General Motors has announced that a breakthrough welding process being implemented in some of its vehicles have successfully allowed the automaker to better apply lightweight materials in manufacturing, significantly improving the fuel efficiency of its products.
According to GM chief technology officer Jon Lauckner, the process utilizes what's called a multi-ring domed electrode, a new method that can reliably weld aluminum on aluminum. In the past, GM has worked with the old "smooth-electrode" system but failed to attain the desired results.
"This new technology solves the long-standing problem of spot welding aluminum, which is how all manufacturers have welded steel parts together for decades. It is an important step forward that will grow in importance as we increase the use of aluminum in our cars, trucks, and crossovers over the next several years."
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The ability to apply aluminum more extensively cannot be underestimated. One of the first automakers to apply aluminum is England's Jaguar. Now an entity owned by Tata along with Land Rover, the 2013 Land Rover Range Rover claims to have lost 700 lbs. over its predecessor thanks to its new aluminum architecture.
An application once reserved for premium vehicles due to obstacles in cost and technique, GM believes that the new multi-ring domed electrode welding process allows aluminum-extensive manufacturing for mass production. GM manufacturing systems research lab group manager Blair Carlson says, "No other automaker is spot-welding aluminum body structures to the extent we are planning to, and this technology will allow us to do so at low cost."
For now, the Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon are the only vehicles that are benefitting from the new welding process. GM has confirmed that more models will debut with the new aluminum welding process for 2013.
[Source: AutoGuide]
