Abstract: A sheet material (1) has a concave-convex part (20). Using first, second and intermediate reference planes (K1, K2, K3) as a reference system, a virtual lattice longitudinally and laterally divides a unit area (23) disposed in the intermediate reference plane (K3) into n equal parts that are categorized as first boxes (231) and second boxes (232). A first reference area (213) contains a plurality of the first boxes (231), and a second reference area (223) contains a plurality of the second boxes (232). First areas (21) respectively protrude from the first reference areas (213) toward the first reference plane (K1). Second areas (22) respectively protrude from the second reference areas (223) toward the second reference plane (K2). Each of the first areas comprises a first top surface (211) and first side surfaces (212). Each of the second areas comprises a second top surface (221) and second side surfaces (222).

Abstract: An aluminum alloy material is welded by performing friction stir welding to form a welded section in an aluminum alloy welded component. The aluminum alloy material contains Mg: 0.3-6.0% (mass %, hereinafter the same), Cu: 0.2% or less, Si: 0.1% or less, Fe: 0.1% or less, the balance being Al and inevitable impurities. Second phase particles dispersed in the aluminum alloy material have a grain size of 5 ?m or less as observed with an optical microscopic. Because the second phase particles are homogeneously dispersed in a welded section equivalent portion of the aluminum alloy welded component as compared to other portions, variations in pit formation caused by etching during anodizing are reduced, thereby eliminating color tone variations in the anodized coating formed on the aluminum alloy welded component.

Abstract: The present invention provides an aluminum alloy sheet for press forming, having the crystallo-graphic texture in which the orientation density of CR orientation ({001}<520>) is higher than that of any orientation other than the CR orientation. The orientation density of the CR orientation is preferably 10 or more (random ratio). The orientation densities of all orientations other than the CR orientation are preferably less than 10. The aluminum alloy sheet is preferably made of an Al—Mg—Si alloy.

Abstract: The present invention provides a high-strength aluminum alloy extruded product exhibiting excellent corrosion resistance and secondary workability and suitably used as a structural material for transportation equipment such as automobiles, railroad vehicles, and aircrafts, and a method of manufacturing the same. The aluminum alloy extruded product has a composition containing 0.6 to 1.2% of Si, 0.8 to 1.3% of Mg, and 1.3 to 2.1% of Cu while satisfying the following conditional expressions (1), (2), (3) and (4), 3%?Si %+Mg %+Cu %?4%??(1) Mg %?1.7×Si %??(2) Mg %+Si %?2.7%??(3) Cu %/2?Mg %?(Cu %/2)+0.6%??(4) and further containing 0.04 to 0.35% of Cr, and 0.05% or less of Mn as an impurity, with the balance being aluminum and unavoidable impurities. The cross section of the extruded product has a recrystallized structure with an average grain size of 500 ?m or less.

Abstract: Within an area of substantially regular hexagons arranged at regular intervals on an imaginary reference plane, a sheet material includes a concave-convex section (20) having a basic pattern in which one first region (A1) is surrounded by six second regions (A2). This basic pattern repeats in regular intervals in lateral and longitudinal directions of the sheet material. The concave-convex section includes first protruding portions (21) and second protruding portion (22), which protrude in opposite directions from each other in the thickness direction in the first regions and the second regions, respectively. The first and second protruding portions may have a hexagonal pyramidal shape or a truncated hexagonal pyramidal shape.

Abstract: A frame member for use in a two-wheeled vehicle and an all-terrain vehicle that includes a plurality of Al members each made of a 7000 series Al alloy having a high strength is provided in which weld crack sensitivity is reduced and a weld joint having an excellent strength is provided. The alloy composition of the 7000 series Al alloy, which provides the Al member, containing Cu: 0.01 to 0.50%, Mg: 0.5 to 2.1%, and Zn: 4.0 to 8.5%, with the balance being Al and inevitable impurities. Further, in the production of the frame member, the plurality of Al members are integrated by welding using a filler metal containing Mg: 5.5 to 8.0%, Cr: 0.05 to 0.25%, Ti: 0.25% or less, Si: 0.4% or less, Fe: 0.4% or less, Cu: 0.1% or less, Zr: 0.05% or less and Zn: 0.25% or less, and with the balance being Al and inevitable impurities.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy sheet for a lithographic printing plate includes 0.03 to 0.15% (mass %, hereinafter the same) of Si, 0.2 to 0.7% of Fe, 0.05 to 0.5% of Mg, 0.003 to 0.05% of Ti, and 30 to 300 ppm of Ga, with the balance being aluminum and inevitable impurities, a surface area of the aluminum alloy sheet having an average recrystallized grain size of 50 ?m or less in a direction perpendicular to a rolling direction, an Mg concentration that is higher than the average Mg concentration by a factor of 5 to 50, and a Ga concentration that is higher than the average Ga concentration by a factor of 2 to 20, the surface area being an area up to a depth of 0.2 ?m from the surface of the aluminum alloy sheet.

Abstract: A method of joining a plurality of members to be joined together, by piling the plurality of members on one another and joining together the members with one another at end portions of superposed parts of the members, wherein the superposed parts of the members are held by restraining the superposed parts from both sides thereof, while a pressing tool, which is harder than the members, is pressed to end faces of the superposed parts and the pressing tool is rotated and/or moved relative to the superposed parts, so that the end faces of the superposed parts are rubbed to cause a friction heating which leads to cause a plastic flow, whereby the plurality of the members are joined together at the end portions of the superposed parts thereof.

Abstract: A frame member for use in a two-wheeled vehicle and an all-terrain vehicle that includes a plurality of Al members each made of a 7000 series Al alloy having a high strength is provided in which weld crack sensitivity is reduced and a weld joint having an excellent strength is provided. The alloy composition of the 7000 series Al alloy, which provides the Al member, contains Cu: 0.01 to 0.50%, Mg: 0.5 to 2.1%, and Zn: 4.0 to 8.5%, the balance consisting of Al and inevitable impurities. Further, in the production of the frame member, the plurality of Al members is integrated by welding using a filler metal containing Mg: 5.5 to 8.0%, Cr: 0.05 to 0.25%, Ti: 0.25% or less, Si: 0.4% or less, Fe: 0.4% or less, Cu: 0.1% or less, Zr: 0.05% or less and Zn: 0.25% or less, and the balance consisting of Al and inevitable impurities.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy sheet for a lithographic printing plate is obtained by homogenizing an ingot of an aluminum alloy at 500 to 610° C. for one hour or more, the aluminum alloy containing 0.03 to 0.15% of Si, 0.2 to 0.6% of Fe, 0.005 to 0.05% of Ti, and 2 to 30 ppm of Pb, with the balance being aluminum and unavoidable impurities, subjecting the homogenized product to rough hot rolling, a start temperature of the rough hot rolling being 430 to 500° C. and a finish temperature of the rough hot rolling being 400° C. or more, holding the product subjected to rough hot rolling for 60 to 300 seconds after the completion of the rough hot rolling to recrystallize the surface of the product, and subjecting the resulting product to finish hot rolling that is finished at 320 to 370° C.

Abstract: The present invention provides a high-strength aluminum alloy extruded product exhibiting excellent corrosion resistance and secondary workability and suitably used as a structural material for transportation equipment such as automobiles, railroad vehicles, and aircrafts, and a method of manufacturing the same. The aluminum alloy extruded product has a composition containing 0.6 to 1.2% of Si, 0.8 to 1.3% of Mg, and 1.3 to 2.1% of Cu while satisfying the following conditional expressions (1), (2), (3) and (4), 3%?Si %+Mg %+Cu %?4%??(1) Mg %?1.7×Si %??(2) Mg %+Si %?2.7%??(3) Cu %/2?Mg %?(Cu %/2)+0.6%??(4) and further containing 0.04 to 0.35% of Cr, and 0.05% or less of Mn as an impurity, with the balance being aluminum and unavoidable impurities. The cross section of the extruded product has a recrystallized structure with an average grain size of 500 ?m or less.

Abstract: A method of joining aluminum alloy members, including the steps of: obtaining a joined body including: (a) contacting aluminum alloy members each made of a 6000 series aluminum alloy with T4 temper; and (b) performing a friction stir welding operation on a contact portion of the aluminum alloy members at which they are held in contact with each other, so as to form a stir zone at the contact portion; and performing, on the obtained joined body, an underaging treatment which is an artificial aging treatment and which is completed before hardness of the stir zone reaches maximum hardness, the underaging treatment being performed before GP zones are formed at the stir zone of the joined body.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a heat exchanger tube in which a tube for a heat exchanger formed by brazing is manufactured using a sheet material, wherein a filler metal melted during brazing can be prevented from entering an opening formed in an opposing portion or a parallel portion formed when bending a sheet material into a tube shape or an opening facing toward the outside of the tube. The opposing portion, the parallel portion, or the opening facing toward the outside of the tube is sealed. As the sealing means, friction welding is preferable.

Abstract: There is provided a friction stir spot joining device wherein stirring-related members are unitized to form a unitized stirring unit and an opening is formed in a friction stir spot joining device body for housing the unitized stirring unit therein. A stirring motor, a stirring shaft and a power transmission mechanism are unitized to form a stirring unit, and bearings of a linear motion guide are fixed to the stirring unit immediately under the stirring unit, and a ball nut is fixed to the back face of the stirring unit, wherein the friction stir spot joining device body is opened to form the opening at a rear upper portion through which the stirring unit is caused to move inside thereof.

Abstract: A MIG welded joint between aluminum and steel members is obtained by overlapping the aluminum member and the steel member each other and performing MIG welding using a filler wire made of a 4000 or 5000 series aluminum alloy on an end face of the overlapped aluminum member, wherein the aluminum member has a thickness P ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 mm, and the steel member has a thickness Q satisfying the following formula: 0.6?Q/P?0.8, whereby a penetration depth of the steel member is equal to or less than 5% of the thickness Q thereof.

Abstract: A high-strength aluminum alloy extruded product for heat exchangers which excels in extrudability, allows a thin flat multi-cavity tube to be extruded at a high critical extrusion rate, and excels in intergranular corrosion resistance at a high temperature, and a method of manufacturing the same. The aluminum alloy extruded product includes an aluminum alloy including 0.2 to 1.8% of Mn and 0.1 to 1.2% of Si, having a ratio of Mn content to Si content (Mn %/Si %) of 0.7 to 2.5, and having a content of Cu as an impurity of 0.05% or less, with the balance being Al and impurities, the aluminum alloy extruded product having an electric conductivity of 50% IACS or more and an average particle size of intermetallic compounds precipitating in a matrix of 1 ?m or less.