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 method of fixing a membrane to a surface is disclosed. The method includes affixing a metallic washer having a heat-activated adhesive layer on a surface; arranging a membrane on top of the surface and the heat-activated adhesive layer of the metallic washer; heating the metallic washer to activate the heat-activated adhesive layer such that the membrane is fixable to the metallic washer; positioning a magnetic clamping heat sink assembly on the membrane; magnetically clamping the magnetic clamping heat sink assembly to the metallic washer causing the magnetic clamping heat sink assembly to apply a force against the membrane when the magnetic clamping heat sink assembly sufficiently overlaps the metallic washer to form a secure bond; and cooling the metallic washer, the heat-activated adhesive layer, and the membrane by removing heat through the magnetic clamping heat sink assembly.

An end effector for welding composite components includes an end effector housing and a welding member mounted to the end effector housing. The end effector further includes a leading roller mounted to the end effector housing forward of the welding member and at least one follower roller mounted to the end effector housing aft of the welding member. The end effector further includes at least one first cooling air jet positioned to direct a first stream of cooling air toward the at least one follower roller.

The invention is a hybrid composite material between a first joining partner having a metal surface and a second joining partner having a polymeric material surface. A process for producing a hybrid composite material associated therewith is also described. The hybrid composite material according to the invention is characterized in that the metal surface has microstructured depressions, having a diameter and a structure depth in the micrometer range, the microstructured depressions have metallic surface regions which are furnished entirely with nanostructures, the structure dimensions of which are in the nanometer range, the microstructured depressions are blind holes or throughhole openings fully passing through the first joining partner.

A method of acupuncture needle packaging includes inserting an acupuncture needle body of an acupuncture needle including an acupuncture needle handle at an upper portion thereof into an acupuncture needle tube starting from the acupuncture needle handle; disposing the acupuncture needle in the acupuncture needle tube in a state in which the upper portion of the acupuncture needle handle is exposed to an exterior of the acupuncture needle tube; ascending the upper portion of the acupuncture needle handle exposed to the exterior using a pressing jig; irradiating a laser to an area where the acupuncture needle tube and the acupuncture needle handle abut each other; and coupling the acupuncture needle handle and the acupuncture needle tube by thermally deforming the area where the acupuncture needle tube and the acupuncture needle handle abut each other with a heat generated by the laser.

A method for producing a composite body from at least two partial bodies, at least one of the partial bodies being produced in an additive manufacturing process, includes exposing the at least two partial bodies to a solvent atmosphere, so that one surface of the partial body is smoothed. The at least two partial bodies are placed in the chamber in such a way that they touch at least one joining surface and that the solvent atmosphere creates a material connection between the at least two partial bodies on the at least one joining surface.

Disclosed is a method of resistance welding between composite articles. A conductive element is provided between faying surfaces, having a plurality of lower resistivity electrode portions spaced apart along the length of the contact area between the composite articles. The electrode portions can be used to spot weld across the electrode portions, and along a longitudinal portion of the conductive element between the electrode portions by application of an electrical current. Also disclosed are apparatus for use in the resistance welding methods and composite articles and structures and elements incorporating the conductive element.

Illustrative examples of forming and using suitably adapted materials for improving interface strength between thermoset-thermoplastic joined parts includes exposure of a thermoplastic substrate to a plasma to form an amine-functionalized substrate having amine chemical moieties disposed on a first surface. The first surface of the thermoplastic substrate is positioned adjacent to and contacts a second surface of a thermoset substrate to form a workpiece. The thermoset substrate includes epoxide chemical moieties on and within material forming the thermoset substrate. The workpiece is subsequently heated to form a structure, where heating of the workpiece causes covalent chemical bonds to form between the plasma-treated first surface of the thermoplastic substrate and the second surface of the thermoset substrate. Thereafter, additional thermoplastic components can be fusion bonded to a surface of the thermoplastic substrate opposite the first surface—thereby providing improved attachment of additional thermoplastic components to the thermoset substrate.

A substrate support structure includes: a substrate support including: a support body; and a protrusion including a base portion and a leading-end portion, the protrusion protruding from the support body; and a substrate having: a substrate body; a through hole provided at the substrate body; and a protruded portion surrounding the through hole, the protruded portion protruding from a first face of the substrate body, in which the base portion of the protrusion passes through the through hole, and the leading-end portion protrudes from the first face of the substrate body inside the protruded portion and engages with the substrate body such that the through hole is covered.

A joint member is formed of a composite including reinforcement fibers and resin. The joint member is configured to be joined with another joint member to form a joint structure capable of enduring a tensile load in a load direction in which the joint member and the other joint member are separated from each other at a joined portion of the joint structure in a longitudinal direction of the joint member. The joint member includes a main body part and a joint part connected with the main body part at an end part of the main body part in the longitudinal direction of the joint member. The joint part has an orientation pattern having anisotropy such that fiber directions of the reinforcement fibers included in the joint part include a fiber direction different from the longitudinal direction of the joint member.