body in white

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File:Suzuki Alto (GF) hatchback, body in white (2010-10-16) 04.jpg

Body in white (BIW) is the stage in automobile manufacturing in which a car body's frame has been joined together, that is before painting and before the motor, chassis sub-assemblies, or trim (glass, door locks/handles, seats, upholstery, electronics, etc.) have been integrated into the structure. Assembly involves different techniques such as welding (spot, MIG/MAG, or friction stir), riveting, clinching, bonding and laser brazing.

The term derives from manufacturing practices before steel unibody monocoques,{{when|reason=When did this term begin to appear? Where? Please provide both examples and reliable citations for them.|date=May 2024}} when automobile bodies were made by outside firms on a separate chassis with an engine, suspension, and bumpers attached.{{cn|date=July 2020}} The manufacturers built or purchased wooden bodies (with thin, non-structural metal sheets on the outside) to bolt onto the frame. The bodies were painted white prior to the final color.{{according to whom|date=July 2020}}

A folk etymology for "body in white" is the appearance of a car body after it is dipped into a white bath of primer (undercoat paint)— despite the primer's actual gray color.{{cn|date=July 2020}} BIW could also refer to when car bodywork would be made of timber – all timber products, furniture, etc., are considered to be "in the white" when at the stage of raw timber before finishing or varnishing.{{original research inline|date=July 2020}}

In car design, the "body in white"{{inconsistent}} phase is where the final contours of the car body are worked out, in preparation for the ordering of the expensive production stamping die. Extensive computer simulations of crash-worthiness, manufacturability, and automotive aerodynamics are required before a clay model from the design studio can be converted into a body in white ready for production.{{cn|date=July 2020}}

Factories may offer BIW cars to racers, who then may replace up to 90% of the car with aftermarket parts,{{Cite news|url=http://jalopnik.com/5117896/gm-performance-parts-to-offer-7000-body+in+white-new-camaro|title=GM Performance Parts To Offer $7,000 Body-In-White New Camaro|publisher=The Auto Insider|work=Jalopnik|date=2008-12-26|access-date=2018-03-22|language=en-US}} and niche manufacturers like Ruf Automobile start their cars with BIWs from other makers.

Related terms

A related term in the automotive industry is "body in black". This can refer to a car body that is formed of alternate materials such as composites rather than conventional metal;{{cite news|url=https://www.plasticstoday.com/content/carbon-fiber-body-black-wins-design-accolade/40119326117160|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414011148/https://www.plasticstoday.com/content/carbon-fiber-body-black-wins-design-accolade/40119326117160|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 14, 2018|title=Carbon fiber body-in-black wins design accolade|author=PlasticsToday Staff|date=8 March 2012|work=PlasticsToday|publisher=UBM indians|access-date=1 July 2018}}{{cite news|url=http://www.axonautomotive.com/media/news-archive/automotive-composites--in-touch-with-lighter-and-more-flexible-solutions|title=Automotive composites - in touch with lighter and more flexible solutions|date=1 April 2013|work=Axon|publisher=Axon Automotive|access-date=13 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414010911/http://www.axonautomotive.com/media/news-archive/automotive-composites--in-touch-with-lighter-and-more-flexible-solutions|archive-date=14 April 2018|url-status=dead}} these composite materials, such as carbon fiber,{{cite press release|url=http://www.huntsman.com/advanced_materials/Applications/itemrenderer?p_rendertitle=no&p_renderdate=no&p_renderteaser=no&p_item_id=999254460&p_item_caid=1223|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209143259/http://www.huntsman.com/advanced_materials/Applications/itemrenderer?p_rendertitle=no&p_renderdate=no&p_renderteaser=no&p_item_id=999254460&p_item_caid=1223|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 9, 2018|title=Huntsman Features High-Performance Materials for Fabricating Composite Parts at CAMX 2017|date=11 December 2017|location=The Woodlands, Texas|publisher=Huntsman Corporation|access-date=13 April 2018}} are black rather than white. "Body in black" can also refer to a step in the design process in which a mock-up of a new car skin is built, in order to perform exacting measurements during the design and pre-production processes.{{cite news|url=https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/company/porsche-quality-production-workshop-12502.html|title=How Porsche ensures the quality of its products: What do the terms cubing, exterior master jig and body-in-black mean? Insights into the production process at Porsche|date=5 April 2016|work=Porsche News|publisher=Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.|access-date=13 April 2018|language=en}}

References

External links

[http://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/phase-trans/2005/TRIP.steels.html Images and information on body-in-white, Cambridge University]

Category:Automotive engineering