An electric heating pad for warming a patient. The electric heating pad may be a heated underbody support, heated mattress or heated mattress overlay. An embodiment of the heating pad includes a flexible sheet-like heating element including an upper edge, a lower edge, and at least two side edges. The heating pad may also include a shell covering the heating element and comprising at least two sheets of flexible material (e.g., two sheets may be one sheet folded over to form at least two sheets). The two sheets of flexible material may be coupled together about the edges of the heating element by a weld. The material of the two sheets may include urethane. In some embodiments, a catalyst to accelerate hydrogen peroxide decomposition is coated on or impregnated into an element within the shell, or on the interior surface of the shell.

An electric heating pad for warming a patient. The electric heating pad may be a heated underbody support, heated mattress or heated mattress overlay. An embodiment of the heating pad includes a flexible sheet-like heating element including an upper edge, a lower edge, and at least two side edges. The heating pad may also include a shell covering the heating element and comprising at least two sheets of flexible material (e.g., two sheets may be one sheet folded over to form at least two sheets). The two sheets of flexible material may be coupled together about the edges of the heating element by a weld. The material of the two sheets may include urethane. In some embodiments, a catalyst to accelerate hydrogen peroxide decomposition is coated on or impregnated into an element within the shell, or on the interior surface of the shell.

The disclosure herein describes various methods for producing a composite thickness metal part. Such methods include cutting out a base component having a first thickness, cutting out a foil sheet having a second thickness less than the first thickness, and loading the base component and the foil sheet into a fixture. Then the methods include passing the fixture containing the base component and the foil sheet through an ultrasonic welding machine to join the foil sheet to the base component and form an interim part that includes the foil sheet joined to the base component and cutting away preselected sections of the foil sheet from the interim part to produce a final geometry of the composite thickness metal part.

The disclosure herein describes various methods for producing a composite thickness metal part. Such methods include cutting out a base component having a first thickness, cutting out a foil sheet having a second thickness less than the first thickness, and loading the base component and the foil sheet into a fixture. Then the methods include passing the fixture containing the base component and the foil sheet through an ultrasonic welding machine to join the foil sheet to the base component and form an interim part that includes the foil sheet joined to the base component and cutting away preselected sections of the foil sheet from the interim part to produce a final geometry of the composite thickness metal part.

Devices and methods to assist wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) are provided. A non-contact, multidirectional synchronized ultrasonic device can include multiple ultrasonic probes mounted on a nozzle of a WAAM robotic arm. The probes can include one normal probe and a plurality of lateral probes configured to rotate on a parabolic frame. The ultrasonic probe in the normal direction can act by its continual high-frequency oscillation in the arc plasma to enhance the arc push force, while the lateral probes can act on the shape of both sides of the deposit. The combined effect of the probes can generate ultrasonic waves and cavitation in the molten pool.

The concepts described herein provide a method, system, and apparatus for joining, via welding, first and second members fabricated from an aluminum alloy including aluminum, zinc, and manganese, such as 7000-series aluminum alloys, and a resultant workpiece. A junction is formed by a first member being disposed contiguously to a second member. A welding machine generates a weld pool at the junction that includes liquified aluminum alloy. An ultrasonic transducer directs ultrasonic energy in proximity to the weld pool. In some embodiments, an electro-magnetic transducer directs electro-magnetic energy in proximity to the weld pool. The first member is fused to the second member at the junction upon solidification of the weld pool.

An ultrasonic welding apparatus includes a sonotrode comprising a structured working surface that comprises a plurality of apexes, a plurality of nadirs between immediately adjacent ones of the apexes, and planar sidewalls that extend between the nadirs and the apexes, and for each of the apexes the planar sidewalls on either side of the respective apex extend along first and second planes that intersect one another at an acute angle.

A welded body manufacturing method for a welded body in which a terminal formed of a metal base material and plated with a metal material having a hardness lower than a hardness of the metal base material is connected to an end portion of a conductive member, the conductive member being connected to the terminal on a conductor welding surface of the terminal is provided. The manufacturing method includes forming at least one of a convex portion and a concave portion on the conductor welding surface and connecting the conductive member to the conductor welding surface by means of ultrasonic welding.

A welded body manufacturing method for a welded body in which a terminal formed of a metal base material and plated with a metal material having a hardness lower than a hardness of the metal base material is connected to an end portion of a conductive member, the conductive member being connected to the terminal on a conductor welding surface of the terminal is provided. The manufacturing method includes forming at least one of a convex portion and a concave portion on the conductor welding surface and connecting the conductive member to the conductor welding surface by means of ultrasonic welding.

A wire bonding apparatus according to an embodiment bonds a wire to a bonding portion by generating an ultrasonic vibration in a state of pressing the wire onto the bonding portion. The wire bonding apparatus includes a bonding tool that causes the wire to contact the bonding portion and applies a load, an ultrasonic horn that generates the ultrasonic vibration, a load sensor that continuously detects the load applied from the bonding tool to the bonding portion, and a controller that controls the operation of the bonding tool and the ultrasonic horn. The controller analyzes data of the load output from the load sensor between when the wire contacts the bonding portion and when the ultrasonic vibration is generated, and controls the operation of the bonding tool and the ultrasonic horn based on an analysis result.