Abstract
Actions aiming to reduce energy consumption directly contribute to the reduction of manufacturing costs and carbon footprint while supporting manufacturing processes’ productivity. Resistance spot welding is relevant in the automotive sector. Due to its operational characteristics, this process has high energy consumption. Despite this fact, few studies have found to guide solutions for its reduction. In this sense, this study proposes a method to improve the resistance spot welding process’s energy performance without compromising its quality. This study applies statistical analysis (ANOVA) to support predictive models that characterise energy and quality performance. The statistical analyses confirmed and quantified the influence of the control factors in energy and quality performance indicators. The predictive models made it possible to anticipate energy consumption and quality behaviour from adjustments in the welding line process parameters studied in this paper. To fit the best compromise between energy consumption and quality, energy labels to classify the process’s energy performance were proposed. The best compromise solution for the studied process parameter ranges in this work was as follows: $${C}_{wel}$$ = 8 kA, $${T}_{wel}$$ = 8 cycles, and $${F}_{ele}$$ = 3.3 kN. This parameter combination results in a consumption of approximately 2 Wh per spot weld. Approximately 33% less than the average estimated consumption per spot weld in the automotive industry.
Highlights
Carbon footprints left by manufacturing industries increase as their consumption of electricity boosts [1]
To support the construction of the weldability lobe, required to develop a method to fit the best compromise between energy consumption and quality, this study proposed an indicator that quantifies the expulsion by analysing the dynamic resistance curve, already validated by Podržaj and Simončič [25] for low carbon steels
Control factors used in statistical analysis were the process parameters:
Summary
Carbon footprints left by manufacturing industries increase as their consumption of electricity boosts [1]. The continuous increase in energy consumption on a global scale, coupled with the rise in its cost pointed out by the International Energy Agency (IEA) [2] and the strengthening of public opinion inflate the industry’s concern to reduce the impacts of its manufacturing processes [3]. Daudt and Willcox [6] peak that the automotive industry stands out in the world panorama. It is responsible for the annual manufacture of more than 90 million cars in the last five years. In 2018 alone, 2.88 million motor vehicles were manufactured, using 3.8% of Brazil’s electricity consumption this year [8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
