In automotive manufacturing, welding is one of the most fundamental aspects of production. It holds all the important pieces together. Proper scrutiny of the welding processes determines product quality, efficiency and functionality, all of which influence safety.
In today’s automotive industry, the CQI-15 standard is the key to scrutinizing welding processes. Published by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), the CQI-15 standard is the Continuous Quality Improvement – Special Process: Welding System Assessment. The standard is an annex to IATF 16949 and covers ferrous and nonferrous metals and applies to GMAW, resistance spot welding and laser welding.
Now in its second edition, the CQI-15 standard provides a common structure used by automotive OEMs and Tier 1 and 2 suppliers for evaluating and managing welding processes in their production facilities and services.
“The second edition has been out for about 10 years, but what’s new to everyone is now it’s a requirement, no longer just a want,” says Kevin Fleming, director, global transportation segment at Lincoln Electric. “The OEMs – the North American Big Three – are letting the Tier suppliers know that it’s no longer an option; it’s a requirement. When they sign the paperwork to take on the next cradle line or frame line, the supplier knows they have to meet this requirement.”
Achieving proper control
According to Fleming, the CQI-15 standard is a comprehensive audit covering all variations of welding to define control plans and documentation. Similar to ISO audits, everything is based on having the proper control plans and documentation that welding processes are done consistently and in a safe manner.
“From the welding perspective, the standard says welds that have a higher severity of detection rating must have control levels around that process,” he explains. “What that means – at a very high level – is that these are welds that are considered safety-critical, or, on a PFMEA – Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis – chart, they have a severity rating of seven to 10. That means if the weld was to fail, it could potentially cause harm to the person in the vehicle.
“From a GMAW welding detection standpoint, you must have limits set around these safety-critical welds for at least amperage, voltage, wire feed speed, and duration or length,” he continues. “In addition, you need some type of visual detection system. The visual detection system isn’t clearly defined. It doesn’t necessarily mean you need to automate with laser 3-D scanners, but that’s where the industry is headed today.”
Taking a common approach
With the adoption of the CQI-15 standard, the need for data collection is greater than ever. The standard requires suppliers and OEMs to follow a common approach to weld data collection and storage, traceability of weld ID, part number and serial number, and verification of parameters and flagging of any discrepancies.
When suppliers look for ways to meet CQI-15 requirements, Lincoln Electric’s Power Wave advanced welding platform and embedded weld data tools standardize an entire robotic welding operation. For each step in the welding process, the tools can automatically capture and record crucial weld data.
Fleming adds that real-time analysis happens for weld validation within the Power Wave.
“We can set limits on amperage, voltage and wire feed speed, and we’re monitoring those at 120 kHz internally to the Power Wave to see if an anomaly occurs,” he says. “If an anomaly does occur, it has to occur for a user-defined set period of time before we default the machine.”
Lincoln Electric makes data collection as straightforward as possible by allowing customers to utilize its CheckPoint cloud-based data collection system or integrate data to their on-premises production systems using MQTT or OPC UA protocols.
“With the Power Wave, we offer two paths to meet the CQI-15 standard,” Fleming says. “We give customers the opportunity to analyze data at a higher fidelity rate internal to the Power Wave where the results can be reviewed in CheckPoint, which is free to customers. We’re also using our own AI algorithms and machine learning, essentially making it easier for customers to meet the CQI-15 requirement. We’ll take care of everything behind the scenes. We’ll set the limits and boundaries – all they have to do is tell us the part number, serial number, seam number. We automate the process to make it easy for our customers to analyze the data because we already do all the hard work behind the scenes.
“With CheckPoint, I used to say it was like looking in the rearview mirror,” he adds. “We collected the data and looked at what occurred in the past. But with the new machine learning module we put into CheckPoint, it allows us to do analysis on the data to tell customers if they’ve had anomalies and inform them if there’s a potential defect.”
And because a part cannot be verified good or bad with weld data alone, there is a vision component, as well. Pairing CheckPoint with a 3-D scan of the weld provides not only a picture of the weld and any visual defects the system can’t detect, but it allows comparison to the actual signature of the weld to make sure that the proper heat is there to ensure proper penetration.
The second path to meet CQI-15 requirements is to integrate the data to the customer’s on-premise production system. Customers that want raw data can have it sent to them via the MQTT protocol at no cost.
“If customers want to have their own data lake and do their own AI or machine learning, we can send them all their raw data from the power source to their own systems,” Fleming says. “A lot of the big players have their own software people with a lot of talent so they want the raw data.”
Reaching goals
Fleming emphasizes that the end goal of implementing these technologies is to never produce a bad part.
“If you’re a supplier that provides a bad part, a whole bunch of OEM engineers will show up at your facility to try to understand why a bad part got out and what you’re going to do to prevent a bad part from getting out again,” he says. “If a bad part gets sent out, it costs hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars. So, by doing as much as possible upfront, you try to prevent what we call a disruption. These disruptions are what cause someone to come to your facility, which isn’t a good day.”
He adds that it is not just frames and chassis components that have safety-critical welds but simpler parts, too, like a cross beam that holds the instrument panel and steering wheel. Seats, too, have many safety-critical welds.
Fleming notes that the CQI-15 standard is not just being required in the United States or North America, but that he is hearing about it on a global level.
“It isn’t limited to only the Big Three, either, because I’ve heard this is a requirement for other automakers as well for tier suppliers because it is an industry standard now,” he says.
He also mentions being in Thailand about a year ago meeting with engineers at various facilities.
“I asked if they had heard of CQI-15,” he says. “And they said ‘yes’ and that they were being asked to follow it now. I was a bit surprised to hear that, but because the OEM the tier supplier was producing parts for has a presence in Thailand, they need to follow it. They asked if I could tell them more about it.”
Overall, the CQI-15 standard is a critical tool for today’s automotive industry to maintain high-quality welding processes that ensure consistent product safety and performance throughout the supply chain.
“It will continue to move forward,” Fleming says. “There’s a cost to implement it. Setting up the limits for all these welds requires operators that have to set it up and monitor it, especially with the vision components. A 2-D camera or 3-D laser scanner means a dedicated employee to help run and manage it. While OEMs aren’t going to go backward and put it into current production, it will be added in future contracts.”
If you’re interested in quality control practices for your shop, dig into our archive on the topic.
