A metal member includes a first plate, and a second plate abutting against and welded to the first plate in at least one butt portion. In the butt portion, a length from a first end to a second end of a welding boundary line between the first plate and the second plate is longer than a length of a straight line connecting the first end to the second end of the welding boundary line.

A metal member includes a first plate, and a second plate abutting against and welded to the first plate in at least one butt portion. In the butt portion, a length from a first end to a second end of a welding boundary line between the first plate and the second plate is longer than a length of a straight line connecting the first end to the second end of the welding boundary line.

An apparatus for repairing a metal sheet and method of operating the same are provided. The apparatus includes: a base unit including: a frame and an attachment feature on the frame, a cutting unit removably attachable to the base unit to cut out a damaged portion of the metal sheet, and a welding unit removably attachable to the base unit. The cutting unit includes: a cutting arm including a cutting blade, and a motor for operating the cutting arm. The welding unit includes: a fixed platform, a weld movement motor for moving a moveable platform on the fixed platform, and a welding assembly, attached to the moveable platform, to automatically weld a replacement piece to the metal sheet. In operation, the frame is continuously attached to the metal sheet during cutting of the damaged portion and welding of the replacement piece, providing a stable and repeatable frame of reference.

An apparatus for repairing a metal sheet and method of operating the same are provided. The apparatus includes: a base unit including: a frame and an attachment feature on the frame, a cutting unit removably attachable to the base unit to cut out a damaged portion of the metal sheet, and a welding unit removably attachable to the base unit. The cutting unit includes: a cutting arm including a cutting blade, and a motor for operating the cutting arm. The welding unit includes: a fixed platform, a weld movement motor for moving a moveable platform on the fixed platform, and a welding assembly, attached to the moveable platform, to automatically weld a replacement piece to the metal sheet. In operation, the frame is continuously attached to the metal sheet during cutting of the damaged portion and welding of the replacement piece, providing a stable and repeatable frame of reference.

A component having a first part and a second part. The first part has a first interface surface and the second part has a second interface surface that is connected to the first interface surface via a bond. A digital profile of the first interface surface is used to shape the second interface surface to fit against the first interface surface with minimal to no gap therebetween before forming the bond. The digital profile is developed by scanning the first part with a scanner and the second part is shape by cutting or milling with a robotic arm that acts in accordance with a digital profile data read by a controller. The two parts are bonded via a weld that is automatically guided by the digital profile.

An additive manufacturing process is disclosed that involves positioning a metallic layer beneath a component substrate and welding the metallic layer to the component substrate using laser energy.

An additive manufacturing apparatus forms layers with a material that is molten to produce a formed object. The additive manufacturing apparatus includes a CMT power supply that supplies as a power supply current to heat a wire that is the material fed to a workpiece, to the material; a laser oscillator that produces as a beam source a laser beam that is a beam with which the workpiece is irradiated; and a head drive unit that shifts as a drive unit a feed position for the material on the workpiece and an irradiation position for the beam on the workpiece. The additive manufacturing apparatus shifts the feed position and the irradiation position, with the irradiation position leading in a moving path for the feed position in spaced relation to the feed position.

A method and apparatus for joining using friction and current, wherein the friction/current joining apparatus includes a friction device, a forging device, an electrical current source, and a programmable controller, as well as workpiece holders for the workpieces to be joined. The friction/current joining apparatus is controlled such that, in a contacting phase, the workpieces are initially moved along a process axis, and their mutually facing joining surfaces oriented transverse to a common process axis are brought into contact. In a grinding phase, while subjected to contact pressure by mutual relative movement, the joining surfaces, are ground together and made smooth. At the end of the grinding phase, the relative frictional movement is permanently stopped and, in a forging phase following the grinding phase, the workpieces are pressed together, plasticized, and joined while subjected to contact pressure on their contacting joining surfaces along the process axis, and subjected to conductive heating with electrical current.

A horn includes a plurality of protrusion formation parts, each of which has a plurality of protrusions that protrude from a welding surface and are arranged in a line in at least one row, the plurality of protrusion formation parts respectively configured to form pattern formation parts on an outermost electrode tab of electrode tabs of a secondary battery, and a protrusion-free part which is disposed between two protrusion formation parts of the plurality of protrusion formation parts and in which protrusions are not provided to expose the welding surface to an outside, the protrusion-free part configured to form a pattern-free part on the outermost electrode tab. The protrusion-free part has a width greater than a width of each of the protrusions.

A metal member includes a first plate, and a second plate abutting against and welded to the first plate in at least one butt portion. In the butt portion, a length from a first end to a second end of a welding boundary line between the first plate and the second plate is longer than a length of a straight line connecting the first end to the second end of the welding boundary line.