The course main objective is the study of the main manufacturing processes used for producing goods for the automotive industry. Theory and problems, illustrated during lectures, will provide students with basic knowledge to address the choice of the manufacturing technique and the selection of process parameters.

At the end of the course students will know the main manufacturing techniques used in the automotive sector and will have the know-how to define the adequate manufacturing plan as function of product and productivity. It is expected that the student will be able to evaluate manufacturing methods and develop new approaches from the perspectives of time reduction and improvement of both quality and competitiveness.
At the end of the course students will:
• Have the knowledge of manufacturing processes for the automotive industry
• Plan, program, manage the production
• Exploit CAD-CAM techniques
• Apply these techniques to case studies

Students who attend the course must have knowledge of technical drawing, physics, technology of metals. Computer skills are required.

• Introduction to manufacturing processes (50 hours)
o Classification of manufacturing processes
o Materials for automotive applications
o Production indicators
• Casting techniques
o Main issues: solidification of metals, shrinkage and risers, gating system
o Expendable mold casting processes
o Permanent mold casting processes
• Forming processes
o Fundamentals of theory of plasticity
o Bulk deformation processes:
- Rolling
- Drawing
- Extrusion
- Forging
• Machining processes
o Fundamentals of material removal processes
o Tool materials
o Turning operations
o Drilling operations
o Milling operations
o Grinding processes
o Wear of tools, Taylor’s tool-life equation
o Economics of machining
• Assembly and joining processes (50 hours)
o Sheet metal forming
o Welding processes and automotive applications
o Tolerance chain management
o Laser welding
o Capacity discharge welding
o Medium-frequency welding
o Taylor welded blanks
o Flexibility (robot gate evolution)
o Mechanical joining techniques: self-piercing riveting, clinching, adhesives, hybrid techniques
• Painting in the automotive sector
o Corrosion protection
o Fundamentals of painting plants and transport systems
o Methods and Cycles
• Plastics: molding, welding, coatings, and assembly techniques
• Assembly in the automotive sector
o Components of a joint
o Screwing, preload
o Tightening strategies
o Screwdrivers
o Assembly line analysis
o Saturation, balancing
o Assembly subgroup
• Robots in the automotive sector
• Virtual Engineering, Manufacturing systems simulation
• Students will be divided in Teams and every Team has to study and develop a specific subjet given by the Teacher ( Technological Game ) on the basis of Lectures contents

During lectures practical problems will be analyzed and solved. A CAM software will be used as tool for machining process planning. At the end of the course a report must be produced; its evaluation will account for 20% of the final grade.

PowerPoint slides presented during lectures will be provided as lecture notes.
Text books:
M.Santochi e F. Giusti, "Tecnologia meccanica e studi di fabbricazione", Editrice Ambrosiana
S. Kalpakjian, S.R. Schmid. "Manufacturing processes for Engineering Materials", Fifth Edition, Prentice Hall

The exam will be done on the basis of :
• Written Test
• Presentation and discussion of the Technological Game to evaluate point 3-4-5 of Dublin Protocol
• Presentation of the results coming from Lab Activities
• Final Discussion and comments on written Test and final score