The need to reduce vehicle weight has spawned myriad new technologies for assembling aluminum, high-strength steel and other materials. These new technologies include self-piercing rivets, flow-drilling screws and friction-stir spot welding.

WARREN, MI—General Motors engineers have developed a technique to join steel to aluminum with resistance spot welding.

ROCKY HILL, CT—Novelis, a manufacturer of automotive aluminum sheet, and Henkel Adhesive Technologies have agreed to collaborate on the development of advanced bonding technologies for aluminum in high-volume vehicles.

Rivets, screws and other joining processes play a key role behind the new F-150.

SALT LAKE CITY—Researchers at Brigham Young University have developed a new technology for creating an extremely strong bond between lightweight aluminum and ultra-high-strength steel. The technology, friction bit joining, could be a boon to automakers looking to reduce vehicle weight.