Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for marking components by inducing a shock wave on the surface that results in an indented (strained) layer and a residual compressive stress in the surface layer. One embodiment of the laser peenmarking system rapidly imprints, with single laser pulses, a complete identification code or three-dimensional pattern and leaves the surface in a state of deep residual compressive stress. A state of compressive stress in parts made of metal or other materials is highly desirable to make them resistant to fatigue failure and stress corrosion cracking. This process employs a laser peening system and beam spatial modulation hardware or imaging technology that can be setup to impress full three dimensional patterns into metal surfaces at the pulse rate of the laser, a rate that is at least an order of magnitude faster than competing marking technologies.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of protecting an ion insertion material from the degradative effects of a liquid or gel-type electrolyte material by disposing a protective, solid ion conducting, electrically insulating, layer between the ion insertion layer and the liquid or gel-type electrolyte material. The invention further provides liquid or gel-type electrochemical cells having improved durability having a pair of electrodes, a pair of ion insertion layers sandwiched between the pair of electrodes, a pair of solid ion conducting layers sandwiched between the ion insertion layers, and a liquid or gel-type electrolyte material disposed between the solid ion conducting layers, where the solid ion conducting layer minimizes or prevents degradation of the faces of the ion insertion materials facing the liquid or gel-type electrolyte material. Electrochemical cells of this invention having increased durability include secondary lithium batteries and electrochromic devices.

Abstract: A combination mechanical and metallurgical connection is provided for joining members such as conduits wherein amorphous diffusion bonding material is placed at mating or abutting surfaces in the mechanical joint, the bonding material is compressed under pressure and heat is applied to cause the bonding material to diffuse into the mechanical connection.

Abstract: A hollow frame member is constituted by joining with a truss shape by ribs 13, 13A, 13B (23, 23A, 23B) between two face plates 11, 12 (21, 22). An end portion of one of the hollow frame member 10 is connected according to the rib 13A for constituting the truss. A face plate 21 of another hollow frame member 20 is joined at a vicinity of an apex of the truss of the hollow frame member 10. A face plate of the hollow frame member 10 is joined at a vicinity of an apex of the truss of the another hollow frame member 20. A load during a friction stir joining is received according to the ribs 13A, 13B (13A, 23B). Since the truss structure is formed totally, the light weight structure and the high rigidity performance can be obtained.

Abstract: The method comprises a first-run weld performed from the outside without pads for backing the weld pool, which is obtained by: preparing a welding bevel (C) having a closed bottom by arranging, so that they are mutually adjacent, two pipe segments (T-T′) having symmetrical welding bevel half-profiles (p-p′) with respective annular abutment surfaces (sp-sp′) which are meant to form, by arranging them mutually adjacent so as to obtain front contact, the closed bottom of the welding bevel (C), the closed bottom being further delimited by a groove (SV) which has a maximum chord of preset width (H); performing the first welding run with one or more welding torches which are supplied with a welding wire whose diameter “d” is dependent on the maximum chord (H) of the bottom groove (SV) of the welding bevel (C); maintaining, during the first welding run, the welding arc at a controlled length, by relating the distance (h) between the end of the welding wire and the vertex of the bottom g

Abstract: An electric discharge machining module for forming a hole in a workpiece with an electrode is provided, comprising a module body, a spindle assembly and a piston assembly. The module body defines a throughbore extending along an axis. The spindle assembly is at least partially positioned within the throughbore for rotation around the axis and includes a first electrode passageway which is coaxial with the axis for receiving the electrode therethrough. The piston assembly is positioned within the throughbore for movement along the axis between a released position and an engaged position. The piston assembly includes a second electrode passageway which is coaxial with the axis for receiving the electrode therethrough. A collet closer of the piston assembly engages a collet of the spindle assembly when the piston assembly is in the engaged position such that the collet grips the electrode for unitary rotational movement of the electrode and the spindle assembly.

Abstract: In the conventional bump forming method that can be applied to a semiconductor device in which a large number of bumps are required to form, there are various limitations to the material of which the bumps are made, to enough cubic volume of bumps and to small scattering of the bump height. According to the invention, solder balls and a tool having a large number of through-holes are used, and under the condition that the through-holes of the tool are aligned with the pads of the semiconductor device, the solder balls are charged into the through-holes, pressed to be fixed on the pads, and then reflowed to form bumps.

Abstract: A modification of the electrode geometry for resistance spot welding of aluminum. A ratio of the surface area of the weld nugget to the surface area of the electrode face is about 0.75 to about 1. The diameter of the electrode face is smaller than the industry recommended size and which provides higher current density and reduces the amount of power needed for welding aluminum.

Abstract: Provided is a method of operating an apparatus for inerting a wave soldering installation having a solder bath and a conveying system for producing one or more solder waves comprising an immersion box which is closed on all sides, shaped like a frame, can be immersed in the solder bath and which has porous pipes to distribute nitrogen, the pipes being arranged inside the immersion box in housings being designed such that the porous pipes are arranged therein in such a way that the porous pipes essentially cannot be struck by solder splashes produced during the operation of the wave soldering installation. The method includes supplying the inert gas at a temperature far below the temperature of the solder.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stack battery structure, which possesses a high energy density and can avoid the existence of a die volume. Through the means of separating binder and active materials and of rearranging the position of binder, the positive/negative electrode thus fabricated can be glued with a polymeric separator membrane via the binder in the stacking and pressuring process without affecting the percentage of active materials in each unit of weight. This stack battery structure obviates the problem of a die volume caused by rolling the cell electrode into a spiral in the prior art. It also increases the energy density of the battery.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a plug and the manufacturing method. The method includes the following steps. A baseplate located in the bottom of a closed printing chamber is provided. A printed circuit board and a stencil are mounted on the baseplate in sequence. The stencil is aligned to the printed circuit board. An amount of preheated paste is placed on the stencil. A pressure of the closed printing chamber is adjusted to a first pressure. A printing step is performed to form plugs in the printed circuit board. The pressure of the closed printing chamber is adjusted to a second pressure to remove voids trapped in the plugs. The pressure of the closed printing chamber is adjusted to a third pressure. A scraping step is performed to remove the redundant paste.

Abstract: A welding apparatus for submerged arc welding is disclosed. The welding apparatus includes a welding power supply and a wire feeder in electrical communication with the power supply. A torch is in electrical communication with the power supply and is adapted to deliver an electrode wire from the wire feeder to an arc. A flux system having a flow path for delivering flux to the arc includes a pinch valve disposed to open and close the flow path.

Abstract: A disposable collet adapter for attaching a workpiece to a stud welding tool. One end of the resilient collet adapter slideably mounts to one end of a workpiece and the opposed end slideably attaches to the electrode of the stud welding tool. The opposed ends of the collet adapter are individually tailored so that of the workpiece and the electrode may have distinct cross-sectional profiles. After a welding operation, the collet adapter can be discarded or reused.

Abstract: A method of making an integral plated and solder clad cover lid for electronic packages is disclosed. The cover lid is plated and or clad with a first corrosion resistant and solderable material and is clad with a solder material on one side. The cladded substrate is stamped and then plated with a second corrosion resistant and solderable material. The second material is subsequently sintered and preferentially diffused into the solder material resulting in a visual distinction between the solder side of the cover lid and the backing side.

Abstract: A method of forming cylindrical bumps on a substrate for integrated circuits includes the steps of: forming copper circuits on a board of a substrate by means of electroplating; covering said board with a screening material; forming openings in said screening material to align with copper circuits on said board, filling pure copper or high melting point metal into said openings by electroplating to form cylindrical projections; forming a layer of solder alloy on an upper end of each of said cylindrical projections to be even with an upper surface of said screening material, and removing said screening material to leave the cylindrical bumps, whereby the engagement operation between the die and the substrate can be facilitated and the manufacture of the die can be easier.

Abstract: A method for producing a setter for defatting and/or firing, which can produce the setter without using any mold, and which can minimize generation of gas in the firing step of a process for producing the setter. The method enables setting of porosity of the setter to be relatively easily changed, and ensures a predetermined mechanical strength even with the porosity increased over 50%. The setter for defatting and/or firing has pores with an average diameter of 5-1000 &mgr;m and porosity in the range of 70-25%. The setter is formed of a porous body having a three-dimensional network structure having a flat surface. A porous sheet is preferably laminated on the surface of the porous body having a three-dimensional network structure, the porous sheet having pores, smaller than the pores of the structure body, with an average diameter of not more than 50 &mgr;m and having porosity in the range of 70-25%.

Abstract: A technique for producing soldering iron tips entails cutting clad wire into a plurality of segments, each segment comprising a core of material (such as copper) and an outer protective layer (such as stainless steel, Ni, Cr, or alloy thereof). Each clad wire segment is then shaped into a soldering iron tip by a cold or hot heading process, or other metal forming process. In the finished tip, the protective outer layer is disposed behind the working area of the tip, and serves to reduce the corrosion of the tip, and to improve the electrical conductivity between the tip and the soldering iron handle. A heater element can be formed at one end of the soldering iron tip from the same clad wire segment used to produce the tip itself, thereby ensuring good thermal transfer properties between the heater element and the tip. The invention also pertains to a technique for forming a protective outer layer on the working area of the tip.

Abstract: A method of attaching a first part to a mating part. The method comprises depositing a bondable film layer over a surface of a first part and a solderable pad on the surface. The method further comprises creating an opening in the film layer around the solderable pad to expose the solderable pad, positioning a mating part near the first part so that a solderable pad on the mating part is adjacent a solder ball on the first part, and bonding the film layer to the mating part.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for arc welding a stud to a workpiece without the use of a ferrule are disclosed. Apparatus according to the invention include a stud arc welding gun having a spacer at a distal end thereof, and a chuck adapted to receive a stud having a diameter of more than about ⅜ inch. A stud feeding device is coupled to the gun for automatically loading studs into the gun. The stud feeding device can include a bowl feeder and a stud feeding conduit via which studs are transferred from the bowl feeder to the stud gun. A gun positioning device, such as an arm of a robot, is coupled to the gun, and automatically positions the gun such that the spacer is against a receiving surface of the workpiece. A controller coupled to the stud gun initiates a stud arc welding process to arc weld the stud to the workpiece.

Abstract: The printed circuit board (PCB) header attachment station mounts a header (PCB) onto a PCB having preexisting solder joints, such as underneath a direct mount IC chip. The apparatus applies a soldering paste to PCB lands configured to receive the pins of the header; nests the header component in stacked alignment with the PCB in order to bring the header pins into contact with the respective PCB lands; heats the PCB to a temperature approaching the reflow temperature of the solder in the pre-existing PCB solder joints; and actuates a compliant heating block or bar to heat the header pins to an extent sufficient for the pins to conduct enough heat to locally reflow the solder on the corresponding PCB lands without reflowing the solder in the pre-existing solder joints. The local reflow of the solder precludes solder reflow in the surrounding pre-existing joints which may coalesce under the direct mount IC chip and render the PCB defective.