Development of a hybrid production plant with application-oriented joining technology for low-distortion welding and subsequent milling and marking of sheet metal and extruded profiles

Funding: ZIM

Duration: Apr. 2019 – Mar. 2021

Abstract:
The goal of the project is to develop a hybrid machine concept for welding, milling, and marking large aluminum extruded panels with component dimensions of approximately 15x4m for the production of ship segments on a single machine. This will significantly reduce production times and costs. At the same time, by handling the entire manufacturing process in-house, material requirements can be significantly reduced, as the necessary material quantities and component dimensions can be tailored directly to customer specifications. Logistics and warehousing costs are also significantly reduced because the shorter process times allow production to be carried out directly in response to customer requests rather than “for stock.” Furthermore, to enable low-warpage welding in the future, the machine must be capable of welding the sheets using the friction stir welding (FSW) process. Specifically for this process step, the machine tool must be designed and further developed to be lightweight and highly rigid.