A coupling device couples, using a coupling member, a first plate of a first metal to a second plate of a second metal. A power source is connected to first and second electrodes. A driver moves the first and second electrodes relative to the coupling member and the first and second plates. A controller controls the power source and the driver to electrify the coupling member and the first and second plates under pressure. The coupling member includes a third metal approximately identical to the second metal. The first metal has a melting point lower than melting points of the second and third metals. The coupling member includes a pilot portion that is located about a center of a flat surface of a body of the coupling member and that protrudes in an extending direction. The flat surface has discharge grooves radially extending from the pilot portion.

A coupling device is configured to, using a coupling member, couple a first plate made of a first metal and a second plate made of a second metal to each other, and includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a power source, a driver, and a controller. The power source is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode. The driver is configured to move the first electrode and the second electrode relative to the coupling member, the first plate, and the second plate. The controller is configured to control the power source and the driver to electrify the coupling member, the first plate, and the second plate while controlling the first electrode and the second electrode to apply pressure to the coupling member, the first plate, and the second plate.

A chip card body including a metal plate, a reception region in the metal plate for receiving a chip and configured for inductive coupling of the metal plate to a chip received in the reception region; and at least one through-opening in the metal plate and configured such that at least a part of the metal plate acts as an antenna for delivering an electromagnetic signal to the reception region.

There is provided a method of manufacturing a composite molded body that can increase a processing speed and a joining strength in a different direction. The method of manufacturing a composite molded body in which a metal molded body and a resin molded body are joined, includes the steps of: continuously irradiating a joint surface of the metal molded body with laser light at an irradiation speed of 2,000 mm/sec or more by using a continuous-wave laser; and arranging, within a mold, a portion of the metal molded body including the joint surface irradiated with the laser light in the preceding step and performing injection molding of a resin forming the resin molded body, or performing compression molding in a state where a portion of the metal molded body including the joint surface irradiated with the laser light in the preceding step and a resin forming the resin molded body are made to contact with each other.

A vehicle composite member to be joined at a perimeter section to a ferrous vehicle body member is provided. The vehicle composite member includes a lightweight panel that is formed of a lightweight material having a lighter specific weight than iron, and a ferrous perimeter member that has been integrated with the lightweight panel. The perimeter section is configured by the ferrous perimeter member.

Embodiments of systems and methods of additive manufacturing are disclosed. In one embodiment, a metal deposition device (MDD) is configured to deposit a metal material during an additive manufacturing process. A controller is operatively coupled to the MDD and is configured to command the MDD to deposit the metal material on a base to form a contour of a part. The controller is configured to command the MDD to deposit the metal material on the base to form an infill pattern within a region outlined by the contour. The infill pattern is a wave shape having a wavelength. The controller is configured to command the metal deposition device to fuse the infill pattern to the metal contour at crossover points, where the infill pattern meets the contour, by applying energy at the crossover points and reducing a deposition rate of the metal material at the crossover points to prevent distorting the contour.

An additive manufacturing system includes an electrode head comprising an array of electrodes for depositing material to form a three-dimensional part. The array includes a first plurality of electrodes formed from a first metallic material having a first ductility and a first hardness, and a second plurality of electrodes formed from a second metallic material having a second ductility and a second hardness, wherein the first ductility is greater than the second ductility and the second hardness is greater than the first hardness. A power source provides electrical power for establishing a welding arc for each electrode. A drive roll system drives each electrode. A controller is connected to the power source to control operations of the additive manufacturing system to form an interior portion of the part using the first plurality of electrodes, and control the operations of the additive manufacturing system to form an exterior portion of the part using the second plurality of electrodes, such that ductility of the interior portion of the part is greater than ductility of the exterior portion of the part.

A method for producing a magnetostrictive material producible without using a mold, a magnetostrictive material, and a method for producing an energy conversion member; the first method includes melting raw material powder for the magnetostrictive material by a laser or electron beam using a metal 3D additive manufacturing machine to perform additive manufacturing. The raw material powder is composed of an FeCo alloy. A method for producing an energy conversion member includes laminating and joining one of a magnetostrictive layer formed by melting raw material powder for a magnetostrictive material by a directed energy deposition method to perform additive manufacturing and a soft magnetic material layer formed by melting raw material powder for a soft magnetic material by the directed energy deposition method to perform additive manufacturing on another.

The present disclosure is directed to a multi-segment device comprising an elongate first portion comprising a first metallic material, an elongate second portion comprising a different metallic material, the first and second elongate portions being directly joined together end to end, a heat affected zone surrounding an interface of the elongate first portion and the elongate second portion, a shapeable distal end formed from at least a portion of the elongate second portion, a coil disposed about a portion of the elongate second portion.

A bending structure includes a bending part that is elastically bendable with respect to the axial direction, a movable part serving as an end member that is attached to an end of the bending part in the axial direction, a thin part that is formed at the movable part and is thinner than the movable part in the axial direction, a notch that is provided at the movable part and exposes the thin part in the axial direction in a manner capable of being irradiated with a laser light of laser welding, and a welding part that is formed at the thin part by laser welding and joins the thin part to the bending part.