This modular fabrication cell is installed at Remmele Engineering, Big Lake, MN. It demonstrates automated material handling of automotive components using the FANUC Robotics A-510 robot system.

To find out which areas of fabrication technology are experiencing the most significant advancements and look at what may be ahead, we surveyed about 75 industry experts. We questioned them on the broad subjects of materials, cutting, punching, bending and assembly. Their input was used as the foundation of this industry report.

Some experts provided specific input relative to processes and equipment. Some wished to remain behind the scenes and commented without attribution based upon their personal experiences. Many furnished data based upon their experience and that of their respective companies.

Section 1— Materials

According to Jon Knapp, general manager of the Arvin TD Center, Columbus, IN, the high strength steels and the higher temperature capable stainless steels are meeting some difficult application needs but are challenging metal fabricating process capabilities. "As a tool coater," Knapp says, "we see our customers challenged by these materials. To successfully use them, manufacturers need heavy support from their suppliers of lubricants, tool steels, tooling, metals and fabricating equipment."

Larry Barley is an applications engineer at the Applications Engineering Lab of Hobart, an Illinois Tool Works Company, in Troy, OH. He says the trend in the automotive industry is to make much of the vehicle out of coated steels. "The majority of the coating material is zinc, in the form of galvanizing or galvanealing on steel base material," he reports. "Another common coating is aluminum, which is deposited on the base metal as an aluminized coating. The aluminized coating can be found on various carbon steels and on the ferritic stainless steels used on exhaust systems."

Both zinc and aluminum extend the life of the base metals to a great degree, Barley explains, and are likely to see increased usage in the future. "Typically, these coating materials detract from welding processes. Zinc-coated materials are particularly difficult because the melting point and boiling point of zinc is well below temperatures typically used when welding.

"Boiling zinc creates a gas that escapes through the solidifying weld puddle causing porosity and fusion discontinuities in the weld," Barley explains. "The zinc coating also causes a disruption of the arc, both from the vaporization that is occurring and from the difference in electrical characteristics between the coating and the base metal."

Amada America, Inc., Buena Park, CA, has developed what it calls a completely new concept in a high-productivity turret punch press. The Vipros Z-358 model features a new Z-turret design and an attached punch and die changer unit (PDC) that provides a machine capacity of 224 punching or forming tools (52 in the turret and 172 stored in numbered positions on upper and lower round-table shelves within the attached PDC unit).

But all is not lost, Baley says. "There are filler wires that have been developed specifically to weld on zinc-coated steels. These have micro alloys that help to stabilize the arc and counteract the effects of the escaping zinc gas to produce sound welds on many coated steels."

Barley goes on to say, "The increased use of high strength steels presents a variety of challenges to the welding and metal processing people. Metal processing requires more power to bend, punch and form a given thickness of material. Another difference is that springback of the higher strength material is greater than the lower strength steels. Welding of the high strength steels and high strength low alloy steels (HSLA) presents the challenge to the welding operation of knowing the specific material that is being used and the proper techniques that are required to make good quality welds in that material.

"One of the most common requirements for making good quality welds on these types of steels is the proper use of preheating," Barley explains. "Many of these steels require a specific preheat temperature and the proper application of that preheat. The lack of, or improper use of, preheating often is the cause of welding discontinuities. Another challenge to the welding operation is the proper identification of the material. Many products meet a given specification, but may require different welding techniques, depending upon which mill produced the material."

According to Barley, aluminum is the most common nonferrous material used for fabricated metal products. In the past few years, aluminum producers have done a lot to promote the use of aluminum by the automobile industry. Welding aluminum is not exceptionally difficult, but it is different than steel.