Body-in-White

How Body-In-White production can bring car manufacturing to a new level

 

From Sub-Assemblies to Complete Bodyshop

The world is changing fast. Options are now so vast that each car become unique and individual. Car manufacturers have to implement innovative production processes to meet consumer needs while making sure they invest in efficient, flexible and cost effective Bodyshops.

At ABB, we believe that our global experience combined with state-of-the-art technologies and our modular solutions will help you to meet your manufacturing goals today and tomorrow. Contact us now to discuss your bodyshop needs.

 

Body-in-White solutions

FlexFramer

Compact, Flexible and cost effective robotic framing solution
FlexLifter

Lifting and rotation function for your parts
FlexPLP - IRPLP050

Flexible Programmable Positioners for your parts
FlexPLP - IRPLP220

Flexible Programmable Positioners for your parts
GateFramer

The most flexible and modular car framing solution for random production up to 6 car models
Integrated Dispensing Function Package

Integrated robot gluing and sealing system
IRB 6700 robots family

The perfect robot series for your bodyshop
ModulFlex

For sub-assemblies and bodysides, ModulFlex maximizes your return on investment while providing flexibility
Robot Spot Welding Functional Module

Robot packages for high quality and high performance spot welding
Roller Hemming Head

Flexible and cost effective hemming
Track Motions

Greatly extends the robot's working area, enabling the same robot to serve many machines, and so minimizes the number of robots required
Ultrasonic Spot Welding Quality Inspection

A complete automatized ready-to-use solution for quality inspection of spot welds based on ultrasonic technology.

 

Technologies and Process Expertise

Bonding / Sealing
Laser Cutting
Mechanical Joining Techniques
Thermal Joining Techniques

Dispensing process is used to apply various materials (glue, sealant, mastic, foam etc.) on automotive parts. Adhesives create stable joints between the individual parts.

Typical dispensing equipment is composed of a robot, nozzle, dozer and an unloader pump unit. The nozzle is the spraying tool, while the dozer controls the quantity of glue material applied to the part. Robot path & speed is controlled together with the dozer & nozzle to apply glue at correct places, and in right shape & quantities.

Gluing is increasing in all types of automotive bodyshops; also due to increasing in material mix.

ABB has set up the industry benchmark by developing the first integrated dispensing solution - Integrated Dispensing Function Package - which provides outstanding performance results both from a quality and cycle time stand point.

Integrated Dispensing Function Package

Learn more
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 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.

Cutting software

Learn more
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

Clinching: Self-piercing riveting (or punch riveting) is a high-speed mechanical joining technique for point joining of sheet material components. A semi-tubular rivet is driven into the materials to be joined between a punch and die in a press tool. The rivet pierces the top sheet and the die shape causes the rivet to flare within the lower sheet to form a mechanical interlock.

Flexible table top hemming: ABB’s Table Top Hemming provides a flexible and modular solution to improve hemming quality and increase body-in-white production speed. This can reduce traditional table top hemming cycle time by up to 50 percent.

Flow Drill Screwing: Flow Drill Screwing (FDS) is a method of fastening a plurality of parts together with the aid of heat from friction. The Flow Drill Screw driving system is a modular, self-contained unit, which interfaces directly with the robot controller to ensure accurate and repeatable positioning. It uses a sensor system to ensure that each screw is inserted with consistent torque and depth.

Robotic hemming: Robotic Roller hemming combines standard industrial robots equipped with a standard roller hemming head that follows the contour of the outer flanges of a sheet metal component, optimally hemming it over an inner panel which is precisely nested in a die.

Self-Piercing Riveting (SPR): Self-piercing riveting (or punch riveting) is a high-speed mechanical joining technique for point joining of sheet material components. A semi-tubular rivet is driven into the materials to be joined between a punch and die in a press tool. The rivet pierces the top sheet and the die shape causes the rivet to flare within the lower sheet to form a mechanical interlock.

Spot Welding: Resistance Spot welding is a process in which contacting metal surfaces are joined by the heat obtained from resistance to electric current. Work-pieces are held together under force exerted by electrodes. Typically the sheets are of the order the 0.3 to 6 mm thickness range. The process uses two shaped copper alloy electrodes to concentrate welding current into a small "spot" and to simultaneously clamp the sheets together. Forcing a large current through the spot will melt the metal and form the weld.

Laser Welding: Laser welding is a welding technique used to join multiple pieces of metal through the use of a laser. The beam provides a concentrated heat source, allowing for narrow, deep welds and high welding rates.

Laser Brazing: Laser Brazing or Laser Soldering is a metal-joining process in which two or more metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a filler metal into the joint, the filler metal having a lower melting point than the adjoining metal. Laser brazing is increasingly employed for visible joints in areas such as tailgates, roof joints, and C columns. ABB’s strong experience in laser brazing solutions ensures that you get best-in-class facility that meet all your requirements.

Arc Welding: Arc welding uses a welding power supply to create and maintain an electric arc between an electrode and the base material to melt metals at the welding point. Aluminum parts have been largely been joined by means of MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding In lightweight car manufacturing. This technique is principally used to make joints between castings and extruded sections, as well as sheet-metal parts.

Remote Laser Welding: Remote laser welding or, “welding on the fly”, combines a robot with either a fixed (shown) or scanning optic welding head to position the focused laser beam on the workpiece. It takes only a few seconds to join components, such as car doors, with high integrity laser welds.

Stud Welding: Stud welding is a technique similar to flash welding where a fastener or specially formed nut is welded onto another metal part, typically a base metal or substrate. Stud welding, also known as "drawn arc stud welding", joins a stud and another piece of metal together by heating both parts with an arc. The stud is usually joined to a flat plate by using the stud as one of the electrodes.

 

How we help our customers

ABB’s cutting-edge automation solution for BJEV’s latest EV manufacturing facility
Automotive Body in White Assembly at Changan-Ford China
46 seconds to assemble a car!
Building car parts in seconds

 

Discover our portfolio

WebShop
All robots
Controllers
RobotStudio
Service

 

Loading documents