Reduce car weight thanks to new welding technology

Honda has successfully developed a new technology that allows steel to be welded to aluminum. That would help reduce the car's weight by 25%.

Honda's steel-aluminum welding technology is set to be used for the 2013 Accord.

Prior to that, although some engineers had succeeded in welding steel - aluminum, the weld was not reliable because the two metals had different characteristics.

Auxiliary uses steel-to-aluminum welding technology
which reduces the weight of the vehicle by 25%. (Photo: Gizmag)

Using the same technique with friction welding technology, metal is connected by mechanical pressure, which will help the link between steel and aluminum is stable, high pressure.

Engineers at Honda say that welding with this technology makes the weld be as strong as metal welding with conventional inert gases.

The aluminum / steel sub-frame design with new technology is expected to reduce the weight of the vehicle by 25%. This will significantly reduce fuel consumption and increase vehicle performance.

In addition, the new welding technology reduces 50% of the power consumed during welding compared to metal welding by inert gas. The equipment used for welding is much more compact than machines used in friction welding. This technique can also be used to weld aluminum together without changing any hardware.

The non-destructive inspection system along with an infrared camera and laser camera will handle the quality inspection of all steel-aluminum welds.