Emhart an integral part of the structurally unique Audi Aluminum Space Frame

The average North American automobile has 250 pounds of aluminum content, a 100 percent increase during the past decade. And more is on the way as the industry continues its quest for lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Emhart Teknologies is working with automakers on advanced fastening and assembly solutions for aluminum components. These include drawn arc welding processes that join studs to aluminum with precision positioning, repeatability, speed, and weld integrity at fastening attachment points.

The Audi Aluminum Space Frame (ASF), the only all-aluminum body in a production car, provides a real-world example. Emhart Teknologies developed an assembly system for the ASF that treats each weld as a separate process.

Using a linear motor drive weld head and TMP switching mode power supply, the system automatically adjusts current, arc voltage, welding time, and stud plunge timing to compensate for specific surface conditions. The result: 260 precision welds that perform reliably throughout the life of each ASF.

The ASF also is assembled with the new Emhart Self-Piercing Rivet (SPR) system, a replacement for spot welding that delivers more than 30 percent greater strength and stability under load vibration.

The SPR process monitors and controls the accuracy of each setting, reducing the number of fastening points required in automotive assembly. There are more than 1,400 SPR rivets on the Audi ASF. 

"Control systems developed by Emhart Teknologies for drawn arc welding processes are especially beneficial in aluminum fastening and assembly systems," said Hermann Roeser, president of the Automotive Division of Emhart Teknologies.

"Aluminum has a lower melting point than steel, which means precise timing and heat controls are essential," Roeser added. "Also, studs are attached to one side of the metal, which reduces noise and vibration, eliminates leak paths, preserves sheet metal integrity, and simplifies assembly."

For more information, contact Steve Bleakley, manager of automotive sales and marketing, Emhart Teknologies, at (810) 949-0440, or at emhart.com.

About Emhart Teknologies

New Haven, Conn.-based Emhart Teknologies is the global leader in the design and creation of unique assembly technologies from concept through installation.  Emhart’s technology-based assembly products and systems deliver innovative, integrated system solutions to virtually any manufacturing challenge anywhere in the world.  From automotive to construction, computers to appliances, Emhart products are sold in more than 100 countries. A Black & Decker Company, Emhart has 3,000 employees in 24 operating facilities worldwide.  Please go to www.emhart.com for more information.

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