Drill collars may be constructed using solid-state welding processes. Solid-state welding produces robust drill collars with high fatigue lifespans and permits individual segments of the drill collar to be optimized based on their intended use. A drill collar may be formed of a first segment with a different material, density, modulus of elasticity and/or geometry than an adjacent second segment fused thereto. If a segment of a drill collar is damaged in use, the damaged segment may be removed and replaced, possibly without de-rating the drill collar. Methods of forming the solid-state welds may include friction welding adjacent segments to one another such that features in each segment are circumferentially aligned when the weld is formed. Supplemental energy sources may provide additional heat at the welded surfaces to ensure the segments are effectively fused.

A variable gage blank is formed from a set of components joined by a joining process. The set of components include a web, a first flange, and a second flange. The components have respective thicknesses. The first flange and the second flange may be modified to include a transition region with a variable thickness that terminates on an edge having a thickness substantially similar to a thickness of the web.

A method for operating a double-action friction stir welding device including a welding tool having a pin member and a shoulder member, a projection/retraction mechanism for causing the pin member to project/retract relative to the shoulder member, a rotation mechanism for rotating a welding tool, and an advancing/retracting mechanism for advancing/retracting the welding tool, the method including cleaning at least one of the outer circumferential surface of the pin member and the inner circumferential surface of a through hole of the shoulder member on the basis of the level of an adhesion parameter correlated with the degree of adhesion of the material of a welding object, caused by friction stir welding, on the outer circumferential surface of the pin member and the inner circumferential surface of the through hole of the shoulder member.

A method for manufacturing a composite member, in which a composite member having a high joining strength can be manufactured in an inexpensive and efficient way; and the composite member. A metal member and a resin-containing member are joined together by heating the metal member while pressing the resin-containing member against a metal porous film formed on a surface of the metal member. The porous film is formed by impacting the surface of the metal member with metal powder by the cold spray process.

A compressor wheel arrangement for an electrically powered turbocharger, which can be connected with a rotor shaft of the turbocharger, having a compressor wheel made of a first metallic material, a shaft made of a second metallic material, which is tightly connected with the compressor wheel, at least one permanent magnet, which is non-rotatably arranged on the section of the shaft, in a ring-shaped area around a section of the shaft that extends behind the compressor wheel, between a casing and the shaft.

System and methods for using analytics and algorithms to predict weld quality are provided and include a computer having a processor and memory configured to receive weld parameter data generated during a welding process by a welder to join at least two parts with a weld, input the received weld parameter data to a data analytics model to generate at least one predicted weld quality parameter, compare the predicted weld quality parameter with a weld quality parameter threshold, and generate output indicating at least one of: the at least one predicted weld quality parameter and a result of the comparison between the at least one predicted weld quality parameter and the weld quality parameter threshold

A system for laying pipe includes a conveyor configured to receive one or more pipes, and one or more friction stir welding (FSW) machines configured to connect the one or more pipes to a pipeline deployed toward a sea floor.

A method of joining a first component to a second component at respective connection surfaces, comprising, in order, applying a local surface treatment to the connection surface of at least one of the first and second components in order to locally alter the microstructure to a depth of between 60 μm and 10 mm below the connection surface; and joining the first component to the second component using a welding process.

A method of joining a first component to a second component at respective connection surfaces, comprising, in order, applying a local surface treatment to the connection surface of at least one of the first and second components in order to locally alter the microstructure to a depth of between 60 μm and 10 mm below the connection surface; and joining the first component to the second component using a welding process.

A method of installing a friction element includes driving the friction element through a top panel and friction welding the friction element to a bottom panel. At least one additional panel may or may not be between the top panel and the bottom panel. Also, at least one key friction element weld (FEW) parameter is controlled during installing of the friction element, at least one key FEW parameter is monitored during installing of the friction element, and the at least one key FEW controlled parameter is adjusted in real-time as a function of and in response to the at least one key FEW monitored parameter exhibiting completion of at least one key FEW process characteristic. Non-limiting examples of the at least one key FEW controlled parameter include RPM of the friction element and insertion force applied to the friction element.