Joining and production technologies

Abstract

New approaches to production engineering are being applied extensively in the automotive industry. This involves the entire production process from the car body plant through to assembly, starting with the first metal panel, continuing with the finished body, and ending with the completed vehicle. After the individual body components have been made in the press shop, they are then assembled in the body shop to create more complex vehicle components such as the side wall, floor, and flaps (trunk lid, engine hood, and doors). In order to connect them permanently, various joining processes are used, such as welding, gluing, clinching, and riveting. In the body shop, the entire vehicle body is built up step by step. In the surface treatment shop the car body is protected against corrosion and painted. This is followed by the assembly line, the first step being what is known as a “marriage”, i. e. fitting the powertrain, which comprises the engine and transmission, into the body; the second step involves fitting the cockpit, seats, and interior equipment.