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To investigate the effect of a preventive strength training program on cardiovascular, metabolic and muscular strains during welding. Welders are one of the occupation groups which typically have to work in extended forced postures which are known to be an important reason for musculoskeletal disorders. Subjects (exercise group) accomplished a 12-week strength training program, while another group served as controls (control group). Pre and post training examinations included the measurements of the one repetition maximum and an experimental welding test. Local muscle activities were analysed by surface electromyography. Furthermore, heart rate, blood pressure, lactate and rating of perceived exertion were examined. In the exercise group, strength training lead to a significant increase of one repetition maximum in all examined muscles (p<.05). During the experimental welding test muscle activities of trunk and shoulder muscles and arm muscles were significantly reduced in the exercise group after intervention (p<.05). While no changes of neither cardiovascular nor metabolic parameters were found, subjects of the exercise group rated a significantly decreased rate of perceived exertion welding (p<.05). Effects of strength training can be translated in an improved working ergonomics and tolerance against the exposure to high physical demands at work.

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An ideal material for automotive applications would combine the following properties: high corrosion resistance, high strength, high stiffness and not at least a low material price. Today a single material is not able to meet all these requirements. Therefore, in the future different materials will be placed where they meet the requirements best. The result of this consideration is a car body with many different alloys and metals, which have to be joined to one another.BIAS is working on the development of laser based joining technologies for different material combinations, especially for thin sheets used in automotive applications. One result of the research is a joining technology for an aluminium-steel-joint. Using a Nd:YAG laser the problem of brittle intermetallic phases between these materials was overcome. Using suitable temperature-time-cycles, elected by a FEM-simulation, the thickness of intennetallic phases was kept below 10 jtm.This technology was also applied to coated steels, which were joined with different aluminium alloys. Further it is demonstrated that titanium alloys, e.g. used for racing cars, can also be joined with aluminium alloys.