A terminal manufacturing apparatus includes a pressing device adapted to form a chained terminal including a crimp portion by bending a continuously supplied plate-shaped workpiece into a hollow shape, the crimp portion being crimpable with a conductor part of a coated conductor accommodated therein, a welding device adapted to bring two edge portions of the crimp portion in proximity to each other and join the two edge portions by welding, a conveying/positioning time calculating unit adapted to determine a conveying/positioning time of the welding device on the basis of a machining time required by the pressing device and the welding device, and a conveying/positioning mechanism adapted to position the chained terminal in a welding machining position within the welding device in accordance with the conveying/positioning time.

A terminal manufacturing apparatus includes a pressing device adapted to form a chained terminal including a crimp portion by bending a continuously supplied plate-shaped workpiece into a hollow shape, the crimp portion being crimpable with a conductor part of a coated conductor accommodated therein, a welding device adapted to bring two edge portions of the crimp portion in proximity to each other and join the two edge portions by welding, a conveying/positioning time calculating unit adapted to determine a conveying/positioning time of the welding device on the basis of a machining time required by the pressing device and the welding device, and a conveying/positioning mechanism adapted to position the chained terminal in a welding machining position within the welding device in accordance with the conveying/positioning time.

A method for manufacturing an evaporator for ice-making includes: a preparation step for preparing a plate member, a finger member, and a capillary tube, the plate member being provided with a through hole and formed as a developed view of a tube; an insertion step for inserting the finger member into the through hole so that the finger member at least partially passes through the through hole; a connection step for fixedly connecting the finger member to the plate member; an insert placement step for placing at least a part of the capillary tube on the plate member; and an evaporation tube formation step for forming an evaporation tube, which is provided with a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant flows, by bending the plate member into a tube shape and connecting end portions.

A heat exchanger includes a pair of end plates closing opposite ends of a cylindrical core case, and a plurality of heat exchange tubes each supported at opposite end portions by the end plates. The end plates have support holes, and opposite ends of the tubes are inserted into corresponding support holes in the end plates. Each of the tubes is formed by bending a plate material so that opposite side edge portions of the bent plate material are superimposed on each other, one of the superimposed side edge portions, located inward of the other of the superimposed side edge portions, forming an inner plate portion, the other of the superimposed side edge portions forming an outer plate portion, and then welding a weld bead through the thickness of one of the inner and outer plate portions to fuse to the other plate portion.

A heat exchanger includes a pair of end plates closing opposite ends of a cylindrical core case, and a plurality of heat exchange tubes each supported at opposite end portions by the end plates. The end plates have support holes, and opposite ends of the tubes are inserted into corresponding support holes in the end plates. Each of the tubes is formed by bending a plate material so that opposite side edge portions of the bent plate material are superimposed on each other, one of the superimposed side edge portions, located inward of the other of the superimposed side edge portions, forming an inner plate portion, the other of the superimposed side edge portions forming an outer plate portion, and then welding a weld bead through the thickness of one of the inner and outer plate portions to fuse to the other plate portion.

Disclosed is a high-strength welded steel pipe for airbag inflators that has high toughness and workability. A base material portion of the steel pipe has a composition containing, in mass %, C: 0.02 to 0.08%, Si: 0.001 to 1.0%, Mn: 0.1 to 2.0%, P: 0.1% or less, Al: 0.01 to 0.1%, N: 0.01% or less, Ti: 0.01 to 0.20%, and V: 0.01 to 0.50%, with the balance being Fe and incidental impurities. The base material portion has a structure that includes a ferrite phase having an average grain size of 10 m or less at an area fraction of 90% or more and a Ti, V-based carbide having an average grain size of 10 nm or less and dispersed in the ferrite phase. The welded steel pipe has a high tensile strength TS of 780 MPa or more and a strength-elongation balance TSEl of 15,000 MPa % or more. The difference HV in Vickers hardness between the base material portion and the welded portion is 60 points or less. In a softened portion having Vickers hardness different from the Vickers hardness of the base material portion by at least 30 points, a softened width Ws in a circumferential direction is 0.05 mm or less.

A heat exchanger manufacturing method comprising: a welding step of disposing a first weld bead through a thickness of one of the inner and outer plate portions and fusing the first weld bead to other of the inner and outer plate portions for joining together the first and second case halves, to thereby provide the heat exchange tube; and a temporary tacking step of providing a temporarily-assembled end plate/tube unit by temporarily tacking the heat exchange tube to each of the end plates by means of a second weld bead and filling, with the second weld bead, a gap of a generally triangular shape defined, at each of the opposite end portions of the heat exchange tube, by an outer surface of the inner plate portion, an end surface of the outer plate portion and a corresponding one of the end plates.

A heat exchanger manufacturing method comprising: a welding step of disposing a first weld bead through a thickness of one of the inner and outer plate portions and fusing the first weld bead to other of the inner and outer plate portions for joining together the first and second case halves, to thereby provide the heat exchange tube; and a temporary tacking step of providing a temporarily-assembled end plate/tube unit by temporarily tacking the heat exchange tube to each of the end plates by means of a second weld bead and filling, with the second weld bead, a gap of a generally triangular shape defined, at each of the opposite end portions of the heat exchange tube, by an outer surface of the inner plate portion, an end surface of the outer plate portion and a corresponding one of the end plates.

A laser welding apparatus that welds a butted interface of a workpiece by laser light irradiation while successively feeding the workpiece having the butted interface to a welding position includes an X- and Y-axis scanner that scans laser light outputted from a laser light source in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction which are orthogonal to each other, a measuring device that measures a dimension along the butted interface, and a scanner control device that controls driving of the X- and Y-axis scanner so as to weld the butted interface by laser light irradiation.

A laser welding apparatus that welds a butted interface of a workpiece by laser light irradiation while successively feeding the workpiece having the butted interface to a welding position includes an X- and Y-axis scanner that scans laser light outputted from a laser light source in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction which are orthogonal to each other, a measuring device that measures a dimension along the butted interface, and a scanner control device that controls driving of the X- and Y-axis scanner so as to weld the butted interface by laser light irradiation.