A welding support block supports, from the rear surface of a joint to be welded, a weld pool created during a welding process. The welding support block comprises a block of metal and an outer layer of ceramic material providing a supporting surface. The ceramic material layer has a thickness between 0.25 mm and 1.5 mm. The metal material immediately beneath the ceramic material layer is made of steel. An internal line-up clamp for holding pipes in end-to-end alignment ready for welding may include multiple such welding support blocks. The use of such welding support blocks is particularly useful when laying a sour service carrying pipeline (high H.sub.2S content).

Laser ablation processing method for debris-free and efficient removal of materials comprises the step of using a refrigeration device to condense the water vapor and form a thin frost layer on the materials at temperatures below the freezing point. The residual debris produced during the ablation process deposits on the frost layer that covers the material, which is easily removed when the frost layer melts. At the same time, the frost layer in the laser irradiation area melts to a liquid layer, which can effectively reduce the deposition of debris on the inner wall of the groove and thus improve the efficiency and quality of laser ablation. The method is applicable to debris-free laser processing on an arbitrary curved surface.

The present invention disclosed a method of producing a three-dimensional porous tissue in-growth structure. The method includes the steps of depositing a first layer of metal powder and scanning the first layer of metal powder with a laser beam to form a portion of a plurality of predetermined unit cells. Depositing at least one additional layer of metal powder onto a previous layer and repeating the step of scanning a laser beam for at least one of the additional layers in order to continuing forming the predetermined unit cells. The method further includes continuing the depositing and scanning steps to form a medical implant.

A method for laser-marking an iron-based sintered body includes a first step of forming with a first laser beam a plurality of dotted recesses with a predetermined depth in an identification mark area of a surface of an iron-based sintered body, and a second step of flattening with a second laser beam the surface within the identification mark area other than the dotted recesses. The first laser beam has an irradiation energy per unit area greater than an irradiation energy per unit area of the second laser beam.

An article includes a ceramic material and features a machined surface that is characteristic of cold ablation laser machining, and the machined surface exhibits no visible oxidation. A laser machining apparatus and technique is based on cold-ablation, but is modified or augmented with an inert assist gas, to minimize deleterious surface modifications and mitigate the oxide formation associated with laser machining.

This joint component is a joint component including a first steel member, a second steel member, and a spot-welded portion that joins the first steel member and the second steel member, in which the first steel member includes a steel sheet substrate having a predetermined chemical composition and a coating that is formed on a surface of the steel sheet substrate, contains Al and Fe, and has a thickness of 25 μm or more, in a cross section in a thickness direction of the first steel member and the second steel member including the spot-welded portion, a filled metal containing Al and Fe is present in a gap between the first steel member and the second steel member in a periphery of the spot-welded portion, in the cross section, the filled metal has a cross-sectional area of 3.0×10.sup.4 μm.sup.2 or more, and has a filling ratio of 80% or more in the gap in a range of 100 μm from an end portion of a corona bond formed in the periphery of the spot-welded portion, and includes a first region and a second region.

A method for watertight welding, and components formed using that welding method, wherein the welding method includes providing a first component half with a groove and a protruding ridge located therein, providing a second component half with a tenon shaped to match the profile of the groove, disposing the tenon inside the groove such that the tenon contacts the protruding ridge, applying an ultrasonic power source near the groove to melt the protruding ridge, and applying opposing vertical force to the first component half relative to the second component half, such that the protruding ridge wedges in a bonding seam between an outside surface of the tenon and an inside surface of the groove.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of producing a vacuum thermal insulation panel capable of reducing the occurrence probability of poor welding of a metal outer wrapping material. The method of producing the vacuum thermal insulation panels 100, 100A to 100 D, 101, 101A according to the present invention includes a “covering step of covering a core material 110 or 110B with a metal foil 130 or 131” and a “welding step of welding a metal foil portion on an outer side of the core material”, and the core material is at least partially covered with a cover 120, 120A, or 120D at a timing when the covering step is to be started. Note that when the entire surface of the core material is covered with the cover, it is preferable to reduce the inside of the cover to seal the cover before the covering step, and when a part of the core material is covered with the cover, it is preferable to simultaneously reduce a pressure inside the metal foil and a pressure inside the cover to seal the metal foil.

According to one embodiment, a method is disclosed for plugging an orifice. The method can include rotating a tool including a shoulder portion and a probe pin, and inserting the probe pin into a member having an orifice. The probe pin is provided at an end portion of the shoulder portion. The method can include forming a plug portion by moving the rotating tool to traverse the orifice. The plug portion plugs the orifice.

Systems and methods for etching complex patterns on an interior surface of a hollow object are disclosed. A method generally includes positioning a laser system within the hollow object with a focal point of the laser focused on the interior surface, and operating the laser system to form the complex pattern on the interior surface. Motion of the laser system and the hollow object is controlled by a motion control system configured to provide rotation and/or translation about a longitudinal axis of one or both of the hollow object and the laser system based on the complex pattern, and change a positional relationship between a reflector and a focusing lens of the laser system to accommodate a change in distance between the reflector and the interior surface of the hollow object.