Abstract: A method for laser-welding a busbar to battery cells with a laser-welding system having a laser scanning head, the busbar having a first and second tabs, the battery cells having first and second poles. The first pole is welded to the first tab along a first welding path segment while the first pole and the first tab are clamped, with an extent of the first welding path segment being limited to limit a temperature at the first pole. Subsequently to said welding along the first welding path segment, the second pole is welded to the second tab along a second welding path segment while the second pole and the second tab are clamped, thereby allowing the temperature at the first pole to decrease. Subsequently to said allowing the temperature at the first pole to decrease, the first pole is welded to the first tab along a third welding path segment.

Abstract: There is described a metal workpiece generally having a surface and an identifier marked on said surface. The identifier has cells each having a corresponding cell size, including bright cells corresponding to a first binary value and dark cells corresponding to a second binary value different from the first binary value. The dark cells include a center portion being recessed relative to the surface thereby leaving a recess bounded by a peripheral wall in the corresponding dark cell, the recess having a depth of at least 100 microns and having an opening with a width ranging between 400 microns and 1750 microns and representing between 30 percent and 99 percent of the corresponding cell size such that the corresponding dark cell appears dark to an optical reader. The depth, the width and the cell size of the dark cells provide a shot blast resistance to the laser-marked identifier.

Abstract: The laser welding system can have: a laser welder having an emitter configured to emit the laser beam, and a scanning head optically coupled to the laser emitter; a robot having an end effector having a body, a resilient member having a first end mounted to the body and a second end opposite the first end, a pressing element at the second end of the resilient member, and a laser aperture extending across the body, the resilient member and the pressing element; and wherein the laser beam can be directed across the laser aperture by the scanning head when either one of the pole regions is pressed against a corresponding one of the electrical poles by the pressing element.

Abstract: There is described a battery assembly. The battery assembly generally having a first battery component having a first surface; a second battery component having a second surface facing the first surface; a gap extending between the first and second surfaces; an interface material extending in the gap and connecting the first and second surfaces to one another; the first surface having first patterned features laser-formed on a portion of the first surface, the first patterned features defining a first textured portion having a first effective surface area greater than an initial surface area of the portion of the first surface prior to the formation of the first patterned features.

Abstract: There is described a metal workpiece generally having a surface and an identifier marked on said surface. The identifier has cells each having a corresponding cell size, including bright cells corresponding to a first binary value and dark cells corresponding to a second binary value different from the first binary value. The dark cells include a center portion being recessed relative to the surface thereby leaving a recess bounded by a peripheral wall in the corresponding dark cell, the recess having a depth of at least 100 microns and having an opening with a width ranging between 400 microns and 1750 microns and representing between 30 percent and 99 percent of the corresponding cell size such that the corresponding dark cell appears dark to an optical reader. The depth, the width and the cell size of the dark cells provide a shot blast resistance to the laser-marked identifier.

Abstract: There is described a metal workpiece generally having a surface and an identifier marked on said surface. The identifier has cells each having a corresponding cell size, including bright cells corresponding to a first binary value and dark cells corresponding to a second binary value different from the first binary value. The dark cells include a center portion being recessed relative to the surface thereby leaving a recess bounded by a peripheral wall in the corresponding dark cell, the recess having a depth of at least 100 microns and having an opening with a width ranging between 400 microns and 1750 microns and representing between 30 percent and 99 percent of the corresponding cell size such that the corresponding dark cell appears dark to an optical reader. The depth, the width and the cell size of the dark cells provide a shot blast resistance to the laser-marked identifier.

Abstract: There is described a method of laser-processing a metal workpiece. The method generally has a step of laser-hardening a portion of the metal workpiece by momentarily exposing said portion to an out-of-focus region of a pulsed laser beam, the exposed portion heating to a given temperature and quenching thereafter, the sequence of said heating and said quenching thereby hardening said exposed portion, and a step of laser-cleaning the hardened portion by momentarily exposing said hardened portion to an in-focus region of said pulsed laser beam, thereby cleaning said hardened portion.

Abstract: There is described a metal workpiece generally having a surface and an identifier marked on said surface. The identifier has cells each having a corresponding cell size, including bright cells corresponding to a first binary value and dark cells corresponding to a second binary value different from the first binary value. The dark cells include a center portion being recessed relative to the surface thereby leaving a recess bounded by a peripheral wall in the corresponding dark cell, the recess having a depth of at least 100 microns and having an opening with a width ranging between 400 microns and 1750 microns and representing between 30 percent and 99 percent of the corresponding cell size such that the corresponding dark cell appears dark to an optical reader. The depth, the width and the cell size of the dark cells provide a shot blast resistance to the laser-marked identifier.

Abstract: There is described a method for laser-processing a surface. The method generally includes: directing, from a first viewpoint, a laser processing beam towards said surface including providing a focal point of said laser processing beam at a focal point position, resulting in illuminating said surface with a spot, while imaging said spot on said surface from a second viewpoint different from the first viewpoint; determining spatial coordinates of said surface based on calibration data and a feature of said imaged spot; and laser-processing said surface based on said previously determined spatial coordinates of said surface.

Abstract: There is provided a method of laser marking an identifier on an industrial product in a production line. The method generally includes, using a 3D imaging system, generating 3D image data representative of a laser-marking surface of the industrial product in the production line; using a processor, accessing the 3D image data; accessing virtual reference shape data including virtual laser-marking surface data; generating position and orientation data representative of a position and an orientation of the laser-marking surface in the 3D image data based on the virtual reference shape data and the virtual laser-marking surface data; and obtaining identifier data representative of the identifier of the industrial product; and using a laser marker, laser marking the identifier on the laser-marking surface of the industrial product in the production line based on the position and orientation data.

Abstract: The process can include moving the web across a laser-cutting window in a longitudinal direction while maintaining a main tension in the web, the main tension being in the longitudinal direction; applying a specific tension to at least a portion of the web; and cutting a portion of the shape by moving the laser beam along the portion of the shape, within the laser-cutting window, during said moving of the web, and while maintaining at least a portion of the specific tension at the laser beam in an orientation different than the instantaneous orientation of movement of the laser beam.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a connector comprising shape memory material such as a shape memory alloy, an optical fiber conduit and an axial stress opening traversing the connector from the connector surface to the fiber conduit and along at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the connector. The fiber conduit is dimensioned for optical fibers and to secure two optical fibers in abutment alignment for light signal transmission from one fiber to the other, with minimal attenuation and for securing the fibers without crushing or other damage to the fibers.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an evanescent field optical fiber device including one or more optical fibers and a support which assures mechanical strength of the optical fiber wherein one or more grooves has been machined in the support and in the coating of the one or more optical fiber in order to gain access to the evanescent field. The invention is also directed to the use of a support in the mechanical and chemical removal of coating from an optical fiber and a method of gaining access to the evanescent field of an optical fiber device.