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| The GM Ren Cen in Detroit |
The reinvention of manufacturing begins with the reinvention of products and processes. GM has done that by first creating a new kind of technology. The impact on you? Greater fuel efficiency.
More below:
General Motors Research & Development has invented an industry-first
aluminum welding technology expected to enable more use of the lightweight
metal on future vehicles, which can help improve fuel economy and driving
performance.
GM’s new resistance spot welding process uses
a patented multi-ring domed electrode that does what smooth electrodes are
unreliable at doing – welding aluminum to aluminum. By using this process GM
expects to eliminate nearly two pounds of rivets from aluminum body parts such
as hoods, liftgates and doors.
GM already uses this patented process on the
hood of the Cadillac CTS-V and the liftgate of the hybrid versions of Chevrolet
Tahoe and GMC Yukon. GM plans to use this technology more extensively starting
in 2013.
“The ability to weld aluminum body structures
and closures in such a robust fashion will give GM a unique manufacturing
advantage,” said Jon Lauckner, GM chief technology officer and vice president
of Global R&D.
“This new technology solves the long-standing
problem of spot welding aluminum, which is how all manufacturers have welded
steel parts together for decades,” Lauckner said. “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.”
Spot welding uses two opposing electrode
pincers to compress and fuse pieces of metal together, using an electrical
current to create intense heat to form a weld. The process is inexpensive, fast
and reliable, but until now, not robust for use on aluminum in today’s
manufacturing environment. GM’s new welding technique works on sheet, extruded
and cast aluminum because GM’s proprietary multi-ring domed electrode head
disrupts the oxide on aluminum’s surface to enable a stronger weld.
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| Imagine how much fuel we could save |
Historically, automakers have used
self-piercing rivets to join aluminum body parts, because of variability in
production with conventional resistance spot welding. However, rivets add cost
and riveting guns have a limited range of joint configurations. In addition,
end-of-life recycling of aluminum parts containing rivets is more complex.
“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,” said Blair Carlson, GM manufacturing systems
research lab group
manager. “We also intend to consider licensing the technology for non-GM
production in automotive, heavy truck, rail and aerospace applications.”
Ducker
Worldwide, a Michigan-based market research firm, said aluminum use in vehicles
is expected to double by 2025. The material offers many advantages over steel.
One kilogram of aluminum can replace two kilograms of steel. It is
corrosion-resistant and offers an excellent blend of strength and low mass that
can help improve fuel economy and performance.
According to
AluminumTransportation.org, a 5 percent to 7 percent fuel savings can be
realized for every 10 percent weight reduction, and substituting lightweight
aluminum for a heavier material is one way to do it. Cars made lighter with
aluminum also can accelerate faster and brake quicker than their heavier
counterparts.
“GM aims to be an industry leader in mass
efficiency,” said Roger Clark, manager of the GM Energy Center. “Many little
things can add up to big improvements in fuel economy. Incremental mass
reductions, like using welds instead of rivets, can help our customers save at
the pump.”
(Author's note: Communities can also be reinvented, just as Grand Rapids, Mich. has been reinvented. Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community holds great lessons for any city or town struggling to face the challenges of the 21st century.
Beyond that, it tells some great stores of the people who are putting a new spin on a very old American community.
To find out more about Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community, please visit www.rodkackley.com)
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