In a method for producing a structured seed layer for carbon nanotubes to be deposited thereon, energy is applied by means of a laser beam to a metal layer previously applied to a substrate such that the metal layer is broken up into individual islands. The laser beam is expanded into a beam having a linear cross-section, and a linear exposure zone of the metal layer is simultaneously exposed to the expanded beam. The exposure zone is moved across the metal layer in a direction transverse to the length of the exposure zone. An apparatus for carrying out the method comprises a device for transporting a substrate with a metal layer applied thereto, a laser to produce a laser beam, and a device for expanding the laser beam to produce a linear exposure zone that extends perpendicularly to the direction in which the substrate is transported.

Provided, among other things, is a method of cutting and folding a planar substrate with a focused laser beam, directed from above the substrate, to form a shape with features in 3-dimensions, the method comprising: (a) executing from above laser cuts to the planar substrate so as to provide one or more a releasable segments; (b) executing from above one or more laser-executed upward folds to bend all or a portion of a releasable segment; and (c) executing from above one or more laser-executed downward folds to bend all or a portion of a releasable segment; wherein the cuts and folds are structured so that precursors to the 3D shape remain attached to the substrate while sufficient cuts and folds are made to form the 3D shape, and wherein the planar substrate is immobile during said steps (a) through (c), or is only moved in the plane of the substrate.

The invention relates to a method to produce a metal blank with a predetermined contour, with the following steps: continuously moving the metal strip in a transport direction x; concurrently removing material from the surface of a top of a metal strip in at least one predetermined surface section by ablation by means of a first laser that is a component of a first removal device, and then concurrently cutting the metal strip along a cutting path corresponding to the contour of the metal blank by means of at least one second laser that is a component of a cutting device provided downstream of the first removal device; the surface section of an upstream metal blank being produced simultaneously with the cutting of a downstream metal blank.

A system for producing components by hot stamping includes a laser cutting station for cutting a plate from a supplied steel-sheet material. The plate has at least one of a predetermined edge-contour and a predetermined cut-out portion for forming a shape of the component. The plate is stored in a storage station, and is subsequently transferred to a furnace station for heating the plate to a predetermined deformation temperature. A press having a hot stamping tool forms the plate into the shape of the component. The system also includes a measuring station disposed downstream of the press for obtaining measurement data relating to the shape of the component that is formed from the plate. The measurement data obtained using the measuring station is provided to a control module of the laser cutting station via a feedback loop.

A binding machine comprising: a feeding device for feeding a binding element (3) in the form of a wire or strap in a loop around one or more objects to be bound and subsequently retracting the binding element to draw it tightly around said objects; and a laser welding device for forming a welded joint between a section at the leading end of the binding element and an adjoining section at the trailing end of the part (3a) of the binding element fed in a loop around said objects to thereby secure this part of the binding element in a loop around the objects. The laser welding device is configured to apply an identification marking on an outer surface of the binding element by means of a laser beam (14) emitted from a laser welding head of the laser welding device.

A method for producing a composite material, particularly a steel composite material, may involve providing a first workpiece and a second workpiece, producing a bonded connection between said first and said second workpiece in order to form a provisional composite, and rolling said provisional composite in order to form the composite material. During the rolling, the bonded connection may be at least partially released, in the form of a predetermined breaking point. The rolling may be performed as hot rolling. Further, the method may involve substantially hermetically sealing the provisional composite by way of a sealant. The first and second work pieces, moreover, may be peripherally connected by way of the bonded connection along an edge area of a contact surface formed by the first and second work pieces.

A binding machine comprising: a feeding device for feeding a binding element (3) in the form of a wire or strap around one or more objects and subsequently retracting the binding element to draw it tightly around said objects; and a laser welding device (12) for forming a welded joint between a first section at the leading end of the binding element and an adjoining second section at the trailing end of the part (3a) of the binding element fed around said objects to thereby secure this part of the binding element in a loop around the objects. The laser welding device directs a laser beam onto an area (30) at the trailing end of said second section in order to reduce the tensile strength of the binding element, wherein the feeding device retracts the binding element in order to subject this area to tensile stress and thereby cause the binding element to be broken off.

The invention relates to a method for cutting a sheet metal blank from a sheet metal strip (1) continuously conveyed in a transport direction (T), by means of at least one laser cutting device (3), having the following steps: providing a laser cutting device (3) with at least one laser cutting head (5) which has a cutting nozzle (7) and which can be moved along a cutting path (S1, S2, S1, S2) specified so as to correspond to the geometry of the sheet metal blank by means of a controller (6), incrementally measuring the distance between the cutting nozzle (7) and the surface of the sheet metal strip (1) at at least one radially outer position (P.sub.1, P.sub.2) relative to the cutting nozzle (7) by means of a first distance measuring device (8), controlling the movement of the laser cutting head such that the first distance measuring device (8, 9) constantly remains overlapping the sheet metal strip (1), into a second position, in which the cutting nozzle is overlapping the sheet metal strip (1), wherein the height of the cutting nozzle (7) relative to the surface of the sheet metal strip (1) is regulated using the first distance values supplied by the first distance measuring device (8, 9) when the cutting nozzle (7) is moved from the first position in the direction of the second position.

Provided is a density clad steel sheet having excellent strength and plateability, the clad steel sheet including a base metal, and a clad material provided at both sides of the base metal, wherein the base metal is a ferrite-austenitic duplex lightweight steel sheet comprising, by wt %, 0.3-0.7% of C, 2.0-9.0% of Mn, 4.5-8.0% of Al and the balance of Fe and inevitable impurities, and the clad material is a ferrite carbon steel comprising, by wt %, 0.0005-0.2% of C, 0.05-2.5% of Mn and the balance of Fe and inevitable impurities.

Systems and methods are described for managing articles. The systems and methods described herein may comprise an example method for manufacturing an article. The systems and methods provides an end-to-end manufacturing value chain as a closed system and feedback loop.