Product category:
Welding, cutting and adhesive bonding
News Release from: Kemppi (UK) | Subject: BMW Mini
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 29 June 2007
Kemppi welding equipment for BMW Mini
production
Kemppi has supplied a large quantity of welding equipment to the BMW Group Oxford plant for use throughout their 'Body in White' production and all other areas of the Mini production
The units comprise Pro Evolution 3200 inverter based welding power sources and ProMig 530 Automotive wire feed units with MXE digital display control panels The Pro Evolution Automotive is a digitally controlled, software based, modular Synergic MIG/Pulse MIG/MIG Brazing system specifically designed for the automotive industry, to weld all weldable materials including aluminium, mild steel and stainless steel as well as special steels, where MIG brazing is used with a filler wire having a low melting point
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 9 May 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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The power source is rated 320A/13,3 kVA at 100% duty cycle with a maximum welding voltage of 46V at 300A, whilst the wire feed unit is able to feed 0.6mm - 2.4mm diameter wires using 4 feed rolls.
The BMW Group decided to use a multiple wire feed unit arrangement on the power sources to enable them to use standard mild steel wire reels and bulk mild steel MIG wires as well as CuSi MIG brazing wire so they could easily switch from MIG/pulse MIG welding to MIG brazing at the touch of a button.
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It also allowed them to improve their productivity as downtime is reduced.
For example, if the bulk MIG wire runs out, the welder switches to a standard reel whilst the bulk pack is changed and then switches back when it is ready.
The make up of the arrangements, whether 2 or 3 wire feed units, depends on where the equipment is being used.
Another factor BMW Group Engineers examined when deciding to use this arrangement was the cost savings in the number of power sources required.
The slim design of the equipment provided a smaller footprint alongside the production line and also reduced electrical power consumption.
BMW Group are currently using 0.9mm mild steel MIG welding wire and a 1.0mm copper based MIG brazing wire on materials which range from 0.8mm to 4mm thick.
The MIG Brazing wire is used to weld high strength steels, in water ingress areas including the sill and scuttle areas.
MIG brazing is currently widely used in car manufacturing to weld galvanized plates, because of its excellent corrosion prevention characteristics.
High strength steels are being used more and more by BMW Group as part of their programme to continually improve the strength, weight and safety on the Mini and all other models.
Kemppi PRO Evolution Automotive provides the welders at BMW Group with a choice of 5 different pre-set programmes.
These welding power settings are recalled from a remote control on the 4.5m torch.
The programmes are preset before the equipment goes on the production line and are then trimmed to suit the job.
John Frost, Director Sales and Marketing, Kemppi UK said: "As a welding machine manufacturing company, we have been closely linked with the automotive industry either through automotive manufacturing, crash repair, Formula 1 racing through a sponsorship agreement with the Etihad Aldar Spyker F1 team for the 2007 season and naturally being a Finnish company, with Rally Sport.
The Kemppi Pro Evolution Automotive has been specially designed for use in all aspects of car production and repair by our Finnish design engineers, with close co-operation with some of the leading car manufacturers including BMW Group.
The use of multiple wire feed units on a single power source was developed as part of the co-operation between Kemppi Engineers and BMW Group Engineers on the production line".
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