New joining processes for new automotive metal-composite hybrid parts

IK4-IDEKO hosted, on 29th and 30th of September, the workshop of the European project METALMORPHOSIS after its first year of operation. The meeting was attended by representatives of the whole consortium: Centimfe, Cidaut, Stam, Toolpress, Tenneco, REGENERACIJA; BWI, Poynting, and IK4-IDEKO.
 
The need to reduce vehicle weight has, over the previous decades, led to a gradual reduction in the quantity of cast iron and plain carbon steel in vehicles and their substitution by high performance steels (stainless and high strength steels), light alloys (primarily aluminium) and plastics and plastic composites. To face this problem The European Commission granted the project to develop new joining methods for fast and cost-effective joining of composites with metals, which will improve the joint and product performance, based on the knowledge transfer from the electromagnetic pulse technology.

This will decrease or even eliminate the disadvantages associated with the traditional joining methods. The further development and further investigation of this relative new joining technology will expand its application range from joining of dissimilar metals to joining of dissimilar materials, in this case metals to composites, and will allow its transfer to the industry in the coming years.

The project will enable companies to manufacture new or complex products based on metals and composites, with an increased productivity and cost reduction by using these highly innovative joining techniques. Joining operations will be performed faster and more efficient, so more economic, due to a less expensive production process and a better guarantee of the quality.

Finally, the project will make the process specific advantages directly exploitable in industrial manufacturing for metal-composite components.