Arplas applications
Arplas currently provides a wide variety of welding-applications for the production of passenger cars, mainly in the following areas:
Small flanges
Applied in door headers and door openings. The technology allows for flanges of only 4.0-4.5 mm instead of the traditional 15 mm, thus leading to a larger glass opening and reduced blind spot as well as lower vehicle mass.
Primary surfaces
Applied in closures (doors, hoods, trunk lids) where inner and outer panels are hemmed together. The technology provides excellent stability of the shape of the parts while leaving the outer surface (directly exposed to the customer) blemish free. This leads to better fit in the car body and less rework.
Secondary surfaces
Applied in area’s that become exposed to the customer after opening closures, especially the trunk lids and doors. The technology provides excellent perceived quality (no visible welds after painting) and avoids the use of expensive covers thus cutting operational costs.
The System
The ArpLas System is implemented as a two-step operation. First Arplas Dimpling Systems are used to produce a dimple in one of the two parts to be joined.
After bringing the two parts together ArpLas Welding Systems actually weld the two parts together. These systems are built around four different system components:
– Arplas Dimple
– Arplas Head
– Arplas Transformer
– Arplas Controller
The Arplas Dimple is designed to guarantee structural welds between the parts, while leaving the non-dimpled part blemish free.
The Arplas Head is designed to guarantee a fast follow up, which is required to keep the weld force constant during the formation of the weld.
The dedicated low inductance Arplas Transformer is designed to allow the current to reach its peak value within a very small time frame.
Finally the Arplas Quality Certification System is used to set parameters, measure the current and verify and document the weld that is produced by The ArpLas System.
Both systems are available for fixed tooling and robotic handled production applications. They can easily be integrated in tailor made production lines for specific car models developed by automotive assembly line builders.
