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Welding in the Automotive Industry

Time and cost optimized
production processes

Challenge

Modern vehicles need to meet increasingly strict regulations (in ex. lower emissions), but at the same time customers expect more and more safety and comfort features. The automotive and supplier industry therefore relies on lightweight concepts, and light metals such as aluminum and magnesium, as well as high-strength and super-high-strength steels, are becoming increasingly important as materials.

  

This also means that welding technology is facing new challenges, and requires innovative solutions. Cost effectiveness is also crucial in the automotive industry, and in order to keep up with international competition, manufacturers and suppliers need to make their production processes as efficient as possible in terms of time and costs.

Partner in the automotive industry

Fronius has been a reliable partner of the automotive industry for many years. Together, we develop tailor-made solutions for your welding challenges using high-quality products and outstanding service. No matter whether you are dealing with robotic welding of exhaust systems, bodywork (body in white) or chassis components, you can rely on our experience and our know-how.

Quality

  • First class products according to the highest industry standards
  • Outstanding service from highly trained specialists
  • Worldwide support directly on the customer’s premises

Cost effectiveness

  • Technology and innovation leader in welding technology
  • Professional training for your employees
  • Comprehensive knowledge of the automotive and supplier industry

Know-how

  • Time and cost optimized production processes
  • Seamless integration into the production process
  • Constant new development and further development of efficient welding processes

Good relationships

  • 25 years of experience in the automotive industry
  • Long-term partnerships and reliable cooperation with customers around the world

QUESTIONS ON WELDING SOLUTIONS FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY?

Contact Your Fronius Partner for the Automotive Industry

Vlad Tudorache

Body in white

Whether steel, aluminium or mixed applications.
Fronius offers the optimum welding process.

Car Frame

Challenge

  • Minimized spatters on welding and brazing for galvanized steel
  • Low distortion due to optimized heat input
  • Low porosity
  • Stable arc
  • Optimum penetration
  • High welding speeds

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

CMT (Advanced GMAW)

LaserHybrid (LHAW)

Challenge

  • Lower heat input (-20% to -35%) than with conventional gas metal arc welding
  • Reduced/controlled distortion through advanced processes
  • Reduced rework through advanced arc control processes

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

CMT (Advanced GMAW)

LaserHybrid (LHAW)

Challenge

  • Fast brazing (up to 3 m/min)
  • Lower heat input
  • Flat and clean weld seam
  • Best weld seam appearance
  • Up to 60% less shielding gas
  • Spatter-free

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

LSC technology (Advanced GMAW, GMAB) 

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P, GMAB)

CMT technology (Advanced GMAW, GMAB)

CMT braze+ technology (Advanced GMAB)

LaserHybrid (LHAW)

Challenge

  • High stability of the arc
  • Lowest heat input
  • Steel-aluminum joints possible
  • Minimal spattering
  • High gap-bridging ability
  • Cast aluminum joining 

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

CMT technology (Advanced GMAW)

LaserHybrid (LHAW)

Welding challenges

  • High welding speeds
  • Joining different materials (Steel-aluminium joints possible)
  • Flat and clean weld seam
  • Lowest heat input and low distortion 
  • Spatter-free welding

Exhaust gas systems

Exhaust gas systems have developed into very complex systems. To reduce weight, increasingly thin materials are used.

Material: ferritic chrome steel

Challenge

  • High component tolerance
  • High welding speed

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

CMT technology (Advanced GMAW)

Material: stainless steel

Challenge

  • Minimum spatter
  • Stable arc
  • High Welding Speed

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

CMT technology (Advanced GMAW)

Material: ferritic chrome steel

Challenge

  • Minimum spatter
  • Stable arc
  • High welding speed

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

CMT technology (Advanced GMAW)

Material: ferritic chrome steel

Challenge

  • Good penetration
  • Good gap-bridging ability
  • High welding speed

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

CMT technology (Advanced GMAW)

Welding challenges

  • Welding very thin materials and thick to thin combination joints
  • Joining materials of different thicknesses (flange)
  • Multiple sheet joints
  • High component tolerances
  • Damage to sensitive parts such as catalytic converters or particle filters by welding spatter
  • Cost effectiveness in production, large quantities

Chassis

Chassis components are usually safety-related components that require weld seams of the highest quality.

Material: steel

Challenge

  • High welding speed
  • Continuous root formation

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

Pulse technology (GMAW-P)

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

Material: steel

Challenge

  • Good penetration
  • Less spatter
  • High welding speed

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

Pulse technology (GMAW-P)

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

Material: aluminum, steel

Challenge

  • High welding speed
  • Low heat input
  • Good gap-bridging ability

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

Pulse technology (GMAW-P)

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

Twin technology (Tandem GMAW)

Laserhybrid (LHAW)

Material: aluminum, steel

Challenge

  • High component tolerances
  • High welding speed
  • Less spatter

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

Pulse technology (GMAW-P)

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

Twin technology (Tandem GMAW)

Laserhybrid (LHAW)

Welding challenges

  • Reduced porosity and quality welds
  • High travel speeds for improved cycle time
  • Gap bridging ability at high travel speeds
  • Reduced distortion

Interior (seats, cross car beam)

Other materials, such as high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels, are often built into the interior of a vehicle. Fine mechanisms require welding with very low spatter.

Material: steel

Challenge

  • Low heat input
  • Less spatter
  • Thick/thin joints

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

CMT technology (Advanced GMAW)

Material: Martensitic steel

Challenge

  • Short weld seams
  • Stable ignition
  • Good penetration

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

CMT technology (Advanced GMAW)

Material: steel

Challenge

  • No spatter
  • Stable arc
  • Short weld seams
  • Low heat input

Solution

Platform:

TPS/i

Processes:

PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)

CMT technology (Advanced GMAW)

Welding challenges

  • Very thin materials
  • Mechanisms sensitive to spatter
  • High-strength and ultra-high-strength steels
  • Very short weld seams
  • Consistent quality
  • Different material thicknesses
  • Cost effectiveness in production

High performance for e-mobility

Welding battery trays

Battery trays are used in electrically driven vehicles to protect the battery against outside influences. Much is demanded of the components: they must be compact, completely secure to protect the battery packs against corrosion and be extremely durable in the event of a collision. Extruding press and sand-cast profiles are manufactured from aluminum alloys with wall thicknesses of between two and six millimeters.

Welding challenge

The automotive industry is increasingly relying on electric drives. The consequences for production are enormous: the components needed for vehicles with a combustion engine are changing or are no longer necessary, while others are being added – battery trays, for example. New production processes are therefore required, including in welding technology.

A) Aluminum alloys

Challenge

  • Extruding press and sand-cast profiles manufactured from aluminum alloys
  • High stability of the arc
  • Lowest heat input
  • Steel-aluminum joints possible
  • Minimal spattering
  • High gap-bridging ability
  • Cast aluminum joining

 

Solution

Platform:

  • TPS/i

Processes:

  • PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)
  • CMT technology (Advanced GMAW)
  • LaserHybrid (LHAW)

B)    Advanced High Strength Steels and Galvanized Steels

Challenge

  • Distortion control
  • High stability of the arc
  • Lowest heat input
  • Minimal spattering
  • High gap-bridging ability
  • Sealed welds

Solution

Platform:

  • TPS/i

Processes:

  • GMAB processes (MIG brazing)
  • Pulse (GMAW-P)
  • PMC technology (Advanced GMAW-P)
  • CMT technology (Advanced GMAW)
  • LaserHybrid (LHAW)
Video: Bollinger battery tray reference*
*Used with permission of BollingerMotors.
Video: Prototyping Center – Feasibility studies, prototype production and small series welding.
Video: Prototyping Center – LaserHybrid

Fronius offers robotic peripherals to optimize production:

  • Robacta CTC: Automatic contact tip changer
  • Robacta TC 2000: Touchless cleaning for torches
Learn more

Read more about the subject

How data analysis improves the world of welding!

Fronius has developed the WeldCube documentation and data analysis system. As a result, welding processes can be optimized and errors avoided.
More about data analysis

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Production Monitoring with WeldCube.
One piece of software - all power sources at a glance.

Process and cost optimization are of central importance for the automotive and supplier industry, and the documentation of production data is an important key to achieving this. With WeldCube from Fronius, you can continuously record and analyze the welding data of all power sources on all production lines.

The result: greater transparency, safety and verifiable weld quality for your series production.

Save time and money with WELDCUBE:

  • Access welding data of up to 50 power sources centrally irrespective of the device, and analyze data at the touch of a button
  • Create and manage jobs centrally and distribute to the power sources
  • Optimize costs with simple analysis of consumption of gas and filler metals
  • Call up data quickly when servicing is needed, and therefore reduce downtimes
  • Continuous data documentation for quality assurance and to comply with standards

Benefit from Our Services

Increase productivity and performance

We support you from the startup phase of your production process. Tailor made and quick integration of our products will benefit your production with optimized cycle times, less re-work and ease of use.

Expert know-how for your employees

Our employees are trained to offer top quality level of expertise for your applications.

Make optimum use of resources

We help you to optimize your production processes and parameter settings.

Reduction downtime

We take over the servicing and maintenance of your welding systems, helping you avoid downtimes and saving personnel costs as a result. 

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