The unpainted, welded sheet metal sections that will serve as the framework for the remainder of the vehicle, including the motor, the chassis, and the cosmetic components, are referred to as the “Body in White” (or “B.I.W.” for short).
Services:
- Advances in welding setups can accommodate the entire body (Side body, underbody, Enclosures, etc.)
- Design of welding fixtures for use in both prototypes and full-scale production.
- Welding facilities for Geo and Respot are being built.
- The side space is up specifically for posing the body.
- Inspecting and changing the illumination.
- Reduced length of fixtures.
How to Define a Fixture?
A fixture is any device used in manufacturing to hold, place, and support the component. Fixtures are used to keep the parts in place during any process. The 3-2-1 rule must be adhered to.
To What Extent Does the 3-2-1 Rule Apply?
All six degrees of freedom are effectively locked by using the 3-2-1 method.
In the “3-2-1” principle of component holding, three of the component’s pins must be located on the first principle plane, which could be the XY, YZ, or ZX plane. There are also two pins in a second plane perpendicular to the first and the third pin in a fourth plane perpendicular to the first two. By employing this method, we can bind Components in all six of its movable joints.
Industrial Process:
Each vehicle goes through a multi-step assembly process, with its panels and body parts passing from one station to the next until they are complete and ready to ship.
During assembly, panels are moved from one location to another. Those are the sections that get the “Station” moniker.
As part of the BIW fixture design process, we use a series of stations to position the panels in preparation for the joining operations.
Some of these stations are:
- Geo Station.
- Respot Station
- Pedestal/ Riveting
- Loading
- the buffer zone
- Marriage Station
- Sealing Station
- Curing Station
- Geo Station
A tight geometrical restriction separates this station’s two halves. Joining methods like welding and riveting are equally applicable. Here, the precision and geometry of the final product are established. Precise positioning is required, as the tolerance on positioning pins is a tight 0/-0.15.
- Respot Station:
Spot welding or riveting will still be required once a product departs the Geo Station, but this work will no longer be done at the station. After that, the Re-spot station is where it will be located going forward.
- Pedestal Spot:
In this station, panels are welded using a Pedestal gun attached to a tool, which a human or a robot can operate.
The typical placement for a Re spot station is atop a pedestal.
Re-spotting and pedestal stations serve the same purpose. When picking between a pedestal and a re-spot station, it’s essential to consider elements including cycle time, floor space, number of welds, clamp configuration, and panel size.
- Loading
Panels are loaded here, and if necessary, their orientation can be modified here as well before continuing to the next station.
Robots can use this panel instead of attempting to relocate it to a new station.
- The buffer zone.
At this stage, we check that both processes are balanced.
Some stations can finish their processes more quickly than others.
In that instance, panels can be stored in a central area, allowing the production line to operate smoothly.
Conclusion
This is all about BIW. You can look for BIW Design Course Online or in your city to learn the subject for a thriving career.
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