General Motors is just weeks away from
beginning production validation of a new process for joining aluminum and steel
parts that will help cut vehicle weight while simplifying manufacturing and
lowering tooling costs in its factories, executives say.
The automaker developed the process in-house and says it solves
the problem of joining the two disparate metals through spot welding, a hurdle
due in large part to the widely different melting points of aluminum and steel.
GM announced earlier it would begin using the process this year
in production of the Cadillac CT6 sedan, and officials at a backgrounder here
on the company’s extensive efforts to take weight out of its cars and trucks
say they are finally close to startup at the Hamtramck, MI, assembly plant,
where the technology will be employed first for seatback construction, followed
closely by hoods.
The aluminum-to-steel spot-welding system makes use of a
uniquely designed welding tip patented by GM. However, the tip fits with
conventional tooling, so there is no need for specialized welding equipment. GM
is expected to make the process available to other automakers interested in licensing
the technology.
The process is the next step in the manufacturing evolution that
saw aluminum-to-aluminum welding capability, introduced around 2008, reach
widespread application in today’s factories. GM is hoping it can exceed the
pace of that 8-year ramp-up when it comes to proliferating the
aluminum-to-steel welding technology.
The automaker says the welding process allows it to eliminate
rivets used to join aluminum and steel body parts, cutting costs and mass. With
aluminum-to-aluminum welding, cost savings in rivets alone are estimated at
$5-$100 per vehicle, depending on the number used, with weight savings of
0.7-11 lbs. (0.3-5 kg) per vehicle. Manufacturing costs also are lower, the
automaker says.
In the initial aluminum-to-steel program for seatbacks, GM will
move cautiously, replacing a couple of the rivets currently used with the
advanced spot welds to test the manufacturing process and prove part durability
before moving on to more extensive applications.
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