range from clinching and self-piercing rivets to weld-bonding and solid-state welding processes.


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