Systems and methods for low-manganese welding alloys are disclosed. An example arc welding consumable may comprise: less than 0.4 wt % manganese; strengthening agents selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, copper, carbon, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium, silicon, and boron; and grain control agents selected from the group consisting of niobium, tantalum, titanium, zirconium, and boron. The grain control agents may comprise greater than 0.06 wt % and less than 0.6 wt % of the welding consumable. The resulting weld deposit may comprise a tensile strength greater than or equal to 70 ksi, a yield strength greater than or equal to 58 ksi, a ductility (as measured by percent elongation) of at least 22%, and a Charpy V-notch toughness greater than or equal to 20 ft-lbs at −20° F. The welding consumable may provide a manganese fume generation rate less than 0.01 grams per minute during the arc welding operation.

In a method for welding using a wire-shaped filler and at least one laser beam, the wire-shaped filler is advanced in the direction of the surface of the workpiece by a wire feed mechanism. The wire-shaped filler is successively fused during the feed movement thereof. The wire-shaped filler and the material are connected to an electrical voltage source and form an electrical circuit. The electrical voltage, the electrical current and/or the electrical resistance are measured and used as control variables for the wire feed movement and/or the power of the at least one laser beam. Use of the laser beam is modified when a predefined threshold value of the electrical voltage and/or of the electrical current are fallen short of or a predefined threshold value of the electrical resistance is exceeded.

The disclosure describes example techniques and assemblies for joining a first component and a second component. The techniques may include positioning the first and second component adjacent to each other to define a joint region between adjacent portions of the first component and the second component. The techniques may also include inserting a solid retainer material into the joint region through an aperture in one of the first component or the second component to form a mechanical interlock between the first component and the second component and sealing the aperture to retain the solid retainer material within the joint region. The solid retainer material includes at least one of a metal, a metal alloy, or a ceramic.

The disclosure describes example techniques and assemblies for joining a first component and a second component. The techniques may include positioning the first and second component adjacent to each other to define a joint region between adjacent portions of the first component and the second component. The techniques may also include inserting a solid retainer material into the joint region through an aperture in one of the first component or the second component to form a mechanical interlock between the first component and the second component and sealing the aperture to retain the solid retainer material within the joint region. The solid retainer material includes at least one of a metal, a metal alloy, or a ceramic.

The present disclosure relates generally to welding alloys and, more specifically, to welding consumables (e.g., welding wires and rods) for arc welding operations. In an embodiment, a welding consumable includes less than approximately 1 wt % manganese as well as one or more strengthening agents selected from the group: nickel, cobalt, copper, carbon, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium, silicon, and boron. The welding consumable also includes one or more grain control agents selected from the group: niobium, tantalum, titanium, zirconium, and boron, wherein the welding consumable includes less than approximately 0.6 wt % grain control agents. Additionally, the welding consumable has a carbon equivalence (CE) value that is less than approximately 0.23. The welding consumable is designed to provide a manganese fume generation rate that is less than approximately 0.01 grams per minute during a welding operation.

A method of resistance spot welding a workpiece stack-up that includes an aluminum workpiece and an overlapping adjacent steel workpiece so as to minimize the thickness of an intermetallic layer comprising Fe—Al intermetallic compounds involves providing reaction-slowing elements at the faying interface of the aluminum and steel workpieces. The reaction-slowing elements may include at least one of carbon, copper, silicon, nickel, manganese, cobalt, or chromium. Various ways are available for making the one or more reaction-slowing elements available at the faying interface of the aluminum and steel workpieces including being dissolved in a high strength steel or being present in an interlayer that may take on a variety of forms including a rigid shim, a flexible foil, a deposited layer adhered to and metallurgically bonded with a faying surface of the steel workpiece, or an interadjacent organic material layer that includes particles containing the reaction-slowing elements.

An example wire liner retention apparatus includes: a body comprising a bore extending longitudinally through the body, the bore configured to permit passage of a welding wire liner through the bore; a clamp configured to apply a compressive force to the welding wire liner in a radial direction within the bore to limit movement of the welding wire liner with respect to the body; and a compression adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the compressive force applied by the clamp.

A welding method using embodiments of electrodes (100) with coaxial power feed. The electrode comprises a metal cylinder (105) defining a hollow core (110). The hollow core provides a conduit for delivering core feed materials (150) therebetween via a delivery means (200). The cylinder may be formed of pure metals or extrudable alloys for forming a desired superalloy material composition; while the delivered core feed materials comprise a balance of compositional constituents for forming the desired superalloy material composition. The resulting deposit achieves the desired superalloy composition as a result of at least a combination of the cylinder materials and core feed materials. The electrode may further include a flux coating (120) surrounding the cylinder. The flux material may also contribute to the desired superalloy composition as a result of the weld operation.

Systems and methods for low-manganese welding alloys are disclosed. An example arc welding consumable may comprise: between 0.4 and 1.0 wt% manganese; strengthening agents selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, copper, carbon, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium, silicon, and boron; and grain control agents selected from the group consisting of niobium, tantalum, titanium, zirconium, and boron. The grain control agents may comprise greater than 0.06 wt% and less than 0.6 wt% of the welding consumable. The resulting weld deposit may comprise a tensile strength greater than or equal to 70 ksi, a yield strength greater than or equal to 58 ksi, a ductility (as measured by percent elongation) of at least 22%, and a Charpy V-notch toughness greater than or equal to 20 ft-lbs at -20° F. The welding consumable may provide a manganese fume generation rate less than 0.01 grams per minute during the arc welding operation.

A laser marking system for marking a product comprising a laser source for providing a laser beam, a marking head for projecting the laser beam on to the product, a housing comprising an extraction device configured to generate a flow of extraction fluid for extracting matter generated by an interaction between the laser beam and the product, and a controller for controlling the laser source and the marking head. The laser marking system further comprises an umbilical assembly connecting the housing to the marking head.