The last 30 years have seen a progressive increase in the use of advanced materials for automotive construction. Aluminum and its alloys have played heavily into this mix. Sheet and wrought products as well as castings have been considered for various subsystems of advanced material vehicles. A key to the implementation of aluminum alloys for automotive construction is the identification/development of cost-effective joining technologies. This paper is focused on a number of key developments that have enabled these technologies. The general focus is on body-in-white applications, or sheet metal construction. It is understood that such construction is dominated by resistance spot welding (RSW). To that end, developments in resistance spot welding technology (and associated weld bonding) are addressed first. These included the progression from AC to DC to MFDC current, development of proper electrode designs, and use of dresser systems to maintain electrode profiles. Also discussed are recent capabilities enabled by electric-servo guns for production spot welding. A discussion is provided on alternative resistance welding technologies appropriate for aluminum sheet materials. These include resistance projection welding (RPW) and conductive heat resistance welding (CHRW). These are widely disparate technologies, but they are being investigated for specific applications within the body-in-white framework. This overview then examines use of various forms of mechanical fastening. These technologies are currently being used as alternatives to resistance spot welding for both steel and aluminum body-in-white structures. The methods described include self-piercing riveting, clinching, blind riveting, and flow drilling. These technologies are all basic mechanical interference joining approaches, alternately with (riveting, screws) or without (clinching) a third body element. The basic approaches are described with some baseline mechanical properties data. Of particular interest are new generations of blind riveting. These approaches have been shown to increase the mechanical stability of the joint itself, and facilitate one-side application.
Joining aluminum sheet in the automotive industry - A 30 year history
Welding Journal, New York ; 91 , 1 ; 23s-34s
2012
12 Seiten, 36 Bilder, 1 Tabelle, 51 Quellen
Article (Journal)
English
Joining trends in automotive industry
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