Vauxhall Workshop Service and Repair Manuals

Equipment recommendations for spot-welding machines

As a consequence of increased demands with regard to lightweight construction and crash safety, the use of new high performance steels is necessary.

As a consequence of the operating concept, which is still usual practice today, of the general setting of parameters, the use of the spot-welding equipment available now means there is some uncertainty about the quality of body repairs involving the new steel materials.

As a result of the combination of different steel materials, sheet metal thicknesses, layers of sheet metal and coatings it is necessary for the new resistance spot-welding systems to include programs which are designed for the respective specific application.

Adam Opel AG has accepted these problems and developed and tested a new spot welding apparatus generation together with renowned manufacturers. This new general of apparatuses will take over complete control and monitoring of the spot welding process for the user.

Advantages of the new generation of resistance spot-welding equipment:

Advantages in brief:

• Program settings with a fixed definition relating to the respective vehicles / areas to be welded
• Recognition of differences in fit (between contact surfaces)
• Detection of dirt on the area to be spot-welded
• Detection of paint or cataphoretic dip-coat primer on the area to be spot welded
• Acoustic and / or visual information about the approval / rejection of the spot-weld for the welders.
• Monitoring of the welding process and its result
• Monitoring of electrode cap wear
• Brief induction for welders

Detailed explanation of the advantages:

As is already the case for Opel MIG-brazing, the user is given pre-defined program settings which are adapted to the respective vehicle and welding task.

Therefore the user only needs to select the setting defined for the area to be welded. This produces a very good and consistent weld quality combined with optimised working time for the user. In addition to the latter, the new resistance spot-welding equipment recommended by Opel automatically detects that the preconditions are not present for a reliable welded connection between the sheet metal to be joined (e.g. because of paint residue, dirt or differences in fit).

In this case, the user is informed visually and / or acoustically. The equipment then tries to set up the preconditions for optimum welding conditions automatically. If the welding conditions cannot be achieved, the unit rejects the welding task.

If the unit enables the welding process on the basis of the checked preconditions for welding being found to be OK, the second quality assurance stage commences immediately with the monitoring of the welding process and its results.

The results of the individual parameter enquiries are available on completion of a spot weld. If the values are not in the preset range, the operator is warned visually and / or acoustically that this is the case. The spot-weld is then outside the defined limit values and additional measures must be taken by the operator.

A further additional innovation is the monitoring of the wear on the electrode cap, which requests the operator to undertake maintenance work on it or replace it. This measure also ensures a consistently high quality of weld.

Further important information on this topic:

All requirements described for the new spot welding apparatus generation are necessary so as to be able to - for example - repair the high strength B-pillar of the Vectra-C / Signum by means of the time-optimised spot welding process. In the medium term, Adam Opel AG will adjust the worktime specifications to suit the new resistance spot welding apparatus generation.

In connection with this matter, we wish to point out once again expressly that, when undertaking body repairs to all Opel vehicles, it is essential to follow the Service Instructions / Repair Instructions and that the component must be repaired using the mode of procedure described. In addition, the subject of MIG-brazing is included in the video VT 52.

Resistance spot welding apparatuses recommended by Adam Opel AG:

The following apparatuses have passed the function and welding tests defined by Adam Opel AG.

Only the machines from the recommended manufacturers mentioned in the recommendation have special welding programmes/parameter settings/parameter documentation programmed for Opel/Vauxhall vehicles and are updated for each new future Opel/Vauxhall product. Opel/Vauxhall can provide no information for machines other than the recommended ones and does not have welding programmes or parameter settings.

Recommended resistance spot-welding machines

Note:   All of the recommended machines listed below can be purchased directly from the respective manufacturers. Please contact the manufacturers at the addresses specified below to find a representative in your area.

1.1 ELMATECH ELMATECH AG Wisseraue 1 D-51597 Morsbach Germany www.elmatech.de The following products fulfil the requirements: 1.1. MIDIspot QSVM 9000 / 9000T Reference number: 1.1 1_3926.1 1.2 CELETTE Celette SA 13, Route de Bechevienne 38217 VIENNE CEDEX France www.celette.com The following products fulfil the requirements: 1.2. MIDIspot QSVM 9000 / 9000T Reference number: 1.2. ETC.QSVM 9000 / 9000T 1.3 DALEX DALEX Schweißmachinen GmbH & Co. KG Postfach 1162 D-57529 Wissen/Sieg Germany www.dalex.de

Recommended spot-welding pliers: C-pliers C90 C-pliers C350 C-pliers C500 C-pliers C-S47 Recommended electrodes: The electrodes required for the Opel/Vauxhall vehicles (electrode cap diameter 13 mm ), ball-shaped, radius 15 mm ) are included in the scope of delivery

2. TECHNA /CEBOTECH CEBOTECH GmbH Walter-Wezel-Straße 33a D-74889 Sinsheim-Hilsbach Germany www.cebotech.de The following products fulfil the requirements: 2.1. CEBOTECH Spot9000 Plus Reference number: 2.1. 3650E Remarks: Production of the CEBOTECH Spot9000 Plus ended in 2006. The devices sold can be upgraded in the future with updates from ELMATECH.

Recommended spot-welding pliers:   Reference number C-pliers C90 8685W C-pliers C350 8686W C-pliers C500 8688W C-pliers C-S47 8689 Recommended electrodes: The electrodes required for the Opel/Vauxhall vehicles (electrode cap diameter 13 mm ), ball-shaped, radius 15 mm ) are included in the scope of delivery

3.1 ELEKTRON BREMEN Electron-Bremen GmbH Am Hohentorshafen 17 - 19 D-28197 Bremen Germany www.elektron-bremen.de The following products fulfil the requirements: 3.1. Elektron MI-100control Reference number: 3.1. 515 965 3.1.2 Elektron MI-100control T   Reference number: 3.1.2 540 472 Scope of delivery: Power supply unit (mobile) Balancer Spot pliers optionally: MX-4900 Ref. No. 419530 MC-4000 Ref. No. 515983 MC-5000 Ref. No. 515984 Welding gun Remover Service box with contents Connection values:   Compressed air: min. 6 bar constant Fuse: 32 A , slow-acting Connection rating: 60 kVA / 20% ED Mains supply line: 6 mm 2 - 10 m Standard voltage: 400 V/50 Hz Special voltage: 208 - 240 V/50 - 60 Hz

Recommended additional electrode arms: Electrode set 01/415 MX, coded (reference number: 419 667) Electrode set 02/06/415 MX, coded (reference number: 419 668) Electrode set 04/415 MX, coded (reference number: 419 669) Electrode set 03 MX, coded (reference number: 419 674) Recommended electrodes: The electrodes required for the Opel/Vauxhall vehicles (electrode cap diameter 13 mm, ball-shaped, radius 15 mm) are included in the delivery.

3.2 STANNERS Equipment Ltd. Stanners Equipment Ltd. Coopies Lane Industrial Estate Morpeth Northumberland NE61 6JN United Kingdom www.stanners-equipment.co.uk The following products fulfil the requirements: 3.2. Elektron MI-100 Inverter Control Reference number: 3.2. 515 965 Scope of delivery: Power supply unit (mobile) Balancer Spot pliers optionally: MX-4900 Ref. No. 419530 MC-4000 Ref. No. 515983 MC-5000 Ref. No. 515984 Welding gun Remover Service box with contents Connection values:   Compressed air: min. 6 bar constant Fuse: 32 A , slow-acting Connection rating: 60 kVA / 20% ED Mains supply line: 6 mm 2 - 10 m Standard voltage: 400 V/50 Hz Special voltage: 208 - 240 V/50 - 60 Hz

Recommended additional electrode arms: Electrode set 01/415 MX, coded (reference number: 419 667) Electrode set 02/06/415 MX, coded (reference number: 419 668) Electrode set 04/415 MX, coded (reference number: 419 669) Electrode set 03 MX, coded (reference number: 419 674) Recommended electrodes: The electrodes required for the Opel/Vauxhall vehicles (electrode cap diameter 13 mm, ball-shaped, radius 15 mm) are included in the delivery.

4.1 Car-O-Liner Car-O-Liner AB PO Box 7 736 21 Kungsör SWEDEN www.car-o-liner.com The following products fulfil the requirements: 4.1. Resistance spot welding machine CR 510 Reference number: CR510 400V 139 05 00 330 CR510 230V 139 05 00 333 CR510 460V 139 05 00 336 Connection values:   Compressed air: min. 6 bar constant Fuse: 32 A , slow-acting Connection rating: 32 kVA Mains supply line: min. 4 x 10 mm 2 Voltage: 400 V / 50 Hz   230 V / 60 Hz

Recommended spot pliers: