A fastening element for friction welding onto a planar workpiece includes a nut head, a through-bore extending at least locally within the nut head, a friction welding face on one end side of the nut head, and a cutting device for introducing a drilled hole into the workpiece on the one end side of the nut head having the friction welding face.

A connection element for securing to a component, in particular a component made of a fiber composite material, comprising a main part, a functional part and a friction welding inlay, which in turn comprises a thermoplastic material. A tool application point is formed on an upper side of the main part. The friction welding inlay may be interlocking.

A control unit and method for a joining system having at least one joining station, which is designed to join at least one first joining element to a workpiece, determines actual data with respect to a first joining element joined to a current workpiece by the joining station. The control unit and method determine, in accordance with the actual data, a subsequent control instruction for the joining station for joining a first joining element to a subsequent workpiece.

A welding element is operable for being connected to a workpiece using a welding method. The welding element comprises: a head and a shaft like anchor portion. The head includes a welding surface, a stop surface that is remote from the welding surface, and a plurality of pointed projections evenly and uniformly distributed over the entire welding surface. The shaft-like anchor portion extends along a longitudinal axis between a first end region and a second end region, with the first end region connected to the stop surface.

An assembly includes a workpiece and a fastening element. The fastening element is configured to drill a hole in the workpiece and allow the fastening element to be friction-welded to the workpiece.

A multi-position clamp is disclosed for positioning and holding a portable friction welding tool adjacent a substrate for friction welding a plurality of fixtures in a precise pattern referenced from a fixed position on a substrate. The clamp has a clamp base temporarily securable at the fixed position on the substrate, a traveling mount comprising a tool mount for receiving said portable friction welding tool, and a connection to the clamp base allowing relative movement of the tool mount over the substrate. Index stops help install the plurality of fixtures in the pattern and an articulated fixture loading system allow positioning and loading successive fixtures without disengaging and removing said portable friction welding tool from connection with the clamp base.

A wheel intended for a motor vehicle includes a rim made of a sheet of aluminium alloy that is fastened to the contour of a wheel disc made from a steel sheet by assemblies that connect the aluminium sheet of the rim and the steel sheet of the wheel disc, which overlap one another. The assemblies include connecting pins each of which has a tip that passes through a hole in the aluminium sheet of the rim, the front end of which is welded to the steel sheet of the wheel disc, and a rear head that presses against the aluminium sheet of the rim about said hole.

The present disclosure relates to a structure for electrically-connecting an external conductor. The structure comprises a wiring-substrate comprising a stack based arrangement of a plurality of layers, wherein said layers are defined as electrically conducting layers and insulating layer. A rivet is supported from the wiring substrate and comprises an embedded portion within the wiring substrate. The embedded portion comprises: an upper section extending through the stack of the plurality of layers, and, a bottom section extending laterally with reference to the upper section. A portion protruding from wiring substrate is provided for receiving an external-conductor and for thereby electrically connecting with the wiring substrate.

An automated system, method and tool for portable friction welding is disclosed for joining a rotatable workpiece to a substrate. A control system is disclosed receiving a start input to cause a motor to rapidly spin the workpiece and initiate a first thrust building cycle acting through an actuator to progressively force the spinning workpiece against the substrate. The materials at this intersection heat and plasticize and the actuator translates toward the substrate until the end of the desired actuator stroke operates to cut the motor off and to initiate and then hold a second axial thrust cycle on the actuator and there through to the interface of the workpiece and substrate. A reset input at the end of a cool off phase releases the thrust in the actuator.

A process for manufacturing an exhaust system, especially for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, includes providing an exhaust gas-guiding component (26) with a wall (38) made of a metallic material and providing a sensor-mounting connector (22), to be fixed at the wall. The sensor-mounting connector includes a sensor-mounting area (28) to be positioned outside the exhaust gas-guiding component, and a connection area (34), which is to be positioned such that the connection area meshes with the wall. The connection area is pressed against an outer surface (40) of the wall of the exhaust gas-guiding component in a fastening area (39) of the wall, and at the same time rotated about a longitudinal axis (A) of the connector to penetrate into the material forming the wall and a connection in substance is established between the metallic material of the wall and the metallic material of the sensor-mounting connector.