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Abstract
In the modern manufacturing sector, new materials and current fabrication technologies force a critical re-examination of all conventional knowledge. Increasing production and reducing waste remain fundamental objectives for every business: the trend is moving towards increasingly reduced labour, which is gradually being replaced by automation. On the other hand, especially in such a fundamental sector as the automotive industry, there is a prime requirement: reduced vehicle weight, due to the incessant demand for energy and cost savings, in addition to meeting commitments relating to harmful emissions and environmental protection. The metallurgical development of high-strength steels has allowed the use of new materials with increasingly enhanced mechanical characteristics, benefiting mankind with increased safety and the ability to absorb ever greater quantities of energy without cracking. To analyse the problems associated with the types of welding used with increasing frequency in the automobile sector, research has been focussed on joints made between conventional materials such as S355 steel and high-strength Dual Phase steels. This study has attempted to highlight the use of a welding robot in a mass production setting, and to study the best welding parameters when not working with components with the same metallurgical characteristics. Furthermore, the ability to obtain good quality welds when there are geometrical problems, such as misalignments between the pieces to be welded, has been evaluated.
Acknowledgements
We thank the Liguria Science and Technology Park for the funds to conduct the study. We express our most sincere thanks to Roboteco S.p.A. and Mr Alessandro Santamaria (Engineer) for their significant collaboration.