In one aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus for manipulating a plurality of curved sheets is provided. Each of the plurality of curved sheets includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The apparatus includes tooling to be coupled to the upper surface of each of the plurality of curved sheets. The tooling is capable of moving the plurality of curved sheets relative to each other and abutting the plurality of curved sheets so that the upper surface of each of the plurality of curved sheets is coextensive with a virtual arcuate surface. The apparatus also includes a welding apparatus capable of welding the plurality of curved sheets together after abutting the plurality of curved sheets.

A long structural member that, in a transverse section of one part or all of the long structural member in a longitudinal direction, includes the following configuration. A top plate part, a first flange part, and a second flange part are flat. A first side plate part, a first upper corner part, and a first lower corner part constitute a first thick-wall part. A thickness of the first thick-wall part is greater than a thickness of the top plate part and is greater than a thickness of the first flange part. A second side plate part, a second upper corner part, and a second lower corner part constitute a second thick-wall part. A thickness of the second thick-wall part is greater than the thickness of the top plate part and is greater than a thickness of the second flange part.

A method, article of manufacture, and system for joining different materials is described. In a principal embodiment, two articles, for example different metals, are placed in proximity to one another with an interfacial area. One article is heated using a laser that is scanned across from a point remote from the interface to a point at or just short of the interface. In embodiments, the interfacial bond region is characterized by a homogenous mixed phase region with very low to substantially no brittle intermetallics.

A method of forming an object includes installing multiple foil drums within a processing chamber of an ultrasonic consolidation system. The multiple foil drums each include different materials than the other foil drums. The multiple foil drums are positioned so that one of the foils is selected to be placed on top of the build platform. The selected foil is welded onto the build platform or onto a previously processed layer. A portion of the welded foil is then cut. The multiple foil drums are retracted away from the build platform. The portion of the welded foil that was just cut is then consolidated to the object. The build platform is incrementally lowered before the process is repeated to form the next layer of the object.

An apparatus for producing a tailored sheet metal strip, comprising at least one welding station, by means of which at least two sheet metal strips can be welded to one another along their longitudinal edges, and at least two strip feeding devices for respectively feeding one of the sheet metal strips into the at least one welding station, wherein the at least two strip feeding devices and the at least one welding station define a production line. A further-processing station for further processing is integrated in the production line downstream of the at least one welding station in the strip running direction and is equipped with tools for applying reinforcing material, to local points of at least one of the sheet metal strips which are connected to one another, for punching holes and/or for forming at least one of the sheet metal strips which are connected to one another.

The present invention relates to a device for partial decoating and/or machining removal of a steel sheet coated with a metal coating and/or provided with a parasitic layer, wherein the device has a machining tool in the form of a scraping roller and wherein the scraping roller comprises a cutting edge for scraping the metal coating and/or parasitic layer off the steel-sheet surface, and wherein furthermore the scraping roller is rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to a main plane of extent of the steel sheet, the scraping roller has a circumferential face which is concentric with the rotation axis and in which at least one circumferential groove is formed, the groove has two lateral groove boundary faces that originate from the groove bottom face, wherein at least one of the two groove boundary faces has the cutting edge and the device is configured such that during decoating and/or machining removal, the at least one cutting edge scrapes over the steel-sheet edge in a manner parallel to the main plane of extent of the steel sheet.

A method for producing a bonded joint between a light metal of a first component and a steel material of a second component, wherein a protective-gas joining process is used, a zinc-based filler material is used, and wherein an arc of the protective-gas joining process reaches at least the steel material of the second component, wherein a phase space of at least intermetallic phase composed of iron and the light metal is produced in a joining region adjacent to the steel material. Introduction of heat occurs so that the joint to the steel material is a solder or brazed connection and, during joining, a detachment of part of the solidified intermetallic phase(s) from the steel material of the second component starts in a melt of a solder or brazed matrix formed by the filler material and the at least one intermetallic phase is embedded in the solder matrix.

A different material welded joint in which a first member made of a first material and a second member made of a second material having a melting point lower than that of the first material are joined to each other by welded parts at a plurality of welding sections, wherein the first member has a plurality of through-holes respectively corresponding to the plurality of welding sections and a filler material made of the second material is filled in the plurality of through-holes, and wherein apexes of welding beads of the welded parts, which are deposited and formed on a surface of the second member facing the through-holes, are formed independently of each other at each of the welding sections.

In one aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus for manipulating a plurality of curved sheets is provided. Each of the plurality of curved sheets includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The apparatus includes tooling to be coupled to the upper surface of each of the plurality of curved sheets. The tooling is capable of moving the plurality of curved sheets relative to each other and abutting the plurality of curved sheets so that the upper surface of each of the plurality of curved sheets is coextensive with a virtual arcuate surface. The apparatus also includes a welding apparatus capable of welding the plurality of curved sheets together after abutting the plurality of curved sheets.

An apparatus for producing a tailored sheet metal strip, comprising at least one welding station, by means of which at least two sheet metal strips can be welded to one another along their longitudinal edges, and at least two strip feeding devices for respectively feeding one of the sheet metal strips into the at least one welding station, wherein the at least two strip feeding devices and the at least one welding station define a production line. A further-processing station for further processing is integrated in the production line downstream of the at least one welding station in the strip running direction and is equipped with tools for applying reinforcing material, to local points of at least one of the sheet metal strips which are connected to one another, for punching holes and/or for forming at least one of the sheet metal strips which are connected to one another.