Technologies and Process Expertise

Bonding | Sealing

Dispensing applies materials like glue, sealant, and foam to automotive parts, creating strong, precise joints. Typical systems combine a robot, nozzle, and dozer to control flow, shape, and placement. As material mix grows, gluing is on the rise across bodyshops. ABB set the industry benchmark with its Integrated Dispensing Function Package, delivering outstanding quality and cycle time performance.

 

Advantages

• Easy joining of different materials
• Increased stiffness due to the glue in between parts.
• Does not damage the part unlike welding or piercing.
• Forms a seal between parts – to block moisture, and helpful in preventing corrosion
• Helps in reducing noise & vibration of the car body (glue becomes a damping agent).

Laser cutting

Laser cutting is a non-contact process that uses a laser beam to cut ferrous materials < 6mm thick. This technology is commonly used for upper car and truck body parts, A pillars and B pillars.

For outstanding results, we recommend to use ABB Industrial robots (superior path performance) with our user-friendly laser cutting software ABB RobotWare Cutting. From individual robotic cells to in-line body-in-white application, call ABB today to discuss your Laser Cutting requirements.

 

Advantages

• High quality of cutting edges
• Low heat input into the material
• High processing speeds
• Low investment cost (up to 35% lower investment cost than traditional 5-axis laser-cutting machine)
• Possibility to eliminate existing operations
• Ease of integration and flexibility

Mechanical Joining Techniques

Clinching: A high-speed joining method for sheet materials where a semi-tubular rivet is driven between a punch and die, piercing the top sheet and flaring into the lower sheet to form a strong mechanical interlock.

 

Flexible table top hemming: ABB’s modular Table Top Hemming improves hemming quality and speeds up body-in-white production, cutting cycle times by up to 50%.

 

Flow Drill Screwing: FDS fastens multiple parts using heat from friction. The modular unit integrates with the robot controller, ensuring accurate positioning and consistent torque and depth with sensor feedback.

 

Robotic hemming: Standard robots with roller hemming heads follow the contours of sheet metal flanges, folding them precisely over inner panels for high-quality, repeatable results.

 

Self-Piercing Riveting (SPR): A fast, reliable technique where a rivet pierces the top sheet and flares into the lower sheet, creating a secure mechanical lock without pre-drilling.

Thermal Joining Techniques

Spot Welding: Resistance spot welding joins metal sheets by applying pressure and electric current through copper electrodes. The current heats and melts the metal at the contact point, creating a strong weld. It is commonly used for sheet thicknesses between 0.3 and 6 mm.

 

Laser Welding: Laser welding uses a concentrated laser beam as a heat source, producing narrow, deep welds at high speed for precise and efficient joining.

 

Laser Brazing: Laser brazing joins metals by melting a filler material with a lower melting point than the base metals. Widely used for visible joints like tailgates, roof seams, and C-columns, ABB’s experience ensures best-in-class solutions.

 

Arc Welding: Arc welding creates an electric arc between an electrode and base material to melt and join metals. MIG welding of aluminum is common in lightweight car manufacturing, especially for castings, extrusions, and sheet parts.

 

Remote Laser Welding: Remote or “welding on the fly” combines a robot with fixed or scanning optics to focus the beam on the workpiece. It enables fast, high-quality welds for components such as car doors.

 

Stud Welding: Stud welding joins a fastener or nut to a metal base using an arc. The stud itself acts as an electrode, creating durable joints often used on flat plates.