Car companies try to improve the product in features, safety, options, and more with every new model generation. The companies also try to upgrade their manufacturing processes and overall fit, finish, and model aesthetics. And over the years, the use of Aluminium is increasing in the auto industry due to its benefits. It has a lesser weight than steel, like 50% less than mild steel of the same size and application. Car companies can use the thicker aluminium panel to resist dent, which will only increase weight in the case of steel. Same is done in Honda Civic 2022 by the company. Let us discuss the benefits and disadvantages of Aluminium before discussing its use in the upcoming Civic.
Benefits of Aluminium
Aluminium can also absorb higher crash energy, and as far as car safety is concerned, the overall exterior shell can have larger crash zones. Furthermore, Aluminium is easier to mold into any required shape, has high tensile strength, and is more corrosion resistant comparing steel.
Besides using Aluminium for the body and frames, it is now used in suspension parts, engines, and other components. And the reason, it is lighter with a density of around 1/3rd of steel, hence a more lightweight vehicle, improving its performance, fuel economy, lower road noise, and harshness. It is also environmentally friendly, as you can recycle 90% of Aluminium in auto salvage.
Disadvantages of Aluminium
It is expensive comparing steel, and that’s why car companies can’t use it extensively in the automotive industry. In other words, it can’t fully replace the steel. Yes, most premium high-end vehicles use it for their entire body shells. Even the world’s most popular and highest selling Pickup truck, F-150, has a whole exterior body made of high-strength military-grade Aluminium still; it cannot take place of Steel, as yet.
Other disadvantages include special welding equipment and handling procedures at the assembly line, which has a higher upfront cost. Aluminium is also not cheap to repair, and you can’t use typical methods of repairing dents; it requires specialized training + equipment and, in many cases, would need the replacement panel. This means, in case of any unfortunate accident or damage to aluminium body panels, repair/replacement is not cheaper.
The new 11th generation Civic is already in production and for sale overseas. As we discussed several times, we here in Pakistan are very near to the launch of the 11th generation Civic, in fact, Honda Civic 2022 pre-booking has already started. Honda Atlas Pakistan Limited has also started the teaser campaign and recently shared another teaser talking about “Laser Brazed Roof. ” So, let’s go over the teaser and what does it mean and how it is connected with Aluminium.
Not Welded, Brazed
Although the 11th generation Civic is the evolution of the 10th, Honda did implement new technologies. The Civic XI will be the first Civic ever in history to have an Aluminium roof. And this means that a particular assembly line procedure as a conventional spot welding tool will not work in the case of Aluminium. Generally, a spot welding method is implemented in typical traditional steel roofing, and there is a ditch/ channel where the roof meets the side panels.
That is why you see plastic molding along the length of the roof on each side. The only purpose of this “GOLA,” as we know in our local language, is to hide/cover the gap because of the manufacturing requirements or hide any minor blemishes at seams of the roof to side panels.
In the case of an aluminium roof, it is not welded; instead, it is Brazed. The roof panels and side panels are filled with binding/ filler material and thus eliminate the ditch and resulting in a much smoother surface and transitions. Unlike welding, where the base materials are heated and joined, the panels are not heated in brazing, resulting in a much better fit and finish.
Furthermore, unlike spot welding, brazing also joins the two panels in continuity, which provides better seam, rigidity, and protection against dampness/ moisture. The use of brazing technology also helps in reduced work of finishing before the vehicle goes for paint. The process is faster and eliminates the plastic molding part from the supply chain.
This is done using very sophisticated laser-guided multi-axis robots, and it’s not a manual procedure. A very thin filler material in a shape of a wire around 1 to 3 millimeters thick is fed through the robot, and a laser beam melts it on the tip and fills the gap between the two panels. The joining material solidifies and results in a smooth joint. After the brazing procedure, another robot verifies the quality of joint work with the help of scanning to make sure the joints are correctly filled.
Next time you see a vehicle without plastic molding on the edge of the roof, this is probably because of a robotic brazing system. Brazing has various types of filler materials and can join a wide variety of materials with different properties.
No More Gola/Patti in Honda Civic 2022
So, you might not have noticed the elimination of “GOLA/ PATTI” on this Honda Civic 2022, and to us, it might be a simple thing, but in reality, there are very high tech robots at work behind the scene, making sure a much sleeker, seamless roofline comes out.
Brazing systems have been in use for a very long time and implemented by many companies around the globe. Honda Atlas has teased the brazing technique for use in the upcoming Civic, which is something developed by Honda global for the manufacturing/ installation of roof panels of Honda Civic 2022, although it has been using it in the current generation Accord for a few years now.
However, it will be interesting to see the rest of the built quality, fit & finish on the new Civic XI. I hope it improved over the previous generation Civic X, which had been in the constant limelight for questionable quality control.
Stay tuned to PakWheels for more updates on the upcoming new Honda Civic. Meanwhile, join Pakwheels Civic XI Thread.
