When the catch phrase "lightweight design" is used for the automobile production, it typically refers to passenger cars, rarely commercial vehicles. However, there is an enormous amount of potential for weight reduction and cost savings when considering the large, heavy parts needed for the drivetrain in trucks. Recently, a supplier in North America demonstrated the possibilities and benefits that a complete laser welding production system from EMAG LaserTec can provide. The commercial vehicle specialist currently uses an EMAG production system that welds three different parts together to manufacture a large truck differential - eliminating approximately 40 costly screwed connections. What type of processes take place in this production line? A Shell Commercial Vehicle Study predicts that the number of commercial vehicles on the road will continue to rise, very quickly, until 2040. The study claims that the number of new registrations in Germany each year will increase from the current 290,000, all the way up to 344,000, and that the rolling stock of vehicles will reach nearly 3.5 million in 2040 (currently 2.9 million). We will also continue to see the same push for energy efficiency in an effort to achieve climate goals, as well as political pressure on manufacturers to develop vehicles that are more economical. Based on this, a system that will allow manufacturers to achieve a lightweight design in the commercial vehicle sector will be a game changer. Many truck manufacturers have naturally been focusing on well-established light weighting systems from the passenger vehicle sector, that have allowed for massive cost savings with enormous decreases in weight - and that's precisely where laser welding comes into play.
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