Some of the terms used in our day-to-day work are explained here.
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- Assemblies
An assembly consists of several individual components that are jointed together by means of various joining processes (e.g. pillar A).
- Automotive industry
The automotive industry is a branch of heavy industry that is dedicated to the production of cars and other motor vehicles.
- Automotive supplier
An automotive supplier supplies car manufacturers with individual components (e.g. sheet metal parts and bolts) or whole assemblies (e.g. preassembled dashboards).
- Body structural parts
The shell of a vehicle consists of a number of individual body structural parts created by forming manufactured sheet metal parts with three-dimensional forming and sheet geometry.
Stamping: a part where a given geometry is punched from a strip (coil) using a tool.
- Coil
Coil is the term for a sheet wound up into a reel. This is the usual form for transporting sheet metal between steel manufacturers and the processing industry (e.g. automotive industry).
- Forming
Forcing of a defined shape onto a hardened (processed) material in its hot or cold state. The mass and adhesion are retained (rolling, pressing, forging).
- Forming technique
The technique (rolling, pressing, forging) that forces a material in its hot or cold state into a defined shape.
- High-strength sheet steels
Sheets with strength > 500 N/m2 from which components for the shell of a vehicle are produced. Due to their high strength properties, the thicknesses of the material can be reduced compared to less strong material qualities, thus cutting the weight on the vehicle.
- Joining
The term joining is used in manufacturing to describe the permanent joining of at least two components. The joining means that the adhesion between the previously separate work pieces is created locally - i.e. at the joins and the shape is altered to form the newly created part.
- Joining technique
The joining technique describes the process of joining moulded sheet metal parts by means of welding and assembly techniques in order to obtain an assembly as the end product (e.g. setting rivet nuts and bolts, applying sealing foam etc.). This includes spot welding, inert gas shielded arc welding, lasing and projection welding.
- Moulded parts
Parts that have been put into a defined shape by means of a forming technique (rolling, pressing, forging).
- Moulded sheet metal parts
The three-dimensional components made from sheet metal through sheet-metal forming.
- Sheet-metal forming
The manufacture of three-dimensional components made of sheet metal.
One of the most important processes in sheet-metal forming is deep-drawing. This process is based on forming with surface attachment where a hollow body that is open on one side is produced from a steel sheet billet - e.g. a car door.
- Simulation of drawing
The simulation demonstrates the corresponding forming process using a suitable program. This enables problems such as material accumulation, the formation of folds and cracks any tendency of a part to crack if a certain material is used to be identified in advance. Appropriate corrective measures can then be taken in the testing phase so that time and money is saved in the subsequent production of the tools.
- System assemblies
Consists of several individual sheet metal parts or modules that are joined to form a unit, e.g. complete dashboard with module bracket, outer skin and instruments.
- Ultra-high-strength sheet metals
Sheets with a strength > 1,200 N/m² which are largely shaped using only hot forming.
