Delphi Corp. will receive $870,000 to help fund the continuing development of Deformation Resistance Welding (DRW) through June 2006, after a year of successful collaboration between Delphi, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Michigan Research Institute (MRI).
This is the second grant from NASA for DRW development; the first was a year-long grant for $1.3 million.
DRW, a process that joins metal tubes to solids, sheet metal and other tubes, offers the ability to join dissimilar materials and shapes. The process automatically bonds metals and creates solid-state joints through the heating and deformation of mating surfaces.
Engineers at Delphi, NASA and MRI are developing methods for perfecting existing techniques and working on creating new ways to use DRW on suspension sub-frames and other unique manufacturing techniques. Tim Forbes, Delphi's director, new markets, commercialization and licensing, said, "Our plans involve developing specific shipping containers, advancing the study of joining dissimilar material joints and creating more automotive applications."