A laser welding method is provided to ensure a sufficient joining strength between metal plates by increasing the area of a joining region while preventing “burn through” of a molten metal. In the laser welding method by applying a laser beam to a surface of multiple metal plates superimposed on each other, a scanning locus with the laser beam is sequentially shifted from an inner circular scanning locus to an outer one in a predetermined joining region on the metal plates, and an emission interval is provided to temporally stop the metal-plate-surface irradiation when the scanning locus is shifted. Thus, every time the scanning locus is shifted, the molten metal due to the previous irradiation is cooled and increases its viscosity. Accordingly, the “burn through” is prevented regardless of increase of the area of the joining region, which results in a sufficient joining strength between the metal plates.

A laser welding method is provided to ensure a sufficient joining strength between metal plates by increasing the area of a joining region while preventing “burn through” of a molten metal. In the laser welding method by applying a laser beam to a surface of multiple metal plates superimposed on each other, a scanning locus with the laser beam is sequentially shifted from an inner circular scanning locus to an outer one in a predetermined joining region on the metal plates, and an emission interval is provided to temporally stop the metal-plate-surface irradiation when the scanning locus is shifted. Thus, every time the scanning locus is shifted, the molten metal due to the previous irradiation is cooled and increases its viscosity. Accordingly, the “burn through” is prevented regardless of increase of the area of the joining region, which results in a sufficient joining strength between the metal plates.

Metallization of semiconductor substrates using a laser beam, and the resulting structures, e.g., micro-electronic devices, semiconductor substrates and/or solar cells, solar cell circuit, solar cell strings, and solar cell arrays are described. A solar cell string can include a plurality of solar cells. The plurality of solar cells can include a substrate and a plurality of semiconductor regions disposed in or above the substrate. A plurality of conductive contact structures is electrically connected to the plurality semiconductor regions. Each conductive contact structure includes a locally deposited metal portion disposed in contact with a corresponding one of the semiconductor regions.

A laser processing apparatus of the present disclosure controls outputs of a blue laser oscillator and an infrared laser oscillator such that before a surface melting is detected on a workpiece, the workpiece is irradiated with at least blue laser light, and after the surface melting is detected on the workpiece, a power of infrared laser light with which the workpiece is irradiated is increased as compared to before the surface melting is detected.

To eliminate galvanic corrosion, a housing includes a clad material. The clad material includes an interior metal disposed within an exterior metal. The exterior metal is different from the interior metal. The housing further includes a clad interface and a melt interface. The melt interface includes a layer of hardened flux disposed on a portion of the interior metal.

A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly, a current collector coupled to the electrode assembly, a case accommodating the electrode assembly and the current collector, a cap plate coupled to the case, the cap plate sealing the electrode assembly and the current collector in the case, and a terminal plate connected to the current collector, the terminal plate being exposed through the cap plate, wherein the current collector is welded to at least one of the electrode assembly and the terminal plate by both a dual beam welding and a wobble welding.

A method for generating a camera image from which a welding contour can be derived along which an assembly is to be welded in an image processing-supported laser transmission welding method. The transparent component of the assembly is illuminated from a side facing away from the camera. The invention also relates to a device which is suitable to carry out the method and wherein an illumination device has at least one light source, the light source being arranged in a workpiece holder in which the assembly to be welded is received in a receiving area and being directed into the receiving area.

A wheel holding device holding a wheel including an annular-shaped core body and a plurality of free rollers rotatably supported by the core body includes a central member including an outer peripheral part capable of expanding and contracting in a radial direction. The central member holds the wheel with the outer peripheral part of the central member urging an inner peripheral part of the wheel radially outward. The central member may include a chuck, a plurality of bases which are radially movably supported by the chuck and form the outer peripheral part of the central member, and a plurality of urging members which urge the respective bases radially outward with respect to the chuck.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a battery module including a) aligning a first base material and a second base material, which are welding objects and housing members that are combined with each other to form an internal accommodating space in which a plurality of battery cells are accommodated and b) forming a welding joint portion including a bonding region and a surface region covering the bonding region by irradiating a contact surface between the first base material and the second base material with a laser, the bonding region and the surface region forming the welding joint portion having different microstructures due to different thermal history.

Provided is a battery module including a housing having an internal accommodating space and a plurality of battery cells located in the internal accommodating space, wherein the housing includes a welding joint portion in which a first base material of a first alloy and a second base material of a second alloy are welded, the welding joint portion includes a bonding region in which the first base material and the second base material are melt-bonded and a surface region covering the bonding region, and the bonding region and the surface region have different microstructures.