Issue |
MATEC Web Conf.
Volume 269, 2019
IIW 2018 - International Conference on Advanced Welding and Smart Fabrication Technologies
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | 02012 | |
Number of page(s) | 4 | |
Section | Advanced Welding Processes | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201926902012 | |
Published online | 22 February 2019 |
Challenges and Opportunities in Remote Laser Welding of Steel to Aluminium
Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
Corresponding author: H.Kotadia@warwick.ac.uk
In the last two decades, the automotive industry has been facing demands to reduce fuel consumption and to meet CO2 emissions through applications of lightweight materials. Therefore, aluminium alloys have replaced substantial amounts of steel; and they are receiving significant attention to achieve greenhouse emission targets. However, a critical factor in applications of advanced aluminium in automotive Body in White (BIW) designs depends on availability of cost effective and high performance joining processes. Currently, a Self-Pierce Riveting (SPR) process is extensively used for aluminium BIW sheet metal parts joining which is expensive, additionally increase the weight of the vehicle and cause inefficiency in manufacturing operations. As aluminium alloys are difficult to weld by conventional technologies such as electrical resistance spot welding, MIG arc welding etc., various joining technologies had proposed to weld aluminium alloys and dissimilar alloys over the years. Often, these technologies restrict design flexibility and are expensive for mass production. In this context, Remote Laser Welding (RLW) has gained popularity because of its distinct advantages such as design flexibility, production speed, material and cost savings. This paper provides a critical review of challenges and opportunities for application of RLW to dissimilar metal welding of steel to aluminium. Next steps of research and development are also highlighted.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2019
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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