Welding in Automotive Industry: Skills, Training and Careers

Note: This article is based on inputs from Mr. Raghavan Chellappan, Segment Management National, Fronius India Private Ltd.

Hundreds of vehicles we see every day have several welds underneath. Welding in the automotive industry is extremely crucial as it is directly related to the safety of passengers. Apart from safety, clean and strong welds are an important part of a vehicle as it improves its appearance and reliability.

Automotive welding requires highly skilled welders to perform various welds, to fix cracked vehicle panels, damaged fenders, welding exhaust on cars or rusted metal, etc.

Let us explore skills, careers, technology, and safety tools and equipment in automotive welding.

Skills required by automotive welders

The automotive industry is one such industry that works on quick and precise solutions. Therefore, automotive welders are also required to be just on time and respond immediately. The automotive welders need to use specific welding techniques like Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding, Plasma Arc Welding (PAW), and Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding.

MIG welders have been popular in the automotive welding industry for their usefulness for quite a long time now. When it comes to auto body work, MIG (Metal Inert Gas) /MAG (Metal Active Gas welding is really effective. It is a popular choice for automotive axles, chassis, and bodywork as it has the potential to weld both aluminum and steel.

Robotic MIG/MAG welding operators with the skills and knowledge in welding are highly in demand in this automotive sector. Welders with knowledge and experience about resistance welding types such as seam, spot, and projection welding are also extensively required in automotive industries.

Careers in automotive welding

The automotive industry needs Engineers for Design, Automation, Industry 4.0, Welding, and many other fields.

Apart from Welding Engineers, the automotive industry also needs:

• Welders

• Welding Supervisors

• Welding Technician

• Welding Maintenance Technician

• Robotic welding Technicians

• Resistance welding Technicians

• Welding Quality Managers/NDT Supervisors

• Welding Trainers

Relevance of automotive welders in times of technology disruptions

With advancements in technology and increased production quantity, welding needs to be automated using robotics and other advanced processes.

The automotive industry is using welding robots more than ever before. However, the automotive industry still needs skilled welders to work on specialized welding and to handle and supervise the welding robots. Skilled welders are needed to set the right parameters on the robots to ensure correct penetration and weld quality.

Welders might not need their hand skills in using the latest welding equipment and welding robots, but their welding knowledge will be of utmost importance. Welding knowledge of welder is needed to keep proper torch angle, to set right parameters to achieve flawless and right quality welding.

Also read: Welding in the Oil and Gas industry: Skills, Careers, and Challenges – Read more: https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/welding-in-the-oil-and-gas-industry-skills-careers-and-challenges/

Benefits of Fronius’ Perfect Welding in the automotive industry

In the automotive industry, welding galvanized steel presents unique challenges. Automobiles are expected to cost less, yet last longer – even in harsh weather and road conditions. Vehicle manufacturers are hard-pressed to find welding solutions that allow them to meet these demands while still increasing profitability.

Fronius has developed a welding system that helps the automotive industry with the specific challenges of welding galvanized steel. In the past, coated steels required slower travel speeds to burn through the coating and allow the vaporized zinc to escape the weld pool. Not anymore.

The Fronius TPS/i system can achieve speeds of 1m/min approx. 40+ inches per minute without using expensive, specialized consumables or additional hardware. This allows for higher speeds using standard solid wires and shielding gases.

The Fronius TPS/i welding system improves arc stability, travel speeds, and consistency. The system can be networked and monitored to fit your production needs.

Through software and electronics, Fronius designed a solution to meet these strict demands. Controlled ignition and arc stop, penetration stabilizers and programmable job settings all help ensure each weld meets the set standards.

Safety tools and equipment in automotive welding

With a lot of automation comes a lot of safety requirements. To address the safety needs of automotive welders Fronius has developed many safety gears like Fume Extractors, Auto-darkening helmets, along with collision sensors to ensure safety.

Does a career in automotive welding sound like it might be a good fit for you? Then you must join a welding training programme and develop your skills and expertise in the field to become an automotive welder. You can learn and develop a solid foundation in welding and then choose to pursue a job or continue specialized welding training.