8 Industry 4.0 in Welding
259
in this era, where a focused beam of electrons generated from a suitable source was
utilized for joining the metals. The major application of this welding technique was
in the automotive and aerospace.
Thus, it could be observed that, welding is one of the crucial manufacturing
processes, which underwent a continuous development for the advent of an efficient
and economic technique for joining metals. The recent developments in the history
of welding have been friction welding, laser welding and FSW. While both friction
welding and FSW belong to the category of solid-state welding method, laser welding
is a fusion welding technique. The successful use of laser was first reported for cutting
which was the inception of the idea for welding as well. The technique utilized a
concentrated beam of light impinged on a tiny spot so that the area absorbs the
light and becomes energetic resulting in the melting of the metals to be joined. The
major advantages of this welding technique include consistent quality, high precision,
high joining speed, etc. However, the cost incurred in the system poses a concern.
Nevertheless, laser welding has been a preferred joining method for automobile
manufacturing as it does not need any filler material, and thus, contributing to the
lightweighting of the component.
The friction welding is advantageous as it does not require filler material or
shielding gas; however, the geometry of the parts that can be joined limits its application. The FSW was introduced for welding aluminium alloys [10]. Lightweight
metals having resistance to corrosion, high thermal and electrical conductivity like
aluminium and magnesium became popular. Even, in the current scenario, these
metals are being explored in a wide manner in automobile and aerospace sectors,
where weight reduction is one of the prime objectives. Though GTAW and GMAW
were capable in welding these metals, both require several tricks to be followed
for achieving successful weldments. Alloys of aluminium and magnesium have low
melting points, high specific heat and latent heat of fusion, high thermal conductivity
and strong oxide layer [11]. It requires a great deal of exercise to select a proper filler
material, current and voltage settings, and arc length. FSW, on the other hand, has
been introduced as an easy and efficient method which utilizes the frictional heat
generated by a rotating tool which plunges inside the metals to be joined [12]. It
plastically deforms the materials and stirs them alongside the tool to create the joint.
Since it does not involve melting, it has relatively lesser heat than that of GTAW and
GMAW, which makes it easier for the alloys to get welded eliminating the difficulties
of porosity, hot cracking, softening of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) [13].
8.2.4 Industry 4.0 – the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The world maintains its pace with the advent of innovative technologies and growing
consumer needs for sustainable products. Industry 4.0 is the current industrial revolution which has brought several digital tools to be incorporated into manufacturing.
The crux of Industry 4.0 lies in the data accumulation and analysis. It refers to the
application of “Internet of Things” (IoT) and “Cyber-Physical Systems” (CPS) in
259
in this era, where a focused beam of electrons generated from a suitable source was
utilized for joining the metals. The major application of this welding technique was
in the automotive and aerospace.
Thus, it could be observed that, welding is one of the crucial manufacturing
processes, which underwent a continuous development for the advent of an efficient
and economic technique for joining metals. The recent developments in the history
of welding have been friction welding, laser welding and FSW. While both friction
welding and FSW belong to the category of solid-state welding method, laser welding
is a fusion welding technique. The successful use of laser was first reported for cutting
which was the inception of the idea for welding as well. The technique utilized a
concentrated beam of light impinged on a tiny spot so that the area absorbs the
light and becomes energetic resulting in the melting of the metals to be joined. The
major advantages of this welding technique include consistent quality, high precision,
high joining speed, etc. However, the cost incurred in the system poses a concern.
Nevertheless, laser welding has been a preferred joining method for automobile
manufacturing as it does not need any filler material, and thus, contributing to the
lightweighting of the component.
The friction welding is advantageous as it does not require filler material or
shielding gas; however, the geometry of the parts that can be joined limits its application. The FSW was introduced for welding aluminium alloys [10]. Lightweight
metals having resistance to corrosion, high thermal and electrical conductivity like
aluminium and magnesium became popular. Even, in the current scenario, these
metals are being explored in a wide manner in automobile and aerospace sectors,
where weight reduction is one of the prime objectives. Though GTAW and GMAW
were capable in welding these metals, both require several tricks to be followed
for achieving successful weldments. Alloys of aluminium and magnesium have low
melting points, high specific heat and latent heat of fusion, high thermal conductivity
and strong oxide layer [11]. It requires a great deal of exercise to select a proper filler
material, current and voltage settings, and arc length. FSW, on the other hand, has
been introduced as an easy and efficient method which utilizes the frictional heat
generated by a rotating tool which plunges inside the metals to be joined [12]. It
plastically deforms the materials and stirs them alongside the tool to create the joint.
Since it does not involve melting, it has relatively lesser heat than that of GTAW and
GMAW, which makes it easier for the alloys to get welded eliminating the difficulties
of porosity, hot cracking, softening of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) [13].
8.2.4 Industry 4.0 – the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The world maintains its pace with the advent of innovative technologies and growing
consumer needs for sustainable products. Industry 4.0 is the current industrial revolution which has brought several digital tools to be incorporated into manufacturing.
The crux of Industry 4.0 lies in the data accumulation and analysis. It refers to the
application of “Internet of Things” (IoT) and “Cyber-Physical Systems” (CPS) in