MADISON, Ind., Sep. 29, 2015—Chief Automotive Technologies on Tuesday hosted a media event at its headquarters in Madison, Ind., to discuss joining technologies and advancements in welding techniques.
With CAFE standards that OEMs must meet by 2025, joining options have continued to rapidly evolve, said Richard Perry, OEM and strategic account sales manager. Advanced high-strength steels continue to evolve, meaning alternative joining methods need to be used, while aluminum-body vehicles may be assembled with rivets.
Perry discussed joining options from both a manufacturing and repair viewpoint, and focused on both current and future options, including resistance spot welding, rivets and hybrid joining.
And with 67 percent of the industry having not completed I-CAR’s welding training, according to recent data released by the organization, Perry said it is more imperative than ever that technicians receive the proper training and have the knowledge needed to ensure a proper weld.
Perry noted that while OEMs do distribute the repair information needed, it frequently does not reach technicians, creating an information gap that could lead to unsafe repairs.
