Innovative spot welding for lightweight and circular design - ISOLDE

Important results from the project

The project’s goal was to investigate the possibilities of increasing the use of advanced lightweight material combinations in the automotive industry, by examining two new hybrid concepts for joining steel and aluminum. These new concepts eliminate the need for fasteners, such as screws or rivets, which otherwise increase weight, cost, and carbon footprint through manufacturing and logistics. Valuable lessons have been learned during the course of the project, and a public summary is available.

Expected long term effects

The knowledge obtained from the project reduces the gap for introduction of advanced lightweight material combinations in the automotive industry. In the long term, these joining methods based on resistance welding can enable more cost-effective and robust joining of cast aluminum components to high-strength steel. The project is an important part of solving one of today’s biggest technical challenges in the manufacturing of vehicle bodies and also enables more circular manufacturing.

Approach and implementation

Collaboration worked well, and trials were conducted at industry partner. The project proceeded chronologically through set work packages where materials, methods, and matrix were first determined, followed by technical trials in a lab environment and cost investigations. It was an iterative process where lessons about the joining concepts during welding and subsequent analysis led to new improvements in manufacturing. Finally, the most promising method was used for trials in industry.