There is provided a welded structure that can reduce fractures at welded portions. The welded structure includes two or three steel sheets and a lapped portion in which the steel sheets are overlapped and joined by spot welding at a plurality of locations, the welded structure including a spot weld portion, and, when a diameter of a nugget is d.sub.ng (mm), a tip diameter of an electrode used by the spot welding is d (mm), and an average thickness per steel sheet of the steel sheets at the lapped portion is t.sub.ave (mm), the spot weld portion satisfies d.sub.ng>d(t.sub.ave).sup.1/2 when 0.5 mmt.sub.ave<1.1 mm and d.sub.ng>1.05d when 1.1 mmt.sub.ave2.6 mm, in accordance with the average thickness t.sub.ave (mm).

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention discloses an aluminum-based blank including: a first plated steel plate; a second plated steel plate connected to the first plated steel plate; and a joint connecting the first plated steel plate and the second plated steel plate at a boundary between the first plated steel plate and the second plated steel plate.

A method of simultaneously forming a plurality of vehicle parts includes placing a common welded blank having a first portion joined to a second portion via a weld into a die set, and then simultaneously forming a first part in the first portion of the common welded blank and a second part in the second portion of the common welded blank. The first portion of the common welded blank can have a first thickness being different than a second thickness of said second portion and/or comprised of a first material grade being different than a second material grade of the second portion to simultaneously form the first and second parts with different thicknesses and/or different material grades. In an arrangement, each of the first and second portions can be shaped to be approximate halves of the overall common welded blank for simultaneously forming complementary parts.

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.WJ0.9 FT.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.WJ5000, where FA=10291+4384.1Mo+3676.9Si522.64Al2221.2Cr118.11Ni1565.1C246.67Mn.

Methods and systems for laser cutting of components are disclosed herein. Examples are specifically suited for laser cutting relatively large components of e.g. a vehicle framework such as a unitary side panel of a vehicle door. Multiple robots may perform laser cutting operations substantially simultaneously.

Methods and systems for laser cutting of components are disclosed herein. Examples are specifically suited for laser cutting relatively large components of e.g. a vehicle framework such as a unitary side panel of a vehicle door. Multiple robots may perform laser cutting operations substantially simultaneously.

A steel sheet for the manufacture of a press hardened part is provided, having a composition of: 0.15%C0.22%, 3.5%Mn<4.2%, 0.001%Si1.5%, 0.020%Al0.9%, 0.001%Cr1%, 0.001%Mo0.3%, 0.001%Ti0.040%, 0.0003%B0.004%, 0.001%Nb0.060%, 0.001%N0.009%, 0.0005%S0.003%, 0.001%P0.020%. A microstructure has less than 50% ferrite, 1% to 20% retained austenite, cementite, such that the surface density of cementite particles larger than 60 nm is lower than 10.sup.7/mm.sup.2, and a complement of bainite and/or martensite, the retained austenite having an average Mn content of at least 1.1*Mn %. Press-hardened steel part obtained by hot forming the steel sheet, and manufacturing methods thereof.

A joint structure includes a first metallic material having a first projection, a second metallic material similar to and weldable to the first metallic material, and a different material having a first penetrating part and sandwiched between the first and second metallic materials, the different material being difficult to weld to the first and second metallic materials. The first projection is smaller than the first penetrating part and is spaced from the rim of the first penetrating part. The first projection is positioned in the first penetrating part and spaced from the second metallic material by a gap. The gap has a size of a predetermined percentage of the thickness of the first projection to which arc welding is applied. The first and second metallic materials are melted and joined together inside the first penetrating part to compress and fix the different material, so all three are fixed together.

An embodiment of the present disclosure discloses an aluminum-based plating blank including a first plated steel plate, a second plated steel plate connected to the first plated steel plate, and a joint located between the first plated steel plate and the second plated steel plate and connecting the first plated steel plate to the second plated steel plate.

A tailored welded blank produced from at least two blank parts, where at least one is a press-hardenable manganese-boron steel and at least one has a coating of aluminum or an aluminum-based alloy. The parts are welded by laser-beam welding or hybrid laser/gas-metal-arc welding, while retaining the coating, using shielding gas and a filler wire having in % by weight: C: 0.41 to 0.9; Si: 0.4 to 4; Mn: 0.4 to 3; optionally Cr: 0 to 10; and with optional alloying of one or more of: Mo: 0.01 to 1.0; B: 0.0008 to 0.0040; Ti: 2.5B<=Ti<=5B; V: 0.01 to 0.4; Nb: 0.01 to 0.2; W: 0.01 to 0.2; the remainder Fe and unavoidable impurities. The high proportion of C and Cr or additionally or alternatively of Mo, V, Nb and/or W enables hardening by carbide formation in a weld-seam region after welding.