A linear actuator assembly comprises a linear actuator which has a housing and an output shaft, the output shaft defining an actuator axis and being movable along the actuator axis between an extended position and a retracted position. The assembly also comprises a buffer carriage arranged in an active configuration in which it is mounted on either the housing or the output shaft. The buffer carriage has a rotary portion which is rotationally coupled to the output shaft such that rotation of the output shaft about the actuator axis requires corresponding rotation of the rotary portion. The rotary portion is rotationally restrained when the buffer carriage is in the active configuration.

A linear actuator assembly comprises a housing, an output shaft, a nose piece and a negative pressure device. The output shaft defines an actuator assembly axis, and is movable along the actuator assembly axis between an extended position and a retracted position relative to the housing. The nose piece is slidably mounted to the output shaft and movable between an extended position and a retracted position relative to the output shaft. The nose piece and the output shaft co-operatively define a chamber for containing a quantity of fluid, the volume of the chamber being smaller when the nose piece is in the retracted position than when the nose piece is in the extended position. The negative pressure device is connectable to the chamber, and is selectively operable so as to reduce the pressure in the sealed volume, thereby urging the nose piece from the extended position towards the retracted position.

The present invention provides an integrated method for forming and performance control of NiAl alloy thin-walled tubular parts. A Ni/Al laminated foil tube is obtained after Ni foils and Al foils are alternately laminated and coiled; and the Ni/Al laminated foil tube is subjected to plastic forming, reaction synthesis and densification treatment in a gas bulging forming die to obtain a NiAl alloy thin-walled tubular part. The present invention solves the problem in the prior art that the preparation of an existing NiAl alloy sheet and the formation of the thin-walled tubular part from the sheet feature difficulty in material flow and structural performance control and a complicated process. Data of embodiments shows that the NiAl alloy thin-walled tubular parts obtained by using the method of the present invention has a high forming rate, high dimensional precision, uniform composition distribution, good tubular part compactness and no defects on the surface.

A terminal assembly comprises a conductor including a base metal, a terminal element including copper, and a weld seam at which the terminal element is welded to the conductor. The weld seam has a layer including a copper alloy or of a mixture including copper and at least one base metal.

A technique for joining parts of incompatible metals involves cold spraying a 150-900 micron thick layer of a metal compatible with the second part onto the first part, and friction stir joining the parts by lap welding while keeping a tool of the FSJ tool at least 300 microns away from the first part (less layer) throughout the joining, to avoid damaging the cold spray to first part interface, and formation of intermetallics. Fatigue resistance was tested, with and without a sealant.

Methods for processing a metal substrate for use in a power electronics device are provided. In one example, the method includes placing a metal substrate on a support associated with a laser system. The method includes performing a pulsed laser treatment process on at least a portion of the surface of the metal substrate. The pulsed laser treatment process exposes the at least a portion of the surface of the metal substrate to a plurality of laser pulses to modify a surface roughness of the at least a portion of the surface of the metal substrate. After performing the pulsed laser treatment process, the method includes creating a metallized interface for coupling an electrical component to the metal substrate at the at least a portion of the surface of the metal substrate.

A method for producing an overlap composite material from sheet metal is described, wherein a first sheet (1) of a first metal and a second sheet (2) of a second metal, which has a lower strength than the first metal, are positioned one above another in an overlapping manner in an edge region, and are then joined by rolling. In accordance with the invention, provision is made for the first sheet (1) to have a wedge-shaped edge in cross-section, and for the second sheet (2) to be positioned with its edge on a side surface (3) of the first sheet (1) formed by the wedge-shaped edge, wherein the side surface (3) formed by the wedge-shaped edge of the first sheet (1) has a greater width than the side surface (4) of the edge of the second sheet (2) positioned on the said side surface (3) of the first sheet (1), and, after positioning, the sheets (1, 2) are joined by rolling.

A mounting assembly for a spot-joining apparatus comprises a first support arm (24). The first support arm (24) has a mounting surface (26), and receiving portion configured to receive an actuator or an anvil. The mounting assembly also comprises an alignment bracket (28) configured to engage with the actuator or anvil. The alignment bracket (28) is movable between a plurality of locations on the mounting surface (26) of the first support arm (24). The mounting assembly further comprises a clamp assembly (52, 29, 66a, 66b, 70, 70b or 52, 29, 88, 92, 98, 90, 96) configured to secure the alignment bracket (28) in any of the plurality of locations.

A structure and a method of creating the structure in which relatively thin pieces of non-weldable aluminum alloy or other non-weldable material are welded together. First layers of a weldable material, such as a weldable aluminum alloy or other weldable material, having a total thickness of between 0.01 and 0.30 inches, are built up on a surface of the first piece using an ultrasonic or other solid state joining technique, and second layers of the weldable material having a similar total thickness are built up on a surface of the second piece using the same technique. The first piece is then welded to the second piece at the first and second layers of weldable material using a fusion welding technique. The resulting structure may be part of an aircraft, landcraft, watercraft, or spacecraft type of vehicle or may be used in other high-performance applications.

A clad metal composite produced according to a method for edge-to-edge cladding of two or more different metals (such as aluminum and copper). The metals are joined next to each other to form an edge-to-edge or side-by-side clad bimetal. In one embodiment, nine metal strips are used to create the desired clad metal composite. The design includes strips of metal that have industry standard cut edges (such as, slit-cut edges). In one embodiment, the clad metal composite includes multiple layers of metals positioned edge-to-edge. In one embodiment, the method of making an edge-to-edge composite includes providing multiple layers of metal made of separate strips, aligning the strips in the multiple layers with one another so that edges of the strips of the multiple layers do not align with one another, and then bonding the layers and strips to one another.