A system is provided comprising a hardened stud body and an unhardened stud subunit coupled to the hardened stud body. The hardened stud body may comprise a first composition having by weight between 17% and 21% chromium, between 2.8% and 3.3% molybdenum, between 50% to 55% nickel, and between 4.75% and 5.5% niobium. The unhardened stud subunit may comprise a second composition having by weight between 20% and 23% chromium, between 8% and 10% molybdenum, at least 58% nickel, and between 3.15% and 4.15% niobium.

A system is provided comprising a hardened stud body and an unhardened stud subunit coupled to the hardened stud body. The hardened stud body may comprise a first composition having by weight between 17% and 21% chromium, between 2.8% and 3.3% molybdenum, between 50% to 55% nickel, and between 4.75% and 5.5% niobium. The unhardened stud subunit may comprise a second composition having by weight between 20% and 23% chromium, between 8% and 10% molybdenum, at least 58% nickel, and between 3.15% and 4.15% niobium.

A friction stir spot welding method according to one aspect of the present invention includes: performing a plunging process of moving a shoulder (28) toward a second workpiece (102) from a first workpiece (101) side while rotating a rotary tool to plunge the shoulder into the first and second workpieces; and performing a backfilling process of pushing stirred materials that have flowed into an inside of the shoulder in the plunging process out of the shoulder and backfilling a plunging hole with the stirred materials, the plunging hole being formed by the plunging of the shoulder. In the plunging process, the shoulder is plunged to a position that is shifted from a boundary between the first workpiece and the second workpiece to the second workpiece side by 1 mm or more, such that a component of a protective layer (104) is concentrated in a central portion of a stirred portion (105) when the backfilling process is completed.

A friction stir spot welding method according to one aspect of the present invention includes: performing a plunging process of moving a shoulder (28) toward a second workpiece (102) from a first workpiece (101) side while rotating a rotary tool to plunge the shoulder into the first and second workpieces; and performing a backfilling process of pushing stirred materials that have flowed into an inside of the shoulder in the plunging process out of the shoulder and backfilling a plunging hole with the stirred materials, the plunging hole being formed by the plunging of the shoulder. In the plunging process, the shoulder is plunged to a position that is shifted from a boundary between the first workpiece and the second workpiece to the second workpiece side by 1 mm or more, such that a component of a protective layer (104) is concentrated in a central portion of a stirred portion (105) when the backfilling process is completed.

A workpiece is described, and includes a substrate, a cable, and a cover piece. A portion of the cable is joined to the substrate employing a vibration welding tool, and the cover piece is interposed between the portion of the cable and the vibration welding tool during the joining.

A workpiece is described, and includes a substrate, a cable, and a cover piece. A portion of the cable is joined to the substrate employing a vibration welding tool, and the cover piece is interposed between the portion of the cable and the vibration welding tool during the joining.

Solid-state additive manufacturing processes for joining dissimilar materials and parts are described. Processes include feeding a first material through a hollow tool of a solid-state additive manufacturing machine to contact a second material, generating deformation of the materials by applying normal, shear and/or frictional forces using a rotating shoulder of the tool such that the materials are in a malleable and/or visco-elastic state in an interface region, and mixing and joining the materials in that region. The joining can include interlocks of various shapes in the interface region. One or multiple taggants can be included in deposited material and/or layers, which taggants respond when triggered by specific external stimulus, such as becoming visible upon subjecting to light of a particular wavelength, heating, electric field, and so on. Some taggants are capable of multiple levels of security effects which can be seen by the naked eye or by using special detectors/readers.

An additive manufacturing system for depositing an extrudate onto a substrate comprises a deposition head. The deposition head comprises a stirring tool, rotatable about an axis of rotation AR and comprising a tool distal end and a tool proximal end, axially opposing the tool distal end along the axis of rotation AR. The stirring tool defines a bore, extending from the tool proximal end to the tool distal end. The bore is configured to receive feedstock, biased toward the tool distal end. The deposition head also comprises a die, which is positioned adjacent to the stirring tool, defines a die axis AD1, and comprises a die distal end and a die proximal end, axially opposing the die distal end along the die axis AD1. The die axis AD1 is parallel with the axis of rotation AR of the stirring tool.

A composite component includes a reinforcement bonded to a base component by a bond formed by, or reinforced with, a localized coupling in the base component. The bond may be formed by ultrasonic additive manufacturing. The localized coupling may include a compression of the base component, a weld in the base component, or a heat affected zone of the weld. Where the bond is formed by the localized coupling, the localized coupling encompasses the reinforcement. Where the bond is reinforced with the localized coupling, the localized coupling may encompass the reinforcement, or be arranged at an inside radius of a turn in the reinforcement. The reinforcement results in the composite component having enhanced properties such as lower density, increased strength, stiffness, or energy absorption capabilities.

The invention relates to a device for welding rod-shaped electrical conductors (28, 29) and to a sonotrode (16) for such a device, comprising a compression space for receiving two connection regions (26, 27) of the conductors (28, 29) to be connected, said connection regions (26, 27) extending in a first axial direction (x-axis), the compression space being defined by a working surface (19) of a sonotrode (16), which transmits ultrasonic vibrations, and a counterface of an anvil at two opposite sides in a second axial direction (z-axis) and by a boundary surface of a slider element, which is displaceable in the second axial direction (z-axis), and a boundary surface of a boundary element on two opposite sides in a third axial direction (y-axis). In a special contact zone (50), which is a section of the working surface (19) of the sonotrode (16) and serves to subject at least one connection region (26, 27) to ultrasonic vibrations, the working surface (19) has a surface configuration that differs from a contact zone (30) formed by the remaining working surface (19).