According to an embodiment, a method for manufacturing a joined metal member includes: disposing a first metal member inside a mold of an injection molding apparatus, the first metal member being made of a first metal material, unevenness being formed over a surface of the first metal member, and an oxide film being formed so as to cover the unevenness; and injecting a second metal material into the mold, and thereby molding a second metal member and joining the second metal member to the first metal member, the second metal material being, when it is injected into the mold, in a semi-molten state, or in a molten state in which a difference between a temperature of the second metal material and a liquidus temperature thereof is smaller than or equal to 30° C.

Provided is a joining method that can prevent a plastic flowing material from flowing out from a butt section and that can reduce the thickness and weight of metal members. The joining method is for joining a first metal member and a second metal member by using a rotary tool comprising a stirring pin, and is characterized in that: the stirring pin comprises a flat surface perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotary tool and comprises a protruding section protruding from the flat face; and in a friction stirring step, the flat surface is brought into contact with the first metal member and the second metal member, and a front end face of the protruding section is inserted deeper than an upper overlapping section to join an upper front butt section and the upper overlapping section.

A method includes disposing a hydride of a transition metal on a first metallic material, where at least one of the first metallic material or a second metallic material includes a surface oxide layer. The method includes performing a diffusion bonding operation to bond the first metallic material to the second metallic material. During the diffusion bonding operation, the hydride of the transition metal chemically reacts with the surface oxide layer.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a sandwich panel as a semi-finished product where at least one layer of a non-metallic material is positioned between at least two metallic layers. At least one of the metal layers is shaped into a three dimensional layer, and the metal layers are in direct mechanical contact to enable resistance weldability of the semi-finished product in order to connect the semi-finished product to a desired combination of solutions in a subsequent manufacturing process.

Some variations provide an aluminum alloy feedstock for additive manufacturing, the aluminum alloy feedstock comprising from 81.5 wt % to 88.8 wt % aluminum; from 1.1 wt % to 2.1 wt % copper; from 3.0 wt % to 4.6 wt % magnesium; and from 7.1 wt % to 9.0 wt % zinc. The aluminum alloy feedstock may be in the form of a free-flowing powder or a feedstock ingot, for example. In some variations, the aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 84.9 wt % to 88.3 wt % aluminum; from 1.2 wt % to 2.0 wt % copper; from 3.2 wt % to 4.4 wt % magnesium; and from 7.3 wt % to 8.7 wt % zinc.

The invention relates to a method and a device (1) for welding by means of a non-consumable electrode (2), wherein a welding current (I) alternating in polarity at a welding frequency (f.sub.S) is applied by a current source (3) between the electrode (2) and a workpiece (4) in order to form an arc (5), and the polarity is changed back to the polarity before the polarity change if the voltage (U) is above the voltage threshold value (U.sub.S+, U.sub.S−) and the welding current (I) is below the current threshold value (I.sub.S+, I.sub.S−). According to the invention, the welding voltage (U) and the welding current (I) after a preset duration (Δt) after the polarity change are compared with the voltage threshold value (U.sub.S+, U.sub.S−) and the current threshold value (I.sub.S+, I.sub.S−), and in addition the power (P) in the arc (5) is determined, and the polarity is changed back if the welding voltage (U) is greater than the voltage threshold value (U.sub.S+, U.sub.S−), and/or if the welding current (I) is less than the current threshold value (I.sub.S+, I.sub.S−), and/or the determined power (P) is less than a preset power threshold value (P.sub.S).

Provided is a joining method that can prevent a plastic flowing material from flowing out from a butt section and that can reduce the thickness and weight of metal members. The joining method is for joining a first metal member and a second metal member by using a rotary tool comprising a stirring pin, and is characterized in that: the stirring pin comprises a flat surface perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotary tool and comprises a protruding section protruding from the flat face; and in a friction stirring step, the flat surface is brought into contact with the first metal member and the second metal member, and a front end face of the protruding section is inserted deeper than an upper overlapping section to join an upper front butt section and the upper overlapping section.

An apparatus and method for method for joining materials includes a rivet that may extend through a first sheet to be resistance welded to a second sheet. The head of the rivet has a cavity and vents allowing adhesive extruded from a pilot hole to be received in the cavity and vented in a direction parallel to the first sheet. The rivet is deformed to an hourglass shape that fills the pilot hole and displaces the first sheet into the cavity. Rivet dimension allow for holding with a robotic gripper that can be withdrawn before welding. Methods of monitoring joint quality include comparing welding parameter profiles and images of good and discrepant joints.

A welding window device includes an elongated body that defines a welding cavity that extends through the body from a top side to a bottom side. The welding cavity is framed by an inlet end, an outlet end, and lateral sides of the body. The body includes one or more gas channels inwardly extending through one or more of the first lateral side or the second lateral side from an inlet opening in the inlet end toward the outlet end of the body. The gas channels include nozzle openings inwardly oriented toward the welding cavity. The gas channels are positioned in the body to direct a gas into the welding cavity during welding of other bodies together within the welding cavity.

The invention relates to a method for producing tailored sheet-metal strips, in which at least one sheet-metal strip having a substantially planar surface is integrally connected along its longitudinal edge to at least one further web-shaped semifinished product made of metal, wherein the at least one further web-shaped semifinished product differs from the at least one sheet-metal strip in terms of at least one of its properties, and wherein the at least one sheet-metal strip and the at least one further web-shaped semifinished product are fed continuously to at least one joining station, characterized in that a web-shaped semifinished product having a three-dimensional structure, a hollow profile and/or a multiplicity of recesses and/or holes in succession along its longitudinal edge is used as the at least one further web-shaped semifinished product which is fed to the joining station. An apparatus for carrying out the method is furthermore claimed.