It is an object of the present invention to provide a flux containing flux components homogeneously dispersed without precipitation of aggregates in addition to having an appropriate balance between fluidity and shape retention property, and a solder paste. A flux comprising 0.5 to 3.5 mass % of a sorbitol-type thixotropic agent selected from the group consisting of dibenzylidene sorbitol, bis(4-methylbenzylidene)sorbitol and a combination thereof, and 2 to 350 mass ppm of a sorbitol-type additive selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, monobenzylidene sorbitol, mono(4-methylbenzylidene)sorbitol and a combination thereof, and a glycol ether-type solvent.

The invention relates generally to welding and, more specifically, to welding wires for arc welding, such as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) or Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW). In one embodiment, a tubular welding wire includes a sheath and a core. The tubular welding wire includes less than approximately 0.4% manganese metal or alloy by weight, and the tubular welding wire is configured to form a weld deposit having less than approximately 0.5% manganese by weight.

The invention relates generally to welding and, more specifically, to welding wires for arc welding, such as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) or Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW). In one embodiment, a tubular welding wire includes a sheath and a core. The tubular welding wire includes less than approximately 0.4% manganese metal or alloy by weight, and the tubular welding wire is configured to form a weld deposit having less than approximately 0.5% manganese by weight.

An aluminum alloy clad material having four layers includes: a sacrificial material on one surface of a core material; and an AlSiMgBi-based brazing material which clads the other surface thereof on one surface of the sacrificial material on an opposite side to the core material, the brazing material containing Si: 6.0% to 14.0%, Mg: 0.05% to 1.5%, Bi: 0.05% to 0.25%, Sr: 0.0001% to 0.1%, and Al balance, and satisfying (Bi+Mg)Sr0.1, MgBi-based compounds contained in the brazing material with a diameter of 0.1-5.0 m are more than 20 in number per 10,000-m.sup.2 and the MgBi-based compounds with a diameter of 5.0 m or more are less than 2 before brazing, and the core material contains Mn: 1.0% to 1.7%, Si: 0.2% to 1.0%, Fe: 0.1% to 0.5%, Cu: 0.1% to 0.7%, and a balance consisting of Al and inevitable impurities.

The present invention relates to an arc welding method for dissimilar material joining for joining a first plate made of an aluminum alloy or a magnesium alloy and a second plate made of steel. A steel-made joining assist member has a stepped external shape including a large-diameter portion and a small-diameter portion, has a hollow portion formed to penetrate the large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion, and has a total height of the large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion being equal to or larger than a thickness of the first plate. A pressure is applied to the joining assist member to punch the first plate. The hollow portion of the joining assist member is filled with a weld metal. The weld metal is melted until a penetration bead is formed on the second plate, to weld the second plate and the joining assist member together.

The present invention relates to an arc welding method for dissimilar material joining for joining a first plate made of an aluminum alloy or a magnesium alloy and a second plate made of steel. A steel-made joining assist member has a stepped external shape including a large-diameter portion and a small-diameter portion, has a hollow portion formed to penetrate the large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion, and has a total height of the large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion being equal to or larger than a thickness of the first plate. A pressure is applied to the joining assist member to punch the first plate. The hollow portion of the joining assist member is filled with a weld metal. The weld metal is melted until a penetration bead is formed on the second plate, to weld the second plate and the joining assist member together.

An electrical connector for a glazing including a first connector foot and a second connector foot for soldering to the glazing, and a bridge portion comprising sheet metal having a thickness in a specified range linking the first connector foot and second connector foot. The first connector foot and the second connector foot each are shaped so that most of the perimeter of each foot is curved, the first connector foot and the second connector foot are connected to the bridge portion by a first neck portion and a second neck portion respectively, and the first neck portion and the second neck portion each have a narrower width than a width of the bridge portion.

An electrical connector for a glazing including a first connector foot and a second connector foot for soldering to the glazing, and a bridge portion comprising sheet metal having a thickness in a specified range linking the first connector foot and second connector foot. The first connector foot and the second connector foot each are shaped so that most of the perimeter of each foot is curved, the first connector foot and the second connector foot are connected to the bridge portion by a first neck portion and a second neck portion respectively, and the first neck portion and the second neck portion each have a narrower width than a width of the bridge portion.

A method for producing a welded blank (1) includes providing two precoated sheets (2), butt welding the precoated sheets (2) using a filler wire. The precoating (5) entirely covers at least one face (4) of each sheet (2) at the time of butt welding. The filler wire (20) has a carbon content between 0.01 wt. % and 0.45 wt. %. The composition of the filler wire (20) and the proportion of filler wire (20) added to the weld pool is chosen such that the weld joint (22) has (a) a quenching factor FT.sub.WJ: FT.sub.WJ0.9FT.sub.BM0, where FT.sub.BM is a quenching factor of the least hardenable substrate (3), and FT.sub.WJ and FT.sub.BM are determined: FT=128+1553C+55Mn+267Si+49Ni+5Cr79Al2Ni.sup.21532C.sup.25Mn.sup.2127Si.sup.240CNi4NiMn, and (b) a carbon content C.sub.WJ<0.15 wt. % or, if C.sub.WJ0.15 wt. %, a softening factor FA.sub.WJ such that FA.sub.WJ>5000, where FA=10291+4384.1Mo+3676.9Si522.64Al2221.2Cr118.11Ni1565.1C246.67Mn.

A method for producing a welded blank (1) includes providing two precoated sheets (2), butt welding the precoated sheets (2) using a filler wire. The precoating (5) entirely covers at least one face (4) of each sheet (2) at the time of butt welding. The filler wire (20) has a carbon content between 0.01 wt. % and 0.45 wt. %. The composition of the filler wire (20) and the proportion of filler wire (20) added to the weld pool is chosen such that the weld joint (22) has (a) a quenching factor FT.sub.WJ: FT.sub.WJ0.9FT.sub.BM0, where FT.sub.BM is a quenching factor of the least hardenable substrate (3), and FT.sub.WJ and FT.sub.BM are determined: FT=128+1553C+55Mn+267Si+49Ni+5Cr79Al2Ni.sup.21532C.sup.25Mn.sup.2127Si.sup.240CNi4NiMn, and (b) a carbon content C.sub.WJ<0.15 wt. % or, if C.sub.WJ0.15 wt. %, a softening factor FA.sub.WJ such that FA.sub.WJ>5000, where FA=10291+4384.1Mo+3676.9Si522.64Al2221.2Cr118.11Ni1565.1C246.67Mn.