Delphi Technologies Inc.

Delphi's Deformation Resistance Welding (DRW) enables designers and engineers to use tubed sheet metal instead of stampings as the building blocks for structures. Compared to conventional welding methods, DRW is quick, cost effective, reliable, and repeatable. This metal-joining technology allows designers to reduce part count and cost without sacrificing structural integrity or rigidity.

As the name indicates, DRW applies the heat and force of resistance welding to generate heat, with tooling designed to create the necessary deformation. This creates atomically bonded, solid-state joints through the heating and deformation of the two surfaces to be joined.

Melted and solidified weld nuggets may also be obtained through the use of more weld pulses. This process is easily automated and creates near instantaneous, leakproof joints with uniform circumferential strength capable of holding fluids and gases.

Using resistance welding rather than TIG or MIG welding, designers can quickly create dependable joints cost effectively. Resistance welding has traditionally been used to join overlapping sheet metal members. The connection is formed by the solidification of the molten metal where the members meet. Compared to brazing, tube joining with resistance welding more quickly and efficiently creates leak-tight joints.

Benefits

• Allows the welding of similar or dissimilar material joints efficiently and economically
• Provides the ability to join different types of metals with solid state bonds in a variety of configurations, including 
• Tube-to-sheet
• Tube-to-tube
• Tube-to-solid 
• Creates atomically bonded joints through the heating and deformation of the mating surfaces 
• Creates a weld in a reliable, repeatable fashion, and at significantly lower costs when compared to conventional brazing, traditional MIG and TIG welding, and laser welding
• Can be used with tubular structures welded with sheets and/or solids as well as other configurations
• Costly stampings and adhesives can be eliminated
• No filler material required
• Lowers materials and capital cost
• Strong construction forms near instantaneous, full strength welds and can create a joint stronger than the original metal 
• Creates leak-tight joints with uniform circumferential weld strength capable of holding fluids and gases
• Tubes can be bent into desired shapes by hydroforming, an economical process in which a tube is placed in a mold and filled with fluid 
• Process is easily automated  to help cut cost investment in time and material
• Reduces welding cycle time and cost in manufacturing an array of structures built with hollow members
• Enhanced design flexibility enabling new structural approaches
• Compliant with American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for tube to tube and heat exchanger manufacturing — case #2463

Typical Applications

Delphi's Deformation Resistance Welding can be used for welding operations in manufacturing and industrial industries for tubular structures and hydro forms to help eliminate die stamping. It is also viable alternative to conventional brazing. Potential applications include:

• Heat exchangers/chillers
• Medical devices
• Load-bearing structural applications like bridges
• Water heaters
• Fluid based mechanical systems including plumbing
• Mobile space framesComputer cooling systems
  

DRW can also be used in the transportation industry for frames in motorcycles, recreational vehicles, bicycles, wheelchairs, and more. It enables quick changes of styles and designs that benefit from tube construction, and can be used for the following applications:

• Chassis/suspension
• Roof frames
• Cross-car beams
• Exhaust systems
• Chassis module assemblies

Classification

Manufacturing Processes & Logistics: Assemblies

Patent Number

7,323,653  Deformation resistance welding of sheet metal, tubes, and similar shapes

Inventors

Ananthanarayanan; Venkatasubramanian, Herbst; Desra N., Ramachandra; Dharmendra M.

Heat Exchanger

New Joint Design

Tim Forbes
[1] 248.813.8065
timothy.forbes@delphi.com