A method of bonding two or more metallic components into a single piece. The bonding surfaces of the metallic components are protected from reaction with the environment. A force is applied to the metallic components to push the bonding surfaces together. Simultaneous with applying the force, an electric current is passed through the bonding surfaces to joule heat and weld the bonding surfaces together to form the single piece. The bonding surfaces may be protected by plating with a noble metal, applying a coating, shielding with a noble gas, or placing into a vacuum. A press may be used to apply the force. The force and the electric current may be sufficient to push out metal around the joint of the bonding surfaces, and at least one of the bonding surfaces may be drafted to facilitate pushing out the metal. The electric current may be pulsed to induce electroplasticity.

A method of a forming a hollow, drug-eluting nitinol stent includes shaping a composite wire into a stent pattern, wherein the composite wire includes an inner member, a nitinol intermediate member, and an outer member. After the composite wire is shaped into the stent pattern, the composite wire is heat treated to set the nitinol intermediate member in the stent pattern. After heat treatment, the composite wire is processed to remove the outer member and the inner member without adversely affecting the intermediate member. Openings may be provided through the intermediate member and the lumen of the intermediate member may be filled with a substance to be eluted through the openings.

A thin-skin support member is provided. The thin-skin support member may include a semi-circular edge and a flat edge that define a hollow cavity. A cylindrical cavity may be adjacent the hollow cavity and at least partially defined by the semi-circular edge. The cylindrical cavity may be configured to retain a strut assembly. A mounting interface may be coupled to the semi-circular edge and the flat edge. A torsion interface may be disposed adjacent the cylindrical cavity and configured to receive a torsion link. The thin-skin support member may be made using additive manufacturing and thus may have a grain structure grown in the direction of material being added.

A method of manufacturing a hollow aerofoil component 100 for a gas turbine engine 10 comprises joining a first panel 200 to a second panel 300 using bonding, and hot forming the panels into shape. The bonding step and the hot forming step are performed in the same rig, thereby optimizing process time and component quality.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of producing a vacuum thermal insulation panel capable of reducing the occurrence probability of poor welding of a metal outer wrapping material. The method of producing the vacuum thermal insulation panels 100, 100A to 100 D, 101, 101A according to the present invention includes a “covering step of covering a core material 110 or 110B with a metal foil 130 or 131” and a “welding step of welding a metal foil portion on an outer side of the core material”, and the core material is at least partially covered with a cover 120, 120A, or 120D at a timing when the covering step is to be started. Note that when the entire surface of the core material is covered with the cover, it is preferable to reduce the inside of the cover to seal the cover before the covering step, and when a part of the core material is covered with the cover, it is preferable to simultaneously reduce a pressure inside the metal foil and a pressure inside the cover to seal the metal foil.

A method of making a medical guidewire including providing a wire having a length that includes a proximal length and a distal length. The method further includes applying cold work to the distal length and not applying cold work to the proximal length, thereby imparting to the distal length a diameter that is smaller than the proximal length diameter; and applying a reducing process to the wire whereby the proximal length is reduced to have an outer diameter that is the same as the outer diameter of the distal length. The proximal length has an inner diameter and the distal length has an inner diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the proximal length.

A thin-skin support member is provided. The thin-skin support member may include a semi-circular edge and a flat edge that define a hollow cavity. A cylindrical cavity may be adjacent the hollow cavity and at least partially defined by the semi-circular edge. The cylindrical cavity may be configured to retain a strut assembly. A mounting interface may be coupled to the semi-circular edge and the flat edge. A torsion interface may be disposed adjacent the cylindrical cavity and configured to receive a torsion link. The thin-skin support member may be made using additive manufacturing and thus may have a grain structure grown in the direction of material being added.

According to one embodiment, a method is disclosed for plugging an orifice. The method can include rotating a tool including a shoulder portion and a probe pin, and inserting the probe pin into a member having an orifice. The probe pin is provided at an end portion of the shoulder portion. The method can include forming a plug portion by moving the rotating tool to traverse the orifice. The plug portion plugs the orifice.

An embodiment relates to an ultrasonic additive manufacturing process, comprising joining a foil comprising a bulk metallic glass to a substrate; and forming a cladded composite comprising the foil and the substrate; wherein a thickness of the cladded composite is greater than a critical casting thickness of the bulk metallic glass, wherein the cladded composite comprises a cladding layer of the bulk metallic glass on the substrate and the bulk metallic glass comprises approximately 0% crystallinity, approximately 0% porosity, less than 50 MPa thermal stress, approximately 0% distortion, approximately 0 inch heat affected zone, approximately 0% dilution, and a strength of about 2,000-3,500 MPa.

A resistance spot welding system can join two polymeric workpieces and includes a power supply. The power supply has a positive terminal and a negative terminal. The resistance spot welding system further includes a welding electrode assembly electrically connected to the power supply. The welding electrode assembly includes a housing, a first electrically conductive pin and a second electrically conductive pin. The first and second electrically conductive pins both protrude from the housing. The first electrically conductive pin is electrically connected to the positive terminal of the power supply, and the second electrically conductive pin is electrically connected to the negative terminal of the power supply. The second electrically conductive material is electrically insulated from the first electrically conductive pin. The first and second electrically conductive pins are at least partly made of a material having a hardness ranging between 50 HRC and 70 HRC.