Abstract:
Welded parts and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. A welded part may include first and second metal workpieces (202, 204) having respective first and second edges forming a butt joint. The welded part may further include a first laser weld (208a) joining the first and second edges on one side of the first and second metal workpieces, and a second laser weld (208b) joining the first and second edges on another opposite side of the first and second metal workpieces. Some example parts may have laser welds that cooperate to extend across an entire depth of the butt joint and form an overlap zone (212) between the first and second laser welds. In some examples, the first and second laser welds may be formed with substantially zero macroporosity.
Abstract:
A welded blank assembly (200) includes a capping material (210) in a weld region (220) of the assembly. The capping material can help protect a weld joint (208) joining first and second sheet metal pieces (12, 112) together. At least one of the sheet metal pieces has a coating material layer (18) that is removed prior to forming the weld joint so that the coating material does not contaminate the weld joint. The removed coating material can be collected before the weld joint is formed and reapplied as part of the capping material after the weld joint is formed, effectively changing the coating material from a potential weld contaminant to a weld joint protectant. The capping material may also include additional material from a source other than the coating material layer.
Abstract:
Sheet metal pieces intended to be welded can be made with weld notches located along one or more edges. A. weld notch (30) is characterized by the absence of certain material constituents (16, 18) so that they do not unacceptably contaminate nearby welds. The weld notch can be created by first forming an ablation trench (130) along the sheet metal piece (12), then separating the sheet metal piece along the formed ablation trench into two separate pieces, at least one of which includes a newly formed and weldable edge (28).
Abstract:
A welded blank assembly (140) is formed by welding edge regions (120, 120') of separate sheet metal pieces (112, 112') together at a weld joint (148). One or more of the sheet metal pieces includes a coating material layer (118) and a weld notch (130, 130'), where at least some of the coating material layer is removed from the edge region(s) prior to welding so that the weld joint is substantially free from constituents of the coating material layer. An additional material (156, 158) may be added to a weld pool (144) during weld joint formation to influence the size, shape and/or composition of the resulting weld joint to help compensate for the presence of the weld notch.
Abstract:
Welded parts and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. A welded part may include first and second metal workpieces (202, 204) having respective first and second edges forming a butt joint. The welded part may further include a first laser weld (208a) joining the first and second edges on one side of the first and second metal workpieces, and a second laser weld (208b) joining the first and second edges on another opposite side of the first and second metal workpieces. Some example parts may have laser welds that cooperate to extend across an entire depth of the butt joint and form an overlap zone (212) between the first and second laser welds. In some examples, the first and second laser welds may be formed with substantially zero macroporosity.
Abstract:
A sheet metal piece (12) includes a base material layer (14) and one or more intermediate and coating material layers (16, 18), along with a weld notch (30) formed along an edge region (20) of the piece. At least a portion of the coating and intermediate material layers is removed at the weld notch so that certain constituents from such layers do not affect the integrity of a nearby weld joint (22) when it is subsequently formed along the edge region. Various methods of ablation, including laser ablation, can be used to form the weld notch.