Service.

Self-Study Programme 216

Body LUPO 3L

Design and Function

Realising a 3-litre car on the basis of the Lupo

called, above all, for innovative ideas and a
whole string of new production methods and
technologies. The further development and
redevelopment of the body were just two of the
many milestone achievements.
The body had to satisfy various requirements in
order to achieve the defined goals. The key
factors were systematic weight reduction and
improved aerodynamics on the one hand, and
safety, design and customer utility value on the
other.

To meet all these requirements, several

problem-solving approaches were adopted for
implementation purposes:

Use of aluminium and magnesium

Use of high-strength sheet-metal panels
Material thickness optimisation
Flushness
Adherence to minimum small gap sizes

For implementation purposes, it was necessary to

develop and utilise new production and joining
methods which will also be reflected in your
activities.

216_002

NEW

The Self-Study Programme

Please always refer to the relevant Service Literature

is not a Workshop Manual.

for all inspection, adjustment and repair instructions.

Important
Note

Table of contents
Body a lightweight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Lightweight materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Contact corrosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Joining methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Bodyshell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Add-on parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
The doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
The wings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
The bumpers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
The bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
The tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Glazing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Test your knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Body a lightweight
An important task of body development was to reduce weight. There are two possibilities for achieving
this goal:
- Use of lightweight materials
- Material savings
During the development of the Lupo 3L body, both these possibilities were utilised in order to bring a
lightweight and affordable body to production maturity. This means that the two possibilities mentioned
above for weight reduction were exploited to the full by reducing material thickness, saving material and
utilising composite construction methods (use of various materials within the body).
But in this case, no compromises on safety were made when saving material.
The safety of the body fully complies with the high safety standards which Volkswagen sets.

The main weight savings are distributed among the individual body elements as follows:
Body elements

Modifications

Saving

Doors

Aluminium

-16.0 kg

Tailgate

Aluminium/magnesium

-4.5 kg

Bonnet

Aluminium

-4.2 kg

Wing

Aluminium

-3.4 kg

Mounting plate

Aluminium

-1.2 kg

Backrest

Aluminium

-7.0 kg

PVC underseal

Only corrosion-prone areas of the

underbody are protected with PVC

-6.9 kg

Glazing thickness

Glazing thickness reduction

-3.1 kg

Body side panel

The material thicknesses of body side panels

were optimised

-1.7 kg

Seat cross-member

adopted from the Polo

-1.3 kg

Door weather strip/damping

elements

Weight optimised materials

-1.0 kg

Window lifter

Material savings

-0.6 kg

Cavity flooding wax

Optimisation of cavity flooding wax

quantities

-0.5 kg

Bumper cover

Material savings

-0.5 kg
Saving (body)

approx. -51.9 kg

Total saving (compared to Lupo SDI)

approx. 154.0 kg

The body structure was adopted from the Lupo base model. It was adapted to meet the requirements by
employing the lightweight construction method described here.
The body is based on a self-supporting bodyshell manufactured from fully galvanised steel.
It embodies consequently the corrosion protection measures that have proven effective for several years.
All add-on parts are of lightweight construction.
What is meant by lightweight construction in this case is that most parts are made of aluminium or
magnesium. New production and joining methods had to be developed and utilised for this purpose.
Here, we were able to draw on experience gained with the Audi A8.
The demands on corrosion protection between the various materials are not inconsiderable. In this connection, the keyword is contact corrosion. This has to be avoided by systematically segregating the
various materials. New materials and new joining methods for avoiding contact corrosion also involve,
of course, a change in working procedures.

216_003

Lightweight materials
Aluminium
Chemical symbol: Al
Aluminium is the most commonly occurring metal
in the earth's crust. However, it does not occur
naturally as a pure metal. It has to be extracted
from its compounds.
Aluminium is principally extracted from bauxite
on an industrial scale.

Highly pure aluminium can be obtained from

aluminium oxide by means of melt flow
electrolysis.
Increasing amounts of used aluminium are
meanwhile being recycled. This closed recycling
loop is reducing demand for mining bauxite and
the energy consumption associated with
aluminium extraction.

Aluminium oxide is extracted from bauxite by a

breakdown process using caustic soda. This
chemical process is known as the Bayer Method.

NaOH

Caustic soda

216_021

Bauxite mining

Al2O3

Melt flow

Aluminium

electrolysis

Bayer Method

Aluminium

oxide

Aluminium is a silvery metal which protects itself

against further oxidation by a solid oxide layer.
In the case of iron, for example, the oxide layer
- commonly known as rust - does not adhere to
the metal surface, with the result that iron
continues to rust.
The aluminium's oxide layer can be thickened by
a process known as anodising.

216_023
Oxide formation
on aluminium
surfaces

216_024
Oxide formation
on iron surfaces

Magnesium
Chemical symbol: Mg
In the 60s and 70s, magnesium was used on an
industrial scale in motor construction at
Volkswagen.
However, magnesium technology fell by the wayside due to a sharp rise in prices in comparison
with aluminium in the eighties and the demise of
air-cooled engines.

Magnesium does not occur naturally as a pure

metal. It has to be extracted from its compounds.
Unlike aluminium, however, a salt of magnesium
- magnesium chloride - is used industrially and
not the oxide. As with aluminium, the process
consists of melt flow electrolysis.
The development of new alloys made it possible
to improve casting properties, heat resistance
and corrosion resistance of magnesium parts.

The extremely low weight of magnesium has now

resulted in a renaissance as a result of pressure
on vehicle manufacturers to reduce fuel
consumption.

CaF2

Magnesium chloride mining in the Dead Sea

Purification

Melt flow elec-

and drying

trolysis

Flux agent

Magnesium

of MgCl2
216_022

The Dead Sea Magnesium company was established in Israel in order to safeguard the availability, price
stability and quality of magnesium in future. This company is a joint venture between Volkswagen AG
and the Israeli Dead Sea Works in which Volkswagen has a 35 percent holding.
The headquarters of Dead Sea Magnesium are located directly next to the Dead Sea in Israel.
Here, high-grade magnesium is produced from magnesium chloride and supplied directly to processing
plants.

Lightweight materials
Melt flow electrolysis
The concept can best be explained by breaking it
down into its two component parts.
Melt flow implies that the starting material is in a
molten, i.e. liquid, state. That is the prerequisite
for the second part of the concept - electrolysis.
Electrolysis is the name given to a process in
which a chemical compound is split up by means
of an electrical current.

The overall reaction process is very complex;

explaining it in full would involve an in-depth
seminar into subatomic physics. For this reason,
we will explain the reaction which takes place by
means of a heavily simplified model.
Imagine the starting material (aluminium oxide
or magnesium chloride) in a heat-resistant tank.
The tank is heated until its contents melt.
Two carbon electrodes are suspended in the melt
and a DC voltage is applied.
Pure metal then forms a deposit on the cathode.
At the anode, electrode carbon is used up and
released in the form of carbon dioxide.

Anode

Cathode
CO2
Melts of
aluminium oxide

Aluminium

Voltage source

216_014

Melts of

Carbon blocks

aluminium oxide

serving as anodes

Aluminium

Aluminium melt electrolysis is carried out

industrially in large iron vats. The side walls and
base are coated with carbon and serve as
cathodes. Carbon blocks serving as anodes are
suspended in the melt. Aluminium is deposited
on the base of the vat, since the distance
between the anodes and the base is less than the
distance between the anodes and the walls.
A layer of liquid aluminium forms beneath the
melt. This layer is racked off every 2-4 days and
can be cast in ingots.

Carbon coating
Cathodes
216_015

216_026

216_025

Alloys
Aluminium and magnesium are very light but
they are not very strong or tough in their pure
states.
The characteristics of a pure metal melt can be
changed by adding other metals or suitable
elements. This produces what is known as a metal
alloy. Foreign metal atoms attach themselves to
the atomic lattice of a metal and, in so doing,
change the metals characteristics.
No doubt you will be familiar with this process in
connection with iron. It can be endowed with
special hardness, toughness, ductility or corrosion resistance by adding chromium, titanium,
molybdenum, vanadium or other metals.

Metal lattice of a pure

Metal lattice of a

metal, e.g. iron

ferrous alloy

The strength and corrosion resistance of

aluminium and magnesium can be increased by
alloying.
Alloying also improves the casting properties of
magnesium in particular, allowing gravity die
castings with a very low wall thickness.
The strength of a metal can be increased not
only by alloying but also by forging and
hardening. Both process alter the microstructure
of the metal.
It becomes harder and stronger.

Lightweight materials
Processing
Shaping of sheet aluminium parts
Once the aluminium has been extracted by the
process described above and the alloy constituents have been added, the aluminium must
still of course be given its final shape.
Aluminium is shaped in two stages.
First of all, the raw material must be rolled into
sheet-metal panels. This is done in several stages
until the necessary sheet-metal thickness has
been reached. The sheet-metal panels are then
made into the required shape by cutting and
deep drawing.

Depending on the degree of deformation of the

body section produced, deep drawing can also
be performed in several stages.
After being reshaped, aluminium parts are still
too soft. For this reason, they are post-hardened
(by heat treatment) to increase their strength.
During the hardening process, certain alloy elements bind themselves to the aluminium, increasing the tension in the metal lattice and thus
increasing its strength.

Cutting and
Aluminium

Rolling

deep drawing

216_032
Deep drawing

10

Hardening

Shaping magnesium parts

In automobile manufacturing, the majority of
magnesium parts are made by gravity die
casting.
This process is ideal for producing filigree
shapes. Much-used motor vehicle parts made of
magnesium include gearcases, steering wheels,
ignition starter lock housings, trim panels, covers,
body inner sections, etc.
As with aluminium, alloy constituents are added
to the extracted magnesium, improving its casting characteristics markedly.

Magnesium

The molten magnesium alloy is injected into a

casting die under high pressure and at a high
rate. The casting cools down inside the die and is
ejected after the die is opened. The die is not
destroyed and so can be re-used for further
castings.
After the parts have been cast, they must be
released from the sprue and deburred but otherwise their fitting accuracy is very high.

Gravity die casting process

216_033

Remove sprue
and deburr

11

Contact corrosion
Electrochemical series and corrosion
The relatively high susceptibility of aluminium
and magnesium to corrosion when they come
into contact with iron is reflected in the so-called
electrochemical series of these metals.
In these electrochemical series, the metals are
arranged in the following order:

Explaining this concept would also involve an indepth lecture on chemistry and physics. First of
all, it would be necessary to explain what a
normal hydrogen cell is and how the metals are
measured against this cell in order to determine
their electrochemical properties. That would
easily exceed the scope of this booklet. For this
reason, we will make use of a model here, too.

... Na, Ce, Mg, Al, Ti, Mn, Zn, Cr, Fe, Cd, ...

Salt water

Let us assume you have a test setup where you

place an iron cylinder together with a plate
made of, say, aluminium into a vessel so that they
are in contact with each other. Pour some water
containing a small amount of dissolved table salt
on the two metal parts and watch what happens.
You will find that the surface of the aluminium
disintegrates and the solid aluminium seems to
disappear.

Iron
Aluminium

216_016

216_017
Corrosion

Salt water
Iron

If you now conduct the same experiment with a

plate made of magnesium instead of aluminium
then you will find that the magnesium is corroded
to a much higher degree.

Magnesium

216_018

216_019
Higher degree of
corrosion

12

For this reason, the boundary surfaces between

different metals are separated from one another
by a coating.

The different corrosion behaviour of aluminium

and magnesium is attributable to the distance
between the metals in the electrochemical series.
If they are located closer to each other in the
electrochemical series and their electrochemical
properties are similar, then they will be corroded
to a lower degree. If they are located far apart
from each other in the electrochemical series and
have very different properties, then they will be
corroded to a higher degree.

The applies to all fasteners and body parts which

come into contact with different metals.

0
Magnesium

Aluminium

Iron

Copper

Gold

-2.36

-1.66

-0.44

+0.34

+1.5

-1.22
-1.92
216_020
The numeric values reflect the position of the
element within the electrochemical series and are
known as normal reduction potentials.

13

Contact corrosion
Non-metallic joining elements
Non-metallic joining elements include:
-

rubber parts,
plastic parts,
adhesives and
body sealants

The constituent materials of these joining elements can cause contact corrosion if they join
two different metals and are electrically
conductive. The joining elements are used much
like a bridge. This means that if, say, two
different metals are joined via an electrically
conductive rubber seal, then the metal with the
lower value in the electrochemical series will be
destroyed by corrosion.

The following rule of thumb applies here:

All non-metallic joining elements must have a
specific volume resistance and may not be
electrically conductive.

Conventional adhesives and plastics can be

made electrically conductive by using soot as a
filler. No soot or similar fillers were added to the
materials used in the Lupo 3L.

Only the original parts and materials specified in the Workshop Manual may be used to carry
out repair work.

14

Rubber seals (also applicable to the

doors and bonnet)

Windscreen bonding

Glazing

Body

Bonding
216_050
216_053

The diagram shows the

damping measures
employed in the Lupo 3L.

216_049

216_052

Body fine sealing

216_051

Body bonding

15

Contact corrosion
Metallic joining elements
The coatings specified in the following are not
used exclusively for the joining elements specified above. Instead, they are used to protect the
connecting points of various add-on parts (such
as the locks).

Metallic joining elements include:

- screws,
- clips,
- hinges, joints, etc.
These joining elements are normally manufactured from ferrous products and, therefore, are
incompatible with aluminium and magnesium. To
avoid contact corrosion, the various metals have
to be kept apart from each other. This is done by
using a variety of coatings.

216_054

The following coatings are used:

Coatings containing zinc and aluminium dust
(Dacromet, Delta Tone)
Usages:
screws/bolts, hinges, joints, etc.
Special zinc alloy coatings
Usage:
Connecting points of add-on parts
(e.g. wheel housing liners)
Tin coatings
(for non-ferrous metals such as copper and
brass)
Usage: screws/bolts
Duplex systems
(zinc and paint)
Usages: screws/bolts, locks, etc.
The coatings work on the basic principle that the
various metals are separated from each other by
an electrically insulating layer and the coatings
contain more basic metals which are slowly
sacrificed by residual corrosion.

To ensure that no mix-ups with normal joining

elements can occur, the coatings are coloured
green.

These joining elements may only be used once because the coatings can be damaged
mechanically and, as a result, cause contact corrosion.

16

Joining methods
Roll and pierce riveting
The technology of roll and pierce riveting is
already being used in a similar form in the
Audi A8.
In the Lupo 3L, various sheet-metal panels of the
bonnet and the door are joined together using
this technology.

The advantages are:

- Prepunching of sheet-metal panels is no
longer necessary.
- The lower metal sheet is not completely
separated.
- Higher panel strength and less energy
consumption in comparison with spot welding.

Process

216_004

Roll and pierce riveting involves pressing a semihollow rivet through the first sheet metal layer by
means of riveting tools.
The second sheet metal layer is only deformed by
the rivet and the base of the semi-hollow rivet is
spread apart. This forms a closing head which
holds the flush rivet joint securely.
Corrosion protection
The base material of the roll and pierce rivets is
steel. In order to prevent contact corrosion occurring when the rivets come into contact with the
aluminium panels, the roll and pierce rivets have
a zinc-nickel coating.

216_005

216_006

Of all the aluminium parts, only the bonnet and the doors (add-on parts) are riveted. For this
reason, riveting is of no importance to repair work because the riveted joints are not repaired in
this case.

17

Joining methods
Clinching
The technique of clinching is already being used
in the production of the Audi A8.
Clinching is only used to join non-load-bearing,
simple components because the connecting
points have little static strength.
In the case of the Lupo 3L, clinching is also used
for roll and pierce riveting during door production.

The advantages are:

- Clinching is a quick and clean joining method
- Clinching is inexpensive because no supply
cables are required during production

Process
Clinching eliminates the need for rivets. At the
joining seam, the upper die presses the two
sheet-metal panels into a lower die.
A non-positive and flush joint is made by sinking
and compressing the upper metal sheet into the
lower metal sheet.
216_007

Corrosion protection
Use of clinching during door production for the
Lupo 3L eliminates the risk of contact corrosion
because both metal sheets are made of
aluminium.
However, different materials can in principle be
joined by means of clinching, provided that they
are isolated from each other by a coating.

216_008

216_009

18

Laser welding
Laser welding is a fully automated welding technique for making high-quality joints. On the
body exterior in particular, this process offers
major advantages in the form of cleaner weld
seams, high strength and minimum overlapping
of the body parts to be joined. This minimises
rework by contrast with other welding
techniques.
On the Lupo 3L body, the body side panels are
joined to the sills. The roof outer skin and the
upper A and B pillars are joined using this
welding technique.

The advantages are:

- minimal distortion
- little rework is necessary because the weld is
clean
- easy to seal
- good top coat
- high strength
- no corrosion occurs because there is little
overlap

216_011

Process
In the laser welding process, the material is
melted on by means of a laser beam. In this process, the sheet-metal panels either fuse together
directly or an additional welding wire is fed in.
During laser welding with welding wire in-feed,
the welding is shielded against a reaction with
the atmosphere with an inert gas.

Laser beam

Corrosion protection

Steel sheets

216_012

With this joining method, only steel sheets are

joined together. For this reason, there is no need
for protection against contact corrosion.
Otherwise, conventional corrosion protection
measures are employed for the weldings.

Welding wire

Protection

19

Bodyshell
High-strength body panels in the bodyshell
As in the bodyshell of the entry-level Lupo, highstrength body panels are also used in the
Lupo 3L.
High-strength body panels are notable for their
low sheet-metal thickness and higher strength.
This also results in weight savings compared to
conventional body panels.

The tasks of these high-quality sheet-metal

panels are:
- To absorb and distribute energy more
specifically in the event of a collision
and
- to absorb the vibrations induced in the rear
axle by the rear axle mount.

2
3

6
216_010

1
2
3
4
5
6

20

Reinforcement, plenum chamber

Cover plate, side member
Unit support
Reinforcement, side member
Upper wheel housing (wing add-on part)
Rear axle mount

Differences to the entry-level Lupo

The body side panels
are now lighter thanks to optimised sheet-metal
thicknesses. The sheet-metal thickness used in the
Lupo 3L version is still only 0.66mm.

Roof outer skin

Laser-welded
seam

Body side
panel

216_042

216_044

The sills
were flared slightly in order to improve air flow
at the rear wheels.
They are attached to the body side panels by
means of laser welding. This avoids a doublelayering of material in the sill area.

Laser-welded seam
216_043

21

Bodyshell
The rear side member
is also thinner (sheet-metal thickness has been
reduced to 1.25mm from 1.5mm). However, it is
not manufactured from high-strength sheet
metal.

216_062

The seat cross-members and rails

were adopted from the Polo.

216_045

The mounting plate

for the Lupo 3L, with openings for the steering
and lines and for attaching the foot controls, is
made of aluminium.

216_039

22

Add-on parts
The doors
Door-glass channel reinforcement

are manufactured entirely from aluminium

panels and, for this reason, are about 30%
lighter than doors of conventional steel
construction.
The design of the aluminium door is identical to
that of the entry-level Lupo with steel door. The
single-piece door inner panel matches the
quality of the outer body panels.

Side impact reinforcement in

the door

216_048

Epoxy resin
adhesive

PVC edge
protection

By comparison with the steel door, requirements

for crash safety, door rigidity and acoustics were
met and even exceeded in some cases. For offset
crash safety, for example, a special profile section was developed for the door-glass channel
reinforcement. Thanks to the characteristics of the
aluminium from which it is manufactured, this
profile section keeps deformation of the
occupant cell to a minimum.
The side impact reinforcements in the doors are
also made of aluminium.
The inner and outer door panels are joined by
lock-seaming and clinching. The folds are
bonded with epoxy resin adhesive and a PVC
edge protection (body fine sealing). In areas
which are required to meet high strength specifications, roll and pierce riveting is employed in
addition.

Sheet metal
216_013

23

Add-on parts
The wings
have a lightweight construction and made of
aluminium.
Corrosion protection plays an important role in
the assembly process due to the numerous connecting points to the bodyshell. Several insulating
methods have to be used and carefully monitored to ensure that absolutely no contact occurs
between steel and aluminium parts.
Insulation between aluminium wing and
bodyshell:

216_035

- Foils
- Spacing nipple
- Edge-raised seam in upper A pillar area
For fixing purposes, the bolts/screws and windows have an additional Dacromet coating.

Edge raise
Wing

Window

A pillar

216_046

Sheet metal bolt

Spacer bump
Plain washer
Wing
Foil

Body
216_047

24

The bumpers
were modified to reduce their weight and
improve their aerodynamics.
The modifications involved using lightweight construction methods and optimised air ducting in
the bumper covers.
Front bumper
216_034

The improved spoiler and the air scoop now

integrated in the spoiler reduce front-end aerodynamic drag.
Rear bumper
The integrated rear diffusor improves air flow at
the rear wheels.

Rear diffusor
216_036

The bonnet
has been made about 40% lighter by using
aluminium.
The parts of the inner body panels are joined by
means of roll and pierce riveting, lock-seamed to
the outer body panels in the conventional
manner and bonded with epoxy resin adhesive.
The folds have a PVC-impregnated seam.

216_037

All bonnet add-on parts made of steel (e.g. gasfilled spring-bearing) are have a Dacromet coating at the connecting points.

25

Add-on parts
The tailgate
is manufactured from two materials using a new
composite construction method:
The inner section is made of die-cast
magnesium.
The body outer skin is made of sheet
aluminium.

The aerodynamics were also improved

substantially. For this purpose, the upper edge of
the tailgate was drawn outwards in order to
create a more favourable spoiler.

The weight of the tailgate was reduced by 45%

by using these light-alloys.
The body outer skin and inner section are joined
by lock-seaming and epoxy resin adhesive.

216_040

Body outer skin

The aluminium body outer skin is lock-seamed on
all sides and has a lateral flange for mounting
the body finish seal.

216_038

26

Inner section
Due to the good casting properties of
magnesium it is possible to combine the inner
section and the reinforcements for the hinge,
gas-filled spring and wiper motor mounts in a
single part.
These parts are cast in one piece and threaded
inserts manufactured from high-strength
aluminium are used for fixing the add-on parts.

The inner section is protected against corrosion

and mechanical damage by an epoxy resin and
a polyester powder coat. This powder coat is
used, firstly, because it is easier to apply than a
layer of paint and, secondly, because different
coating thicknesses can be obtained by applying
powder systematically.

The lock reinforcement, which is still a single part

for casting reasons, is one exception. It is made
of aluminium and is bolted on to the inner
section. To prevent contact corrosion occurring,
an adhesive insulating layer is applied.

216_058

27

Glazing
A weight reduction of 3 kg compared to the
entry-level Lupo was achieved by using thin
glass.

To ensure that the use of thin glass in the Lupo 3L

does not impair safety, the pane designs and
thicknesses were optimised while making allowance for the different stresses and applicable
safety requirements.
No compromise were made either with regard to
aerodynamics and acoustics. In other words, the
bonded windows are flush-fitted.

216_028

Windscreen
- Laminated safety glass
- Pane thicknesses: 2 x 1.6mm
- Overall thickness (incl. windscreen aerial):
3.9mm
216_027

The lighter panes may only be installed in the Lupo 3L.

The entry-level Lupo is fitted with normal panes for design reasons.

28

Rear window
- Tempered safety glass
- Pane thickness: 2.85mm

216_029

Side window
- Tempered safety glass
- Pane thickness: 2.85mm

216_030

Door glass
- Tempered safety glass
- Pane thickness: 3.0mm

216_031

29

Service
Tools and equipment
For repairing the body, steel and aluminium body parts must be worked separately at all times, since
contact with unsuitable tools or grinding dust can trigger off unwanted corrosion. For this reason, you
are strongly advised to observe the working instructions given on the following pages.

Sheet metal working

Surface working

Separate tool sets are used for sheet steel and

aluminium working. In addition, these tool sets
are stored and cleaned separately.
These are the main prerequisites for avoiding
contact corrosion.

For mechanical paint working, separate tools,

equipment and abrasives must also be used for
steel and aluminium body parts.

To ensure the separation of these tools, tool set

V.A.G 2010/2 was introduced for aluminium
working. This set has been adapted to the
specific requirements for aluminium working and
is accommodated in a tool trolley with drawers
or in the tool carrier (modular workstation
VAS 5220).
To prevent the aluminium tools being confused
with the conventional steel tools, they former are
coloured red.

216_063

216_065

216_064

Tool carrier and red markings of aluminium tools

30

Extraction system
The central extraction system of the body workstation plays a new and important role in two
respects:
- Contact corrosion is avoided by
extracting grinding dust.
- Extraction prevents the formation of
flammable dust concentrations.
For this reason, use the extraction system purposefully since it safeguards the quality of your
work and protects your health.
216_066

Extraction system for steel (blue) and for

aluminium (gray)

Straightening bench
Alignment bracket set VAS 5042 for the entrylevel Lupo and the Seat Arosa can be used for
the Lupo 3L without any restrictions.

It is absolutely necessary to make sure that aluminium and steel body parts are worked
separately and that the correct materials are used.

31

Service
Modular workstation VAS 5220
Based on known body workstations
V.A.G 1647 (steel) and V.A.G 2010 (aluminium),
module workstation VAS 5220 represents a technically improved version.

The above-mentioned separation of the working

of steel and aluminium parts sets new demands
on your technical knowledge and on the workstation and/or workshop equipment. To satisfy
these demands, the workshop concept was
developed on the basis of the existing
workstations.

Module selection depends on workshop

conditions. In addition, module workstation
VAS 5220 can in future be adapted to technical
development by adding further modules.

The concept of modular workstation VAS 5220

combines the manufacturer's design specifications with standard workshop facilities.

The various tool modules

1
Standard equipment
for assembly work

Tools for

Standard equipment

saddling and

for assembly work

cover work

on aluminium parts
Basic module
Equipped with

Extension

curtain and rail system

Tool cupboards
for safekeeping of
tools

Tools for

Tools for

bumper repair work

bonding/repairing
panes
4
Tools for
riveting and bonding
aluminium parts

216_061

32

Painting work on aluminium parts

Certain materials have been designated for
painting work and the associated preliminary
work. These materials may only be processed
with the associated components (hardener,
thinner).

Please use the following materials:

216_055

- 1-component filler coat LGF 008 001 A2

is to be used on bare aluminium.
- For smoothing off surfaces, use
Vario filler ALN 786 003 13.
- For filling please use
2-component IR filler LSP 010 000 A3.

216_056

216_057

33

Test your knowledge

1. From what raw materials are the light alloys aluminium and magnesium extracted industrially?
a) Aluminium and magnesium chloride
b) Magnesium chloride (magnesium), bauxite (aluminium)
c) Magnesium and aluminium oxide
2. What are the shaping processes that are used to give aluminium and magnesium body parts
their final shape?
Aluminium:
Magnesium:

3. With what combination of two metals would contact corrosion be most severe?
0
Zinc

Lead

Copper

Gold

216_060

Electrochemical
series

-0.76

-0.13

+0.34

+1.5

Solution:
4. What new joining methods are will be used for the Lupo 3L in comparison with the entry-level
Lupo?

5. What body section(s) is (are) made of magnesium?

a) Door inner section
b) Tailgate inner section
c) Bonnet
d) All add-on parts, including locks and hinges

34

35
Solutions:
1.) b
2.) Aluminium: Deep drawing
Magnesium: Die casting
3.) Zinc and gold
4.) Roll and pierce riveting, clinching, laser
welding
5.) Tailgate inner section

Notes

216

For internal use only VOLKSWAGEN AG, Wolfsburg

All rights reserved. Technical specifications subject to change without notice.
940.2810.35.20 Technical status: 03/99

This paper is produced from

non-chlorine-bleached pulp.