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Fixture layout optimization for multi point respot welding of sheet metals

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An Erratum to this article was published on 21 June 2018

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Abstract

The high quality of welding in the automotive industry is achieved by proper positioning of the fixture elements. A new method, N-3-2-1 (N ≥ 1), is proposed for fixture layout optimization of sheet metals. The flexible nature of the sheet metals requires N+3 fixture elements to constrain it normal to the surface (primary plane), but 2-1 fixture elements for other two directions (secondary and tertiary). The objective function is to achieve high stiffness of the workpiece and is calculated in terms of strain energy. Finite element analysis (FEA) was combined with genetic algorithm. A method was also proposed to find the optimum fixturing position of the workpiece in multipoint respot welding operation. Two different kinds of case studies were solved and the performance of the proposed method was also tested in the industrial scenario by fixturing the workpiece and completing the respot welding operation with satisfactory results.

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  • 21 June 2018

    There is one correction to make to the original article.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering (SEN), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Management & Technology, C II Johar Town, Lahore, 54770, Pakistan

    Zeshan Ahmad & Tipu Sultan

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering (DIME), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

    Zeshan Ahmad, Matteo Zoppi & Rezia Molfino

  3. College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Prince Muhammad Bin Fahd University, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

    Muhammad Asad

Authors
  1. Zeshan Ahmad
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  2. Tipu Sultan
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  3. Muhammad Asad
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  4. Matteo Zoppi
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  5. Rezia Molfino
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zeshan Ahmad.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Young Whan Park

Zeshan Ahmad is currently Assistant Professor in Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering (SEN), University of Management and Technology, Lahore Pakistan. His Ph.D. was from University of Genoa, Italy in 2014. His M.S. in Mechanical Engineering was from Hanyang University, South Korea in 2010. His B.S. in Mechanical Engineering was from University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore Pakistan in 2006. His main research interests include CAD, finite element analysis, design and structural optimization.

Tipu Sultan is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Management & Technology C-II Johar Town Lahore, Pakistan. He has obtained his M.S./Ph.D. degrees from Hanyang University, Republic of Korea. His research interests include optimization of AOP reactor, UV reactor lamp configuration and roughness effects on UV reactors.

Muhammad Asad is a post graduate of INSA-Lyon, France. He is currently working as an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering Department, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University- Al Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Modeling & simulation of materials & processes are the areas of his research interest.

Matteo Zoppi is a Senior Researcher in Robotics at the University of Genoa, PMAR Robotics group. He is active in the areas of task oriented, inventive mechatronic design of robotic systems and development of methods for the analysis, synthesis and design of robotic and automation systems.

Rezia Molfino is the Director of DIME–PMAR Robotics Group. His research areas include robotics and intelligent automation, new mechatronic architectures, kinematic and dynamic modeling and simulation, manipulation and grasping, climbing and security robots.

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Ahmad, Z., Sultan, T., Asad, M. et al. Fixture layout optimization for multi point respot welding of sheet metals. J Mech Sci Technol 32, 1749–1760 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-018-0331-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-018-0331-5

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