Automotive body construction — in a unit type (frameless) body design for passenger vehicles, sheet-metal pressings are welded together to form the load-carrying structure, to which the outer skin or panels are attached. Is this statement accurate?

Introduction / Context:
Passenger vehicle bodies are commonly constructed either as body-on-frame (separate ladder frame and body) or as unit body structures, often called monocoque or unibody. Understanding how loads are carried and how panels are integrated is essential in vehicle design, crashworthiness, and manufacturing economics. This item asks whether a frameless body uses welded sheet-metal members as the structural framework to which external panels are attached.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Frameless or unit body construction is being referenced.
• Sheet-metal pressings are joined by spot welding and other welds.
• Outer skin or exterior panels may be partly structural but are often thinner and primarily cosmetic.

Concept / Approach:

In unit body construction, the body-in-white consists of multiple stampings (floor pan, pillars, roof bows, cross members, sills) welded into a single load-carrying shell. This shell provides torsional and bending stiffness and serves as the primary structure for crash energy management. The exterior panels are attached to, and integrated with, this welded framework. While some exterior panels may contribute locally to stiffness, the essential point is that the shell formed by welded sheet metal is the frame substitute. Therefore, the described statement aligns with the definition of a unit or frameless body construction.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Automotive manufacturing texts and OEM body-in-white diagrams show spot-welded assemblies forming a closed structural shell, with panels added to complete the exterior and interior.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

False — Would contradict standard unibody construction methods widely used in modern cars.

Common Pitfalls:

Interpreting the word framework as implying a separate ladder frame; here, the welded pressings themselves constitute the frame-equivalent structure.

Final Answer:

True