Abstract: Process for butt welding two metal blanks(1,2) of which the first blank is of steel and the second blank is of a metal having a melting temperature lower by more than 400.degree. C. than the melting temperature of the steel. The process includes positioning the two metal blanks (1,2) so that they contact each other in the region of their lateral faces to be butted together, maintaining the two metal blanks in contact, directing onto one of the principal faces of the metal blank (1) a high energy density bean (5) which passes through the first metal blank (1) and of which the focusing point is situated at a given distance from the joint plane (3) so as to generate in the region of the joint plane (3) a temperature equal to the melting temperature of the second metal blank (2) to within 10%, and displacing the high energy density beam (5).

Abstract: Device for guiding and feeding at least two sheet blanks previously brought edge to edge to form a joint plane, of the type including two units for supporting and feeding the sheet blanks in the direction of a high energy density beam disposed on each side of the joint plane and movable in synchronism with each other. Each supporting and feeding unit includes at least one lower series of carriages or at least one upper series of carriages, these carriages being articulated together in a vertical plane and movable in a direction parallel to the joint plane on a runway constituting a reference plane. Each carriage carries at least one shoe movable relative to the respective carriage in a direction perpendicular to the joint plane. The shoes of at least one of the two series of carriages cooperate with a device exerting a lateral pressure on the edges to be welded of the sheet blanks by a displacement of the shoes in a direction perpendicular to the joint plane.

Abstract: An installation for positioning edge to edge and welding by means of a laser beam at least two sheet blanks comprises means for supporting and positioning a first sheet blank in a horizontal reference plane, means for positioning the edge to be welded of the first sheet blank on the axis of the laser beam, means for maintaining the edge to be welded of the first sheet blank, means for clamping the first sheet blank, means for supporting and positioning at least one second sheet blank, means for maintaining the edge to be welded of the second sheet blank against the edge to be welded of the first sheet blank, means for clamping with a sectorized pressure the second sheet blank, means for exerting a lateral and sectorized pressure on the edges to be welded of the sheet blanks, and a welding unit employing a laser beam movable along the joint plane of the sheet blanks to be welded.

Abstract: The invention provides a device for putting et least two sheet blanks (2 and 3) in register edge to edge in a plant for welding these sheet blanks by means of a high energy density beam (1). The device comprises a longitudinal stop element (92) movable, on one hand, by the action of a first control means (100), between a retracted horizontal first position and a retracted vertical intermediate second position and, on the other hand, by the action of a second control means (110), between said intermediate second position and a vertical third position for putting in register the first sheet blank (2), in which position a lower part of the stop element (92) is gripped between the means for positioning and clamping the sheet blanks and an upper end part of the stop element (92) extends above a horizontal reference plane for positioning the edge to be welded (2a) of the first sheet blank (2) on the axis of the high energy density beam (1).

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a device for simultaneous shearing of two sheet metal blanks comprising, for each sheet metal blank, an assembly formed, on the one hand, by a support member of the corresponding sheet metal blank comprising a rectilinear cutting edge and, on the other hand, by a movable cutter provided with a rectilinear cutting edge designed to interact with the cutting edge of the corresponding support member. The cutting edges of the two support members and cutters assemblies are situated in a same reference plane P and the support members extend on either side of the reference plane P. The invention applies to installations for welding by laser beam of two sheet metal blanks placed edge to edge.

Abstract: The installation comprises a zone A for positioning a first sheet blank (2) to be welded, a zone B for bringing the two sheet blanks (2, 3) to be welded into edge to edge relation, a zone C for guiding, transferring and welding the two sheet blanks (2, 3), and a zone D for discharging the two welded sheet blanks (2, 3). The invention is applicable to installations for welding by means of a laser beam sheet blanks of different geometrical and/or different thicknesses, for example for the automobile industry.

Abstract: The present invention has as its subject a device for guiding and for transfer of at least two sheet metal blanks to be welded edge to edge.The device comprises, on the one hand, for each sheet metal blank, means (14a, 15a) for supporting the sheet metal blank along a horizontal reference plane and movable horizontally in the direction of a laser beam and means (14c, 15c) for vertical pressing of the sheet metal blank onto the support means and movable horizontally in synchronisation with the said support means for the movement by adherence of the sheet metal blanks and, on the other hand, means for maintaining in reference along a vertical plane the edge to be welded of one of the sheet metal blanks in the axis of the laser beam and means for placing under lateral pressure the edges to be welded of the two sheet metal blanks.