Sheet Metal Adhesive Assembly With Gap Spot Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for assembling sheet metal parts in the automobile industry face issues such as degradation of adhesive rigidity, toxic product release, and flash-type defects during electric spot welding, due to the burning of adhesives and poor electrical conductivity, which compromise the mechanical strength and rigidity of vehicle body parts.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the deposition of a discontinuous bead of glue on one sheet metal element, followed by spot welding at sections devoid of glue along the gluing line, allowing for the assembly to maintain geometry until the adhesive hardens, thereby avoiding adhesive burning and maintaining rigidity properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electric spot welding is performed through a continuous bead of adhesive, then the parts are fixed relative to each other during assembly, but the adhesive degrades and releases toxic products due to burning at welding temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous adhesive bead is segmented into discontinuous sections, creating gaps between adhesive portions. This segmentation allows spot welding to occur in the gap regions without direct contact with adhesive material, preventing thermal degradation and toxic emissions while maintaining fixing reliability through the distributed adhesive sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful adhesive material is extracted or removed from the welding zones by creating gaps in the adhesive bead. The adhesive is applied only in specific sections, leaving other sections free of adhesive for clean spot welding operations, thereby eliminating the source of toxic product release during welding.
2Reliability
If electric spot welding is performed through adhesive, then assembly fixation is achieved, but flash-type defects occur due to poor electrical conductivity of the adhesive
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive bead is divided into discrete sections with gaps between them. The welding electrodes contact the metal substrates directly in the gap regions where no adhesive is present, ensuring reliable electrical conductivity and preventing flash-type defects while the adhesive sections provide bonding functionality.
3Reliability
If electric spot welding is performed through adhesive, then parts are held immobile during assembly, but the rigidity of the adhesive joint decreases by 35%
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive bead is applied in a discontinuous manner with specific gap spacing optimized to maintain joint rigidity. The segmented adhesive distribution, combined with strategically placed spot welds in the gap regions, creates a hybrid joint that leverages both adhesive bonding and metallic welding strength, preventing the 35% rigidity loss observed with continuous adhesive welding.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively prevents adhesive degradation and toxic product release, ensuring the mechanical strength and rigidity of the assembly while eliminating flash-type defects and reducing material costs, ensuring a safer and more efficient assembly process.
Implementation Method 1
the glue being polymerized by points and the welding also being carried out by points using the same electrode but at different locations
Implementation Method 2
fixing by making spot welds to keep the two metal sheet elements immobile
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method of assembling two sheet metal elements (1, 1'), involving applying a bead of adhesive to a first element, assembling the second sheet metal element on the first and securing it by spot welds to hold the two sheet metal elements stationary before curing the adhesive. The invention consists in the fact that the bead of adhesive is applied discontinuously to the first sheet metal element (1) along an adhesive line and then, once the second sheet metal element (1') has been pressed against the first, the two elements (1, 1') are held fixed together by creating spot welds on sections of the discontinuous adhesive line that are devoid of adhesive.