Systems and methods for etching complex patterns on an interior surface of a hollow object are disclosed. A method generally includes positioning a laser system within the hollow object with a focal point of the laser focused on the interior surface, and operating the laser system to form the complex pattern on the interior surface. Motion of the laser system and the hollow object is controlled by a motion control system configured to provide rotation and/or translation about a longitudinal axis of one or both of the hollow object and the laser system based on the complex pattern, and change a positional relationship between a reflector and a focusing lens of the laser system to accommodate a change in distance between the reflector and the interior surface of the hollow object.

A tool assembly for performing operations in confined spaces, the tool assembly includes a telescoping pole having a proximal end and a distal end. The telescoping pole is capable of extending between a retracted position and an extended position. A working tool is connected to the distal end of the telescoping pole, and a control unit is connected to the proximal end of the telescoping pole. A flexible cable extending through the telescoping pole electrically connects the working tool to the control unit.

A high temperature iron-chromium-aluminium (FeCrAl) alloy tube extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein the tube is formed from a continuous strip of a high temperature FeCrAl alloy and comprises a helical welded seam. The high temperature FeCrAl alloy tube is manufactured by feeding a continuous strip of the high temperature FeCrAl alloy toward a tube shaping station, helically winding the strip such that long edges of the strip abut each other and a rotating tube moving forward in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis is formed, and continuously joining said abutting long edges together in a welding process directly when the tube is formed, whereby a welded tube comprising a helical welded seam is obtained.

A process for preparing a multi-thickness welded steel vehicle rail, the process comprises the steps of: (a) forming a first tube having a first outer diameter, an inner diameter and a first wall thickness; (b) forming a second tube having the first outer diameter, a second inner diameter and a second wall thickness different than the first wall thickness; (c) swaging a first end of the first tube to a second outer diameter less than the second inner diameter of the second tube; (d) inserting the swaged first end of the first tube into an end of the second tube to form a joint; (e) welding the first tube and the second tube together to form a weld at the joint to form a tube blank with a heat affected zone of lower metal strength in the area of the weld; (f) preheating the tube blank to create a common crystalline microstructure along a length of the tube blank; (g) introducing the tube blank into a blow molding tool having inner molding walls; (h) molding the tube blank at an elevated temperature by expanding the tube blank against the inner molding walls of the molding tool by injecting a pressurized medium into an interior cavity of the tube blank; and (i) quenching the tube blank by replacing the pressurized medium with a cooling medium through the molding tool and the tube blank to achieve a rapid cooling effect on the tube blank and to create a completed vehicle rail with essentially uniform material strength across the weld. A completed vehicle rail has an overlapped welded structure and uniform microcrystalline structure along the length of the rail.

A laser tube-cutting machine is disclosed. The tube-cutting machine may include a processing station where raw material enter the machine, a holding and positioning station configured to hold and position the raw material, at least one combined measurement and laser cutting station including a laser and at least one sensor configured to measure various aspects of the tube both before and after cutting, and an outflow processing station where cut material exit the machine.

A tube transition fitting is formed having a first end, a second end, a head, a body, a weld area, and a first wall thickness and second wall thickness. A tube seat is formed on a surface connected to the body, the surface being adjacent a transition from the first wall thickness to the second wall thickness. A tube transition assembly includes a header portion, the tube transition fitting, and a heat exchange tube, each being connected using one or more simplified and/or heat-optimized connections.

The invention relates to a method for producing an axle housing of a vehicle axle, by means of integrally connecting an axle tube (1) to an axle shaft (2) which is positioned on the longitudinal axis (L) of the axle tube, is equipped with bearing surfaces (3) for mounting a vehicle wheel, and has a tube cross-section facing said axle tube (1) which is substantially the same as the tube cross-section of the axle tube. In order to develop a welding method for the production of an axle housing that consists of an axle tube and an axle shaft secured thereto, which method is optimised in terms of the dynamic loads to which the axle housing is typically subjected in a driving operation, the method comprises the following steps: •—arranging the axle tube (1) and the axle shaft (2), with the abutting surfaces of their tube cross-sections positioned coaxially to one another, in a workpiece receiving portion of a welding installation (10), said welding installation additionally comprising an arc welding device (11) and a laser welding device (12) which is operated in parallel, •—continuously miming a weld seam (20) in the peripheral direction of the tube cross-sections, both welding devices (11, 12) being directed, actively and from the outside, onto substantially the same peripheral section of the abutting surfaces, wherein the laser beam (S) meets the outside (14) of the tube at right angles, and intersects the longitudinal axis (L) of the axle tube (1), and •—stopping running the weld seam (20) once this has passed over a peripheral angle of at least 360°. A corresponding axle housing is also disclosed.

A tube assembly includes at least first and second tubes configured for coupling at respective ends. The first and second tubes each include a base material, and a weld interface at the respective end. The weld interface is proximate to an inner diameter and an outer diameter of the first and second tubes, and includes a weld interface segment extending therebetween. A work hardened weld assembly couples the base material of each of the first and second tubes. The work hardened weld assembly includes a weld fusion zone between the weld interfaces of the first and second tubes and the weld interface segments of the first and second tubes. The weld fusion zone is work hardened and at least the weld interface segments of the first and second tubes are work hardened between the work hardened weld fusion zone and the base material of the first and second tubes.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a pipe having a connecting flange, wherein the flange part is welded to an end face pipe end and at least one protrusion of the pipe or of the flange part is provided in the region of the flange hub and contacts the inner wall of the other part on the joining together of the pipe and the flange part to cover the formed weld joint to the pipe interior; and wherein finally the pipe and the flange part are welded to one another.

A nuclear reactor fuel rod is a fuel rod for a light-water reactor. The nuclear reactor fuel rod includes a fuel cladding tube and an end plug, both of which are formed of a silicon carbide material. A bonding portion between the fuel cladding tube and the end plug is formed by brazing with a predetermined metal bonding material interposed, and/or by diffusion bonding. The predetermined metal bonding material has a solidus temperature of 1200° C. or higher. An outer surface of the bonding portion, and a portion of an outer surface of the fuel cladding tube and the end plug, which is adjacent to the outer surface of the bonding portion are covered by bonding-portion coating formed of a predetermined coating metal. The predetermined metal bonding material and the predetermined coating metal have an average linear expansion coefficient which is less than 10 ppm/K.