A fastening structure includes: plural overlapping co-fastened members, a clearance hole being formed at at least one mating face of mutual mating faces of the plural co-fastened members, and a screw utilizing frictional heat to bore a hole and form a thread, passing through the clearance hole, and fastening the plural co-fastened members together.

A method of reducing the cycle time required for flow-drill screw operations by providing a dimple on a part that is engaged by a flow-drill screw. A tip of the flow-drill screw engages a contact band at a location spaced from the tip of the distal end of the flow-drill screw and base portion of the dimple. Friction between the flow-drill screw tip and dimple creates a heat concentration area and results in displaced material fanning a threaded collar. The flow-drill screw is secured by the threads of the threaded collar.

A coupling member head includes a holder configured to hold a coupling member at an end portion on a coupling target member side in an axial direction and configured to approach or separate from a coupling target member, a pair of electrodes, tips of the electrodes being positioned closer to the coupling target member side than a coupling member holding region of the holder, and a retraction mechanism configured to move the electrode to a radial outside of the holder when the holder approaches the coupling target member.

A method of reducing the cycle time required for flow-drill screw operations by providing a dimple on a part that is engaged by a flow-drill screw. A tip of the flow-drill screw engages a contact band at a location spaced from the tip of the distal end of the flow-drill screw and base portion of the dimple. Friction between the flow-drill screw tip and dimple creates a heat concentration area and results in displaced material forming a threaded sleeve. The flow-drill screw is secured by the threads of the threaded sleeve to secure the top part to the bottom part.

A method for producing a tube of a stainless steel alloy tube which comprises the steps of hot working a stainless steel casting into a pretubular shaped workpiece or into a cylindrical bar, trepanning the cylindrical bar or machining an inner diameter of the pretubular shaped workpiece to obtain a tubular workpiece, and cold working the workpiece. The hot working comprises one of: rolling, forging, and a combination thereof. The cold working comprises flow forming or pilgering. The stainless steel tube produced with the method comprises an outer diameter greater than or equal to 152 mm, an average wall thickness greater than or equal to 2.8 mm and less than or equal to 70 mm, and a length greater than 5 m.

The disclosure relates to systems and methods for machine-cutting workpieces in plate form or bar form and also to a machine tool, with a laser machining device, and a workpiece support, by which a workpiece to be machined in the laser machining device is received, and with a workpiece moving device, by which the workpiece to be machined is held and moved in relation to the laser machining device, wherein with a machining head a laser beam is directed onto the workpiece to be machined and a clearance or recess is introduced into the workpiece and the clearance is machined with a flow drill and widened to a final size of a borehole.

A cast part includes a metallic functional region. The functional region extends in a first direction from a first side to a second side of the cast part. The cast part has a surrounding region at least partially surrounding the functional region. The functional region is shaped by a friction-based process. Further disclosed is a piece of equipment, such as an electrical machine which includes a further component and a device for securing the further component against twisting. The device has a connection between the functional region of the cast part and the further component.

A railing support post with threaded holes or receivers for receiving threaded hardware, such as might be used for tensioned cable railing. A decorative sleeve or post cover may be used to at least partially enclose the railing support post. The railing support post may be manufactured, for example, by providing an elongated member of a prescribed length, drilling a plurality of holes spaced along the length of the elongated member, and tapping the plurality of holes to form a plurality of threaded receivers. The threaded receivers are configured to receive rail fittings or other fittings.

A joining method is a method of joining a plate set composed by a plurality of stacked plate members including a first plate member and a second plate member by using a tapping screw. When the tapping screw is advanced into the plate set while the tapping screw is rotated in a state of applying a pressure onto the plate set so as to form through-holes in the first plate member and the second plate member, a first pressure applied onto the tapping screw is reduced down to a second pressure at the time when the tapping screw penetrates the first plate member.

A method for retrofitting a measuring facility on a tube of a fluid line of a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, includes using a non-cutting friction drilling process in the vehicle for creating a hole in the tube by melting the material of the tube. The measuring device is connected at the hole created by melting. A rail vehicle with a fluid line, for instance in a freight car, is also provided.