Primary process: Resistance Spot Welding. The full route, materials, tolerances and design tips for a car body, with an indicative cost.
Resistance Spot WeldingPrimary process
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5Route steps
A car body is primarily made by Resistance Spot Welding. Resistance spot welding joins overlapping sheet metal by passing current through electrodes that heat and fuse a small nugget at each spot. Below is the full route to make a car body, the materials it suits, the tolerances to expect and the main design points. The route is free, from the finder.
Step by step
How a car body is made
The usual route, raw material to finished part. The amber step is where the car body gets its basic shape.
Prepare the parts
Make and clean the components the car body brings together.
Tooling None Tolerance ±0.125mm, to ±0.025mm Lead 1 to 10 days
Fit-up
Jig and align the parts, set the gap and tack where needed.
Resistance Spot Welding
Join the parts to form the car body.
Tooling Medium Tolerance joint Lead immediate
Clean and finish
Dress the joint, remove flux or spatter, and coat if required.
Inspection
Inspect the joint visually and, for critical work, by NDT or leak test.
Need the real cost for a car body? The free route above is yours. Unlock the full dossier to quote and source it.
General pointers. The full design-for-manufacturing list for a car body is in the dossier.
Welds too close / at edges.Respect spacing + edge distance.
Access for both electrodes.Design open flanges.
Cost
What a car body should cost
Fast sheet joining (auto bodies, enclosures); pennies per weld at volume, well suited to automation.
PER-PART COST vs VOLUME
Per-part cost drops as volume spreads tooling and setup over more parts. The exact figures for a car body at your volume, in your currency, are in the dossier.
MODEL EST.
$0.79 to 1.9per part at 100 off
A rough ballpark only. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency, with the full breakdown.
GET THE FULL DOSSIER
Everything you need to quote and source it
The free route above is yours. To actually put a number on a car body and buy it well:
Should-cost at your exact volume in 12 currencies, with the material, processing, tooling and overhead breakdown
Who to source from, typical MOQ and lead time, and the exact RFQ checklist to send
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A car body is primarily made by resistance spot welding. The route is: Prepare the parts; Fit-up; Resistance Spot Welding; Clean and finish; Inspection.
What does a car body cost?
It depends on size, tolerance and volume. As a rough ballpark it starts around $0.79 to 1.9 per part at 100 off and falls with quantity. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency. A model estimate, not a quote.
What material is a car body made from?
Common choices are Low-carbon steel sheet; Galvanised/coated; Stainless sheet.
What is the main process for a car body?
Resistance Spot Welding. High-volume sheet assemblies: car bodies, enclosures, racks and wire goods.
See the exact route and should-cost for your part
The free finder maps your part to its process and full route. Pro adds should-cost at your volume, sourcing and an RFQ draft.
