Why Automotive Spot Welding Is More Popular Than Ever
Spot welding is becoming a quite popular method in automotive parts manufacturing. If you want to learn more about what spot welding is and why it’s popular, you came to the right place.
What Is Spot Welding?
Spot welding isn’t like traditional welding (or brazing). Rather, it’s a method that uses electric current to fuse together metal pieces. Here’s how it works:
- Put two pieces of sheet metal together like a sandwich. Unlike a sandwich, there’s no filling.
- Apply current to the pieces with fitted copper electrode welding guns. (The two pieces of sheet metal generate heat by acting as a resistance to the electric current flow. As a result, the two metals liquefy and then fuse together.)
The process sounds complicated, but it’s quite simple.
Spot Welding Is One Of The Best Ways To Join Together Metal
Here’s a fun fact: spot welding is the oldest welding method. It’s also one of the best ways to join together metal for these reasons:
- Spot welding is among the most affordable options. (This method doesn’t need any extra metal or fillers and can be performed without any special skills, thus labor is affordable.)
- Spot welding is a fast process compared to any other welding method.
- Spot welding strengthens the work pieces.
- When you join together thin aluminum parts, only spot welding can weld the material without burning through it.
- It’s impossible to distort or warp the material with spot welding.
These are among the reasons why spot welding is booming in automotive parts manufacturing.
Which Car Parts Need Spot Welding?
Spot welding in auto parts manufacturing is huge. You can spot weld many different materials. When done right, spot welding creates very strong parts.
Here’s a fun fact: a car body contains about 5,000 spot welds. Pretty much all the parts within a car require spot welding. Automakers use spot welds in the entire production line of building a car. Some of the most common examples of parts that are attached with spot welds include:
- Door frames
- Fenders
- Car doors
- Hoods
Spot welding is very versatile process. In addition to the parts mentioned above, spot welding can be use to attach tubing to brackets, and can even make fuel line connections.
Spot Welding Is Perfect For Lighter Materials
Have you noticed that modern vehicles are much lighter than those made 50 years ago? Automakers are always looking for ways to decrease the weight of their parts. Using lighter materials to build car parts is so beneficial in many different ways. For example, lighter materials:
- Are cheaper.
- Improve the vehicle’s mileage.
- Improve the vehicle’s handling.
- Improve acceleration.
- Improve braking.
- Are easier to spot weld. (Thinner metal that’s spot welded is stronger than thicker metal that’s spot welded.)
Finding The Right Spot Welding Company To Contract With
When it comes to spot welding, quality is everything. Not all spot welding companies are created equal. We put together a set of questions to ask spot welding companies to help you decide on the best one for your company.
Spot welding in Mexico is a great option. It’s much easier, safer, and more affordable to contract with a Mexican manufacturer than with an overseas manufacturer. This post has some good reasons why nearshoring to Mexico is a great option.
At Intran, you will find high quality spot welding services. Feel free to contact us to learn more about our spot welding services.