Spot Welding Pros And Cons
Is spot welding one of the options you’re exploring? We can help you reach an educated decision. We’ll do this by exploring the pros and cons of spot welding in auto parts manufacturing.
The Pros Of Spot Welding
Spot welding has many advantages. Here are the biggest ones:
1. Cost Savings
Spot welding is a low-cost process. This is because:
- Spot welding doesn’t need any fillers or extra materials
- Labor is affordable because spot welding can be done without any special skills
- Spot welding is a faster process than regular welding, as it’s automatic or semi-automatic
In the automotive parts industry, it’s important to save money wherever possible. Spot welding is a great way to save money without sacrificing the quality of your parts.
2. Versatility
Spot welding works with a variety of metals. You can spot weld two different metals together without any issues. You can’t say the same about regular welding. With regular welding, a lot of training and experience is needed to be able to make good welds. When spot welding, the welder does’t need much experience to create a high quality weld. That, and it’s quite difficult – if not impossible – to weld together two different metals like aluminum and copper. Spot welding can join together two different types of metal without distortion or warping. Here are two examples of spot welding being a great solution for challenging weld:
Tubing to brackets – this is typically a challenging weld because the tubing is usually thinner than the bracket.
Fuel line connections – these welds are challenging because tubing is thin, and the welds have to perfectly seal the joint so fuel doesn’t leak.
In both of these difficult situations, spot welding is ideal.
3. Uniform Joints
Great workmanship is almost a given with spot welding. It’s an automatic or semi-automatic process, there’s little to no room for human error. It’s easier to create very uniform joints with spot welding than with regular welding.
4. Ideal For Lightweight Materials
These days, automobiles are loaded with lightweight materials. Spot welding is the ideal way to weld together lightweight metals, like aluminum. It can be quite tricky to weld together lightweight metals. If you try to do it the traditional way, it’s easy to burn through the metal. Spot welding is a great way to weld aluminum and other lightweight metals without burning through.
The Cons Of Spot Welding
Spot welding comes with several drawbacks:
1. High Initial Costs
The spot welding process is cost effective. Yet, it can be expensive to get started. Spot welding equipment is more expensive upfront than conventional welding equipment. A substantial electrical supply is also needed. The good news is that you don’t have to worry about this problem if you’re contracting with a spot welding company. They already took care of the initial costs.
2. Not Ideal For Thicker Sheets Of Metal
Spot welding is the perfect way to weld together lightweight metals. What about thicker sheets of metal, though? Regular welding may be better. This isn’t too much of an issue when it comes to auto parts manufacturing. Lightweight materials are largely used in auto parts manufacturing. In fact, the average car contains about 5,000 spot welds.
The Importance Of Contracting With The Right Spot Welding Company
The best way to enjoy all the pros of spot welding is to contract with a quality spot welding company. One of the best ways to figure out if a spot welding company is a good fit is to ask them the right questions. We rounded up eight questions to ask a spot welding company that will help you determine if they’re a good fit. You can see these questions here.
Location matters a lot, too. You’d have a much better chance of finding a good quality spot welding company in Mexico than you would in an overseas country. Mexico is a great place to nearshore manufacturing for the reasons listed here. To sum it up, spot welding in Mexico is a great option because:
- Nearshoring to Mexico lets you save money on manufacturing and still get high quality spot welding services.
- Manufacturing in the US may get even more expensive.
- You’ll get to choose from a variety of inexpensive shipping options. (Overseas shipping has become so much more complicated and expensive.)
- The supply chain in Mexico is much shorter, meaning fewer delays and supply chain issues.
- The USMCA (the new trade deal) makes it easier and more cost effective to keep manufacturing within North America.
Intran is a reputable spot welding company in Mexico. We’ll be happy to meet your needs in the best, most cost effective way possible. Learn about our spot welding services here.