Welding experiments were conducted using test pieces in order to determine the arc current, arc voltage, and forecasted amount of distortion, which are conditions for the automatic welding process when fabricating two-wheeled vehicle bodies for preproduction. A database was created from the experimental results. Empirical formulas were derived from this database and used to calculate arc current and arc voltage. These calculation results were taken as the basis for establishing a method of forecasting heat shrink. These methods enabled the setting of processing conditions without the use of a two-wheeled vehicle body for welding tests. They further enabled the implementation of development testing using mass-production equivalents in the initial stages of development. As a result, early decisions on the design specifications for welded parts, shortening of preproduction vehicle fabrication schedules, and reduction of development costs were achieved.
Article of Honda R&D Technical Review Vol.24 No.1 (105 - 114)