The automotive industry has an important share in a country’s industrial contribution to economy (GDP). Cost, productivity and production quantity are the main data to determine the ranking in the industrialization of a country. There are two main driving forces which determine the trends in automotive industry: Environmental effect-climate change- and energy consumption rate. New motor technologies and new materials, are developed, in order to decrease CO2 emission and energy consumption rate. Cars are becoming lighter and hybrid motors are getting widely used in these lighter cars. Some other important design influences in the automotive world is to have safer cars with higher collision protection, more durable car bodies against corrosion and have a comfortable and enjoyable drive.
As material and joining technologies develop, thinner, more durable and higher strength steels are used. They are joined by the higher speed welding technologies, like GMAW, seam, spot, laser, laser-seam welding in robotic automation. Lighter, safer, durable cars can be produced by specially designed welding consumables, whom weld metals provide higher mechanical properties and corrosion resistance even under high speed welding processes.
Nearly every minute one car is produced in a car factory with “Lean Production” and “Total Quality Management” philosophies to reach to the highest production capacity. Productivity of automotive industry is also forcing expectations of high productivity in welding processes and welding consumables. Welds are mainly done by fully automated-robotic welding with “Non-Stop” Consumables like drum packages. Consumable needs of the industry are; good weld metal properties which conform the base metals, design and safety requirements, proper for subsequent production steps; like painting. Welds shall also be reproducible, productive, relevant to “Lean” and “Non-Stop” phylosophies.
Car body, chassis parts, cross car beams, axes, wheels, shafts, seats, suspension arms, bumper rails, cockpit parts, fuel tanks, exhaust systems are the main welded parts in a car. These welded parts are produced from carbon steel, high strength steels, Al- or Zn-coated steels, stainless steels in thin sheet, profile, pipe, forged, pressed or cast forms. Although main assembly is done in the main branded automotive factory, many welded parts are manufactured in Tier1 and Tier2 companies, which may have additional expectations from the welding consumables.
“Lean Manufacturing” and “Non-Stop Welding” philosophies of Magmaweld, serves to automotive manufacturing, what is expected in terms of productivity and reproducibility. Welding consumable production for automotive industry starts from careful choice of raw material’s specifications, continues with high quality products and end-up with satisfied drivers or end-users. Magmaweld have variety of GMAW wires, with all diameters and in sorts of packages, which provides “Non-Stop Welding” in robotic welding. High strength steel-GMAW wires provides safer suspension arms and beams. GMAW wires, SAW wires and fluxes give reliable wheels. Magmaweld also have complete solutions for welding power sources and tailor-made robotized-automation systems which are designed according to customer needs. Magmaweld’s “Voice-of-Customer” oriented product development method has the main role to supply high performance products to automotive industry.