An experiment of processing a device is performed to acquire type 1 information and type 2 information indicating processing conditions, and type 3 information and type 4 information indicating results of the processing, derive a first relation between the type 1 information, the type 2 information, and the type 3 information, and a second relation between the type 1 information, the type 2 information, and the type 4 information, and generate and output a model that estimates the type 4 information indicating a result of the processing by using the first relation and the second relation with the type 2 information and the type 3 information that are measured during the processing as inputs.

A welding apparatus that welds a third conductor to a first conductor includes a clamp and a laser irradiation apparatus, the third conductor being adjacent to the first conductor between the first conductor and a second conductor extending in parallel to each other. The clamp is configured to sandwich the first conductor and the third conductor between a first gripper and a second gripper. The laser irradiation apparatus is configured to emit a welding laser towards the third conductor. The first gripper includes a confronting portion facing a contact surface that comes into contact with the first conductor. In a state where the clamp sandwiches the first conductor and the third conductor, the confronting portion and the second gripper are positioned so as to block a reflection laser of the welding laser reflected in a given range of the third conductor.

A welding apparatus that welds a third conductor to a first conductor includes a clamp and a laser irradiation apparatus, the third conductor being adjacent to the first conductor between the first conductor and a second conductor extending in parallel to each other. The clamp is configured to sandwich the first conductor and the third conductor between a first gripper and a second gripper. The laser irradiation apparatus is configured to emit a welding laser towards the third conductor. The first gripper includes a confronting portion facing a contact surface that comes into contact with the first conductor. In a state where the clamp sandwiches the first conductor and the third conductor, the confronting portion and the second gripper are positioned so as to block a reflection laser of the welding laser reflected in a given range of the third conductor.

A method of manufacturing a core product includes injecting molten resin into a resin injection portion provided in a core body so as to extend in a longitudinal direction of the core body, and forming a core product by welding the core body. A buffer region is set between the resin injection portion and a periphery of the core body in a lateral direction of the core body. The core product is formed by welding the core body so that a weld bead formed on the core body is prohibited from reaching the buffer region, and so that the weld bead is spaced apart from the resin injection portion in the lateral direction of the core body.

A method of joining two ferrous alloy component parts. The method includes hot metal casting a portion of a first ferrous alloy component part onto a first joining surface of a low carbon intermediate element; friction fitting a joining surface of a second ferrous alloy component part against a second joining surface of the low carbon intermediate element; and fusion welding with a concentrated energy source the intermediate element to the second ferrous alloy component part. The hot metal casting includes flowing a molten ferrous alloy onto the textured first joining surface, wherein the molten ally encompasses tabs extending from the first joining surface and filling apertures defined in the intermediate element. Then cooling the molten ferrous alloy such that a metallurgical and mechanical bond is formed between the portion of the first ferrous alloy component part and the first joining surface of the low carbon intermediate element.

A method of joining two ferrous alloy component parts. The method includes hot metal casting a portion of a first ferrous alloy component part onto a first joining surface of a low carbon intermediate element; friction fitting a joining surface of a second ferrous alloy component part against a second joining surface of the low carbon intermediate element; and fusion welding with a concentrated energy source the intermediate element to the second ferrous alloy component part. The hot metal casting includes flowing a molten ferrous alloy onto the textured first joining surface, wherein the molten ally encompasses tabs extending from the first joining surface and filling apertures defined in the intermediate element. Then cooling the molten ferrous alloy such that a metallurgical and mechanical bond is formed between the portion of the first ferrous alloy component part and the first joining surface of the low carbon intermediate element.

To increase strength without any weight increase due to a thickness increase and without causing the machining problem in half-blanking, an external gear and an internal gear are ring-shaped gears, and external teeth and internal teeth each have a tooth width substantially corresponding to the thickness of an outer circumferential surface of the external gear or an inner circumferential surface of the internal gear. The external gear and the internal gear are ring-shaped gears, that is, each can be formed through the punching of a plate, and strength resulting from the engagement of the external teeth and the internal teeth corresponds to strength resulting from the thickness of the material plates forming the external gear and the internal gear. Accordingly, the external teeth and the internal teeth can have a wider tooth width, achieving higher strength than when half-blanking is used.

A pressing device for a laser welding apparatus includes an arm member with opposite mounting and pressing ends. A pressing pad at the pressing end has an opening for allowing a laser beam to irradiate a workpiece assembly that is being pressed by the pressing device. The mounting end has a mounting structure for detachably securing the pressing device to the laser welding apparatus. The arm member is shaped to position the opening at a known fixed distance from a laser source of the laser welding apparatus. The pressing pad has a pressing surface on a workpiece-facing side thereof for applying a joining force to the workpiece assembly at a welding location. At least one of the size, shape and smoothness of the pressing surface allows a sliding-contact movement of the pressing surface along a surface of the workpiece assembly during application of the pressing force.

Methods for securing strand ends of devices configured for insertion into an anatomical structure, and the resulting devices.

Methods for securing strand ends of devices configured for insertion into an anatomical structure, and the resulting devices.