IIW White Paper

9 Needs and challenges of major industry sectors for future applications

9.6.1 Industry trends The most important factor which affects the welding in the automotive sector is the need to reduce CO 2 emissions in exhaust gases to fight global warming. The role the sector plays in reducing exhaust CO 2 gas include: Improvement of combustion efficiency. Reduction of vehicle weight. Reduction of loss of efficiency through friction. Among these items which achieve savings in fuel consumption, weight reduction is the area where welding technology contributes the most, though weight reduction does not completely equate to the reduction of exhausted CO 2 gas. Recent trends show initial weight reductions counteracted by the addition of further equipment to improve driver comfort and convenience, particularly for distance driving, or by the addition of collision safety equipment. The recovery rate of recycling waste material was raised considerably in the 1990s, though welding technology has not a great contribution to this field. There has been investigation of joining techniques which are reversible, but not much application has been found, particularly as it is difficult to balance the remaining life of each part of the vehicle. Recently the safety of the body structure of vehicles has been improved from the conventional structures where the impact is absorbed locally, to an advanced structure for dispersing the impact to the whole body. This countermeasure caused increased body weight, so compatibility between weight reduction and impact absorbability is needed. In the automotive market in Japan, it seems two trends have emerged lately. The first is the growth in the use of the mini car which is believed to be related to the increase in the number of advanced age drivers and female drivers, and these factors will be steadily intensified for the future. The next phenomenon is a change of mind among the young who enjoy personal computer or display games at home and regard the automobile as merely a measure of mobility. These trends suggest that one must reconsider the strategy and the role of the automobile in human life. With reference to mass production, the optimum structures in the world are grouped in many automotive makers. The growing markets of BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, China), which are thought to be some of the biggest markets in the future, are increasing steadily. To achieve smooth operation in these countries, it is important that a simple technique which is common to all countries should be prepared and standardised. Furthermore, the price advantage over other makers is also important in these newly-emerging entry car markets. The US automotive industry is facing numerous challenges from many fronts. The first major challenge automakers are facing is addressing the energy and environmental issues related to their products. Federal, state and international governments are threatening to place huge hurdles in front of automakers through increased Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, fuel taxes and tightened CO 2 emissions standards. In many cases, there are no market friendly solutions to these hurdles with today’s technology. Some OEMs are now suggesting that a gas tax is the best way to change consumer behaviour. Both federal governments and insurance organsations are continually raising safety standards. Over the last few years, most North American automakers have focused on addressing the pending roof crush standard which increases the required strength levels by more than 50%. Beyond roof crush, other regulations such as new front and side impact standards are increasing the performance standards for the vehicle’s structure. No longer is safety merely a government compliance issue, but a loss of an insurance institute 5 star rating directly relates to a drop in sales.

117

Through Optimum Use and Innovation of Welding and Joining Technologies

Improving Global Quality of Life