New Delhi, India – As reported in India Patent News, patent 201121 for a method of laser beam welding of metal has been issued to Dana Corp. by the Indian Patent Office. Dana Corp. had filed patent application number 83/KOL/2004 for method of laser beam welding of metal on March 3, 2004. The inventor of the patent is Gary H. Musselman. The International classification number is B23K 26/08.
According to the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks, the patent states: "A method of performing a laser beam welding operation on two metal sheets protected by zinc coatings having a low vaporizing temperature. The metal sheets are placed on top of each other and a head of a welding machine is passed over the sheets. The head of the welding machine is configured such that a laser is positioned in front of a GMAW welding or MlG brazing device. The laser cuts a channel into the metal sheets in order to allow the protective zinc coating to vaporize and escape. The GMAW welder or MIG brazing device then follows the laser and deposits a material that fills the channel to weld the two pieces together."
Dana Holding Corp. is a supplier of axles, drive shafts, off-highway transmissions, sealing and thermal-management products, and service parts. The company's customer base includes virtually every major vehicle manufacturer in the global automotive, commercial vehicle, and off-highway markets. Based in Maumee, Ohio, the company employs approximately 21,500 people in 26 countries and reported 2009 sales of $5.2 billion. The company is listed on the Fortune 500.