A bonding probe is used for bonding a cover sheet to a core to form or repair a dual wall structure. The bonding probe includes a body, an attachment end at a distal end of the body, a head at an opposite end of the body, a tip extending from the head, and a cooling passageway. The attachment end couples the body to a resistance welder. The tip extends to form a proximate end of the body. The tip includes a contacting area having a predetermined three dimensional contoured surface. The contacting area aligns with a predetermined area of a three dimensional outer surface of a cover sheet of a dual walled structure. The cooling passageway provides a passageway for a flow of cooling fluid. The cooling passageway extends through the head, and into the tip.

An apparatus includes a set of pre-welding electrodes including a shape-forming electrode having a contact face. The contact face has a shape-forming structure shaping a cross-section of a first segment of a first wire with a pre-welding shape upon compression of the contact face against the first segment. The pre-welding shape has a reentrance accommodating a second segment of a second wire to be welded to the first wire.

A welding electrode for use in resistance spot welding an assembly of metal workpieces with curved surfaces and closed or open sections is disclosed. The welding electrode includes a body, a weld face at one end of the body, and contoured curvature forming the weld face. The contoured curvature is configured to seat around the curved surfaces of the metal workpieces when the weld face is pressed against the workpieces during a resistance spot weld event. When brought into contact with the curved surface of the workpiece, the electrode has an optimal contact area, which improves the spot weld process by improving the pressure and current distributions.

An electrode unit of a joining apparatus includes an abutting section provided with a tapered outer circumferential surface that contacts a tapered pressure-receiving surface by being inserted into an inside of a first metal member. The tapered outer circumferential surface inclines in a direction of getting closer to an axial center of the abutting section from one end side to another end side. At least part of the abutting section has a thickness elastically deformable in such a manner that the tapered outer circumferential surface aligns with the tapered pressure-receiving surface during application of a pressurizing force to the first metal member and a second metal member.

A bonding probe is used for bonding a cover sheet to a core to form or repair a dual wall structure. The bonding probe includes a body, an attachment end at a distal end of the body, a head at an opposite end of the body, a tip extending from the head, and a cooling passageway. The attachment end couples the body to a resistance welder. The tip extends to form a proximate end of the body. The tip includes a contacting area having a predetermined three dimensional contoured surface. The contacting area aligns with a predetermined area of a three dimensional outer surface of a cover sheet of a dual walled structure. The cooling passageway provides a passageway for a flow of cooling fluid. The cooling passageway extends through the head, and into the tip.

One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing an orthopedic prosthesis. This particular method includes providing a porous metal layer (22) positioned against a metal substrate at an interface between the porous metal layer and the metal substrate. Additional steps include providing an electrode (132) and providing an intermediate element or coating positioned between and in contact with the electrode and the porous metal layer where the intermediate element includes tantalum in contact with tantalum of the porous metal layer. In a further step, an electrical current is directed to the interface between the porous metal layer and the metal substrate to bond the porous metal layer to the metal substrate.

A welding apparatus includes a welding electrode, where the welding electrode has a concavely formed end-face region and where the welding electrode has a magnet such that a spherical dome-shaped portion of a magnetically attractable ball which is located in an effective range of the magnet is drawable against the concavely formed end-face region.

A welder having first and second electrodes configured to clamp and weld a fastener to a workpiece at an opening in the workpiece, wherein the first electrode is configured to move in a direction transverse to a clamping direction to center the fastener with the opening. The welder can carry out a method of aligning and welding an internally-threaded nut to a panel at an opening in the panel. The method includes the steps of: centering the opening in the panel relative to a first electrode using a tapered guide pin that extends into the opening; centering the nut relative to the opening using the tapered guide pin; clamping the nut and panel between the first electrode and a second electrode; and welding the nut to the panel by passing current through the nut and panel from one of the electrodes to the other electrode.

An electrode unit of a joining apparatus includes an abutting section provided with a tapered outer circumferential surface that contacts a tapered pressure-receiving surface by being inserted into an inside of a first metal member. The tapered outer circumferential surface inclines in a direction of getting closer to an axial center of the abutting section from one end side to another end side. At least part of the abutting section has a thickness elastically deformable in such a manner that the tapered outer circumferential surface aligns with the tapered pressure-receiving surface during application of a pressurizing force to the first metal member and a second metal member.

A resistance welding device, comprising a frame for supporting a tool configured like a clamp with two arms arranged facing one another and having respective welding electrodes, of which a first arm is integral to the clamp and the second arm is assembled with the capacity of being moved with respect to the clamp by means of a first actuator, such that respective movements along a straight trajectory can be imparted to the arms of the clamp for moving their electrodes closer to or away from one another. One of the arms has a hollow head housing the corresponding electrode in a guided manner the tip of which is suitable for receiving the support of a component to be welded on the workpiece, the head and the electrode being able to adopt at least one standby position (A) in which the electrode is inside the mentioned head; and a working position (B), in which the tip of the electrode is arranged in or exceeds the inlet of the head, accordingly placing the component to be welded outside the head.