A method of making laminate foam material is provided. The laminate foam material includes a layer of non-foam material sandwiched between two layers of foam material. The non-foam material is bonded to the foam material, such as with a bonding agent and/or by heating respective surfaces of the foam material until the surface softens or melts. When a heating process is utilized, the non-foam material is pressed against the softened or melted foam material. As the foam material begins to cool, the non-foam material becomes bonded to the foam material. The non-foam material is narrower than the foam material and is positioned relative to the foam material such that the edges of the non-foam material are concealed by the foam material. Foam products, such as foam mats, can be formed from the laminate foam material by cutting across the width of the foam material.

A bonded composite joint includes a first carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) panel; a second CFRP panel; a corrugated structure placed between the first and second CFRP panels; and an adhesive placed between the first and second CFRP panels and in contact with the corrugated structure. The corrugated structure has a shape defined by a given wavelength λ.

A system for consolidating materials, comprising a sonotrode configured to direct ultrasonic energy into materials to be consolidated, wherein the materials to be consolidated have both a glass transition temperature and a melting temperature; a non-rigid consolidating material in proximity to the sonotrode, wherein the non-rigid consolidating material and sonotrode define a region therebetween for receiving the materials to be consolidated, and wherein the non-rigid consolidating material has a glass transition temperature that is higher than the glass transition temperature of the materials to be consolidated and a melting temperature that is higher than the melting temperature of the materials to be consolidated.

Provided is a welding method including: a sheet disposition process of disposing a first and a second protection sheet such that the first and the second protection sheet come into contact with a first and a second composite material and disposing an energization sheet such that the energization sheet comes into contact with the first and the second protection sheet; and a welding process of applying a voltage to a pair of electrode portions disposed at the energization sheet and welding the first and the second composite material, the energization sheet contains the carbon fiber base material oriented in a first predetermined direction connecting the pair of electrode portions, and the first and the second protection sheet contain the carbon fiber base material oriented in a second predetermined direction that substantially perpendicularly intersects the first predetermined direction.

A method for manufacturing a smart card capable of achieving excellent connection reliability and bending resistance, a smart card, and a conductive particle-containing hot-melt adhesive sheet. A conductive particle-containing hot-melt adhesive sheet containing solder particles of a non-eutectic alloy in a binder containing a crystalline polyamide having a carboxyl group is interposed between a card member and an IC chip and subjected to thermocompression bonding. The crystalline polyamide having a carboxyl group improves the solder wettability of the non-eutectic alloy, thereby achieving excellent connection reliability. This effect is considered to be a flux effect due to the carboxyl group present in the crystalline polyamide, and as a result, it is possible to prevent the decrease in the elastic modulus of the adhesive layer which would be caused by the addition of a flux compound and to achieve excellent bending resistance.

A system for holding a workpiece in position and exposing it to laser radiation, such that: the workpiece includes a bottom surface and a top surface that are electrically insulated from each other. The system includes an electrostatic charge generating device for generating electrostatic charges on the top surface; an electrically conductive support for forming, on the bottom surface, electrostatic charges of opposite sign to those generated on the top surface; and a laser device for machining or welding. The electrostatic charge generating device is arranged to be activated before or during the laser machining or welding, such that the workpiece is held in position relative to the electrically conductive support during the machining or welding thereof.

A process for room temperature substrate bonding employs a first substrate substantially transparent to a laser wavelength is selected. A second substrate for mating at an interface with the first substrate is then selected. A transmissivity change at the interface is created and the first and second substrates are mated at the interface. The first substrate is then irradiated with a laser of the transparency wavelength substantially focused at the interface and a localized high temperature at the interface from energy supplied by the laser is created. The first and second substrates immediately adjacent the interface are softened with diffusion across the interface to fuse the substrates.

A structural member including a lightweight core, one or more skins, and a crosslinking nanolayer interposed therebetween that results in significant mechanical strength in the structure. The core is a polymer of reduced density by way of included voids, such as an open or closed cell foam, honeycomb, or corrugated structure. The core polymer has a lower density and may have a higher softening or melting temperature than the polymer skin materials. The core may be discontinuous at the interface with the skin such that only a small percentage of the core surface is actually in contact with the skin compared to the overall area of the interface. The skin may be a thermoplastic layer that attaches to the core material. The skin may be a composite material including non-thermoplastic reinforcements. The crosslinking nanolayer is covalently bonded to the surface of the core material and provides molecular compatibility with the skin material.

A system and method for thermoplastic composite welding comprising a cooling means and a heat source. The cooling means cools a heat-side laminate so as to create a thermal gradient in the heat-side laminate. The heat source heats the heat-side laminate after the cooling step is initiated but before the thermal gradient dissipates so that a first side of the heat-side laminate closer to the heat source does not deform as faying surfaces of the heat-side laminate and another laminate farther away from the heat source are welded together.

A method for joining dissimilar materials includes forming a first recess and a second recess by irradiating a surface of a first member with laser light, the first recess and the second recess being cut into the surface obliquely at angles different from each other, and joining the second member to the surface of the first member with a part of the second member engaging with each of the first recess and the second recess by melting the part of the second member lower in melting point than the first member to cause the part of the second member to flow into each of the first recess and the second recess and solidifying the part of the second member.