Abstract: Sheet metal pieces intended to be welded can be made with weld notches located along one or more edges. A weld notch is characterized by the absence of certain material constituents so that they do not unacceptably contaminate nearby welds. The weld notch can be created by first forming an ablation trench along the sheet metal piece, 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.

Abstract: A shaping tool includes a cooling system having one or more cooling passages configured for enhanced cooling. The cooling passages provide latent heat cooling of a heated material that is in contact with a shaping surface of the tool. Cooling fluid flows along the cooling passages in a two-phase flow regime in which a portion of the cooling fluid is liquid and a portion of the cooling fluid is vapor. A two-phase portion of the cooling passage can be shaped to follow a three-dimensional contour of the shaping surface. Opposing walls of the cooling passage can be provided by passage surfaces of separately formed pieces of the tool. The latent heat cooling provided by suitably configured cooling channels extracts more heat from the material being shaped in the tool than traditional cooling systems.

Abstract: A welded blank assembly includes a capping material in a weld region of the assembly. The capping material can help protect a weld joint joining first and second sheet metal pieces together. At least one of the sheet metal pieces has a coating material layer 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: A welded blank assembly is formed by welding edge regions of separate sheet metal pieces together at a weld joint. One or more of the sheet metal pieces includes a coating material layer and a weld notch, 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 may be added to a weld pool 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: A panel assembly that includes a main panel, a sound-damping patch, a sound-damping adhesive layer, and a structural adhesive joint. The structural adhesive joint may be used in place of spot welds, clinched joints or other metal joining mechanisms that would prohibit the panel assembly from being used in certain applications, such as class A surfaces on a vehicle that can be seen or touched by a customer.

Abstract: An energy absorbing assembly, sometimes referred to as a crush tip assembly, that is mounted to a body-on-frame vehicle, either behind a front or rear bumper, so that the assembly absorbs energy in during a collision. The energy absorbing member is a multi-piece assembly where adjoining segments are secured together with a welded joint that may include a non-linear portion having one or more junction features. The specific arrangement of the non-linear portion, along with other optional secondary features like strengthening ribs, holes, slots, etc., can be used to achieve more desirable energy profiles during a collision event.

Abstract: A sheet metal piece includes a base material layer and one or more intermediate and coating material layers, along with a weld notch formed along an edge region 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 when it is subsequently formed along the edge region. Various methods of ablation, including laser ablation, can be used to form the weld notch.

Abstract: A modular assembly having a press-fit fastener hole. The press-fit fastener hole may include a plurality of lobe regions and a plurality of contact regions that may be spaced between lobe regions for a press-fit engagement with a fastener. The fastener may have a first diameter and the contact regions collectively may define an imaginary second diameter that is less than or equal to the first diameter.

Abstract: A panel assembly with a multi-layer patch may be used in any number of different applications in order to reduce noise or vibrations, provide thermal insulation, and/or improve the structural integrity of an underlying part. In an exemplary embodiment where the panel assembly is a vehicle part, the panel assembly includes a main panel, a primary adhesive layer, and a multi-layer patch that includes at least two individual patches and at least one auxiliary adhesive layer. The primary adhesive layer attaches the multi-layer patch to the main panel, and the auxiliary adhesive layer attaches the individual patches together. The size, shape, thickness and/or composition of the different layers of the multi-layer patch may be specifically chosen to exhibit certain sound and/or thermal damping properties.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for manufacturing metal parts, where input material is received from several material sources, multiple metal parts are produced at the same time, and the multiple metal parts may be provided to a downstream operation for subsequent processing. According to an exemplary embodiment, unwinding apparatuses unwind metal coils and provide three separate metal strips to coil-fed metal forming press. The coil-fed metal forming press then creates three separate blanks or metal parts at the same time. Next, a part transfer apparatus retrieves the three metal parts from an output side of coil-fed metal forming press, and presents them to part assembly apparatus, which may include a laser welder or other piece of equipment. Once the metal parts are properly positioned, part assembly apparatus can create a metal part assembly from the three individual blanks.

Abstract: A multi-layer assembly, such as a sound damping metal laminate used in the automotive industry, having first and second rigid layers and an adhesive layer in between. A retention feature in the form of a raised embossment may be formed in one or more of the rigid layers and may be located near a fastening hole, which accommodates a nut and bolt or some other type of fastening device. The retention feature may impart rigidity and improved stiffness to the multi-layer assembly in the area surrounding the fastening hole, and it may also create a space between the rigid layers that is generally devoid of adhesive from the adhesive layer. This, in turn, can improve the long term performance of the multi-layer assembly by addressing issues such as compression set, spring back and/or stress relaxation. Methods of manufacture and other embodiments are also provided, including ones that accommodate multiple fastening holes, have discontinuous retention features, and use welds in place of nuts and bolts, to name a few.

Abstract: A vehicle floor tub is generally designed for attachment to a vehicle floor panel and may have a variety of uses. In one embodiment, the vehicle floor tub may include a sound damping patch applied to the base of the tub for improved vibration or sound damping purposes, thermal insulation, added structural integrity, etc. The vehicle floor tub may include a main panel, a sound damping patch, and an adhesive layer that are formed together from a main blank, a sound damping blank, and an adhesive layer. The sound damping patch may include one or more forming features located near complex stress regions. In one embodiment, the vehicle floor tub may be sized and configured to be a vehicle seat tub that is located in the floor of a vehicle and accommodates a folded or collapsed vehicle seat; in another embodiment, the vehicle floor tub may accommodate a spare wheel.

Abstract: A panel assembly with a multi-layer patch may be used in any number of different applications in order to reduce noise or vibrations, provide thermal insulation, and/or improve the structural integrity of an underlying part. In an exemplary embodiment where the panel assembly is a vehicle part, the panel assembly includes a main panel, a primary adhesive layer, and a multi-layer patch that includes at least two individual patches and at least one auxiliary adhesive layer. The primary adhesive layer attaches the multi-layer patch to the main panel, and the auxiliary adhesive layer attaches the individual patches together. The size, shape, thickness and/or composition of the different layers of the multi-layer patch may be specifically chosen to exhibit certain sound and/or thermal damping properties.

Abstract: A metal panel assembly that may be used in a number of different applications, particularly those that are concerned with improved stiffness and/or reduced vibration and noise. According to an exemplary embodiment, the metal panel assembly has a multi-layer or sandwich construction and includes a metal body layer, a sound damping adhesive layer, and a metal outer layer. The outer layer is bonded to the body layer via the adhesive layer and improves the stiffness and/or reduces vibrations in the metal panel assembly. The outer layer may include a number of contact sections that confront the body layer through the adhesive layer, as well as a number of raised sections that are spaced from the body layer and increase or otherwise improve the stiffness of the metal panel assembly. In one embodiment, the raised sections resemble channels and are generally arranged in a column-like pattern; in another embodiment, the raised sections resemble ribs and are generally arranged in a grid-like pattern.

Abstract: A method of removing material such as surface treatments, metal coatings, and other material layers from an edge region of a metal work piece where they could potentially contaminate a nearby weld. According to one embodiment, a scraper tool includes a body having a base portion and a tab portion, and several scraping elements attached to the base portion. During operation, the scraping elements scrape one or more surfaces of the edge region so that the depth to which the scraping element engage the metal work piece is generally affected by the amount of rotation of the scraper tool about a pivot axis.

Abstract: A high-pressure fuel injection pump, including a sound-damping acoustic cover, is mounted on an engine and is part of a direct-inject fuel system for a vehicle. In an exemplary embodiment, the acoustic cover includes a top portion that fits over the fuel injection pump and a side portion that mechanically engages the fuel injection pump, and at least one of the top or side portions is formed from a sound-damping metal laminate material. Sound and/or vibrations that emanate from the fuel injection pump may be transferred to the acoustic cover and converted into thermal energy by the sound-damping metal laminate material.

Abstract: A direct plug element is described, including a housing, a two-part contact carrier having a first contact carrier part and a second contact carrier part, at least one of the contact carriers having a direct contact, the two contact carrier parts being situated disengaged in the housing but secure from loss, and a slider in the sealed region, which is able to be brought into contact with the contact carrier parts, in the contact state, due to the slide, a first prestressing force onto the first contact carrier part being present in the contact state in a first direction, and a prestressing force onto the second contact carrier part in a second direction being present, essentially counter to the first direction.

Abstract: A metal blank that includes a binder trim component having at least one cut edge with a non-linear section. The creation of the non-linear section simultaneously forms a corresponding section in a binder trim component of an adjacent metal blank so that binder material can be shared therebetween. This reduces the amount of scrap metal, as the binder trim component is subsequently cut off and discarded. Furthermore, the non-linear section can include one or more strategically placed formations, such as projections, recesses, flat sections, etc., that cause it to be non-uniform along its length and to be specifically tailored to the manufacturing requirements of the part being formed.

Abstract: A method of removing material such as surface treatments, metal coatings, and other material layers from an edge region of a metal work piece where they could potentially contaminate a nearby weld. According to one embodiment, a scraper tool includes a body having a base portion and a tab portion, and several scraping elements attached to the base portion. During operation, the scraping elements scrape one or more surfaces of the edge region so that the depth to which the scraping element engage the metal work piece is generally affected by the amount of rotation of the scraper tool about a pivot axis.

Abstract: A panel assembly for use in any number of different applications, including a variety of vehicle applications, that reduces noise or vibrations, provides thermal insulation, and/or improves structural integrity. According to an exemplary embodiment, the panel assembly includes a main panel made from a metal, one or more sound damping patches also made from a metal, and an adhesive layer that joins the patches to the main panel in a constrained layer construction. The sound damping patches may include one or more forming features, which are designed to improve the formability of the panel assembly without significantly impairing its sound damping characteristics. There are different types of forming features, including internal forming features (e.g., openings, holes, slits, slots, etc.) located within the interior of the patch and external forming features (e.g., projections, fingers, recesses, waveforms, etc.) located along the perimeter of the patch.