“Cheboksary Enterprise “Sespel” JSC, Cheboksary, Russia:

V. A. Bakshaev, Executive Officer
P. A. Vasilev, Leading Specialist, е-mail: sespel-new@yandex.ru

This article describes the practical results of application of fusion stir welding technology in the production chain of aluminum semitrailers at “Cheboksary Enterprise “Sespel” JSC. For the first time, there was mastered the welding of aluminum alloy АА5083 blanks (3000×3000×5 mm), designed for the production of largesized structural elements of semitrailers. Welding was carried out on the setting, produced by ESAB Company and modified by specialists from “Cheboksary Enterprise “Sespel” JSC. Welding processing methods were optimized. The carried out mechanical tests of samples of welding joints have shown that the tensile strength of the welding joint is not lower than the tensile strength of the basic metal. However, there was observed a considerable grain refinement in the weld joint zone. The fatigue tests' results were satisfactory. There was mastered the technology of rotary drawing of semitrailer tank bottoms of welded blanks on PNC 135 machine (Leifeld company). The structure of aluminum semitrailer, designed for bulk cargo transportation, is described with indication of fusion stir welding joints. According to the results of ESAB setting operation, there was designed and manufactured the welding equipment for aluminum sheet metal, produced in Russia. The purpose of this equipment is to get aluminum sheet blanks with final dimensions of up to 8000×8000×5 mm. Structurally, welding equipment consists of the body with vacuum tables and a console, moving along the body with welding head. The welding process includes cutting of weldable sheets' edges and their following welding in transverse and longitudinal direction. The size of obtained blank in transverse direction is not limited due to the console structure of welding equipment. Such size of blanks made it possible to refuse the welding during the production of semitrailer bodies. The welding labor intensity analysis is presented in this article in the context of the described semitrailer production.

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