The aim of this paper is to analyze and discuss the structural change of the Car Production Networks in the European Automobile Industry. In accordance with Enlargement of the European Union, the transformation of the Car Production Networks in the European Automobile Industry has been changed dramatically. Many automobile factories in the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) emerge as multinational companies' bases which play some important roles in the networks. Restructuring of the CEECs automobile industry has evolved around the integration to the European - wide area networks and it appears a movement to reform the old regional division of labor between “core center” and “peripheral areas”. As for the transformation of new production networks in European automobile system where the regional integration dynamics eternally works, we should understand that the industrial upgrading and changing roles of the peripheries are now in progress, and that it is the continuous process to build up more appropriate structure in division of labor and to reshuffle the comparative advantages in its system.

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This paper discusses the structural change of the Car Production Networks in the European Automobile Industry which associated with the Enlargement of European Union.
Since 1990's, the transformation of the Car Production Networks in the European Automobile Industry has been changed dramatically in accordance with the market-oriented economic reforms in the Central and Eastern European Countries and the beginning for these accession to EU, which affected the relocation of car production sites towards the CEE. After the CEECs have become the members of EU, many automobile factories in the CEE emerge as multinational companies' bases which play some important roles in the automobile networks. The restructuring of the CEE automobile industry has evolved around the integration to the European-wide area networks based on the division of labor.
As united the CEE bases with the networks, it appears a movement to reform the old regional division of labor between “core center” and “peripheral areas”. New regional networks of car production in Europe consist of three areas as follows; (1) industrial heartlands, (2) old peripheral areas, (3) new peripheral areas. In Europe's industrial heartlands, which have concern about “hollowing out of industry” due to the relocation of assembly plants towards CEE, the opening up new type of “compact-car” assembly plants (for example, Toyota in Yaris France, MCC Smart in Hambach) and the integrated research centers made these areas more competitive, and made them possible to continue to draw strength from their advantages. In so-called “old peripheral areas (the Iberian Peninsula)”, there is an expansion of some production sites assembling Multi Purpose Vehicles and their design, technological and organizational innovation competencies have developed. In “new peripheral areas”, such as the case of the CEE, we suppose that the main purpose of the car makers in moving into has been to assemble smaller vehicles more efficiency, however, some car makers started to carry out the production of more innovative and/or the top-of-the-range vehicles and to engage higher level activities.
The keywords for the European-wide area network system of car production are “specialization” and “clustering”, but nowadays, we need to monitor carefully its complex functions-based spatial structure of division of labor.
It is important to appreciate that the transformation of new production networks in European automobile system now in progress, where the regional integration dynamics eternally works, is the continuous process to build up more appropriate structure in division of labor and to reshuffle the comparative advantages in its system.

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Laser-arc hybrid welding is considered to be an efficient, practical welding process because its deposited metal from welding wire can increase gap-bridging ability and prevent welding defects such as undercutting or underfilling. The deposition rate from welding wire, however, can not be adjusted independently on the welding current under the stable welding conditions because it is necessary to maintain a constant arc voltage. Although the combination of a higher deposition rate and a lower welding current is sometimes needed, for example during the welding of a thin sheet, a high deposition rate generally accompanies with a high welding current in the conventional laser-arc hybrid welding. In order to solve the above mentioned problems, the authors have proposed a novel method, a filleradded laser-arc hybrid welding (FLA welding) process, to increase a deposition rate without increasing the welding current itself in the welding of aluminum alloy. As a result, gap-bridging ability can be increased in the welding of both thin and thick plates. In this paper, the welding of aluminum alloy butt joints by using FLA welding process is discussed.

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