# US 2014/0151347 A1 · Method of forming a weld notch in a sheet metal piece > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0151347 A1 - Document ID: US20140151347A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/094,299 - Filed: 2013-12-02 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Applicants: Shiloh Industries, Inc. - Inventors: James J. Evangelista; Michael Telenko, JR.; Jason E. Harfoot; Jack A. Atkinson; James W. Walther; Anthony M. Parente - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151347A1 ## CPC - B23K 26/0622: by shaping pulses - B23K 26/364: for making a groove or trench, e.g. for scribing a break initiation groove - B23K 26/38: by boring or cutting - B23K 26/40: taking account of the properties of the material involved - B23K 2101/18: Sheet panels - B23K 2101/34: Coated articles {; Surface treated articles} - B23K 2103/04: Steel {or steel} alloys - B23K 2103/50: {Inorganic materials other than metals or composite materials} - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM ## Abstract Sheet metal pieces intended to be welded can be made with weld notches located along one or more edges. A weld notch is characterized by the absence of certain material constituents so that they do not unacceptably contaminate nearby welds. The weld notch can be created by first forming an ablation trench along the sheet metal piece, then separating the sheet metal piece along the formed ablation trench into two separate pieces, at least one of which includes a newly formed and weldable edge. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of forming a weld notch in a sheet metal piece, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a sheet metal piece having a plurality of material layers; (b) forming an ablation trench along the sheet metal piece by removing at least a portion of the plurality of material layers along an ablation path so that the ablation trench is spaced away from an edge of the sheet metal piece; and (c) cutting the sheet metal piece along the ablation trench to form the weld notch. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises forming the ablation trench within an edge region of the sheet metal piece, and step (c) further comprises removing a portion of the edge region. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises forming the ablation trench away from an edge region of the sheet metal piece, and step (c) further comprises cutting the sheet metal piece into two separate sheet metal pieces. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises directing first and second laser beams toward the sheet metal piece so that the beams overlap at a composite laser spot and form the ablation trench with a non-uniform depth. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein step (c) further comprises cutting the sheet metal piece along a trim line that corresponds to the portion of the ablation trench formed by the composite laser spot. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises directing a laser beam toward the sheet metal piece at a non-zero or offset angle of incidence (a) in order to form a weld notch that is offset with respect to the plurality of material layers. ### Claim 7 A method of forming a weld notch in a sheet metal piece, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a sheet metal piece having a plurality of material layers; (b) forming an ablation trench along the sheet metal piece by removing at least a portion of the plurality of material layers along an ablation path, wherein the ablation trench is defined in part by surfaces that oppose each other across the width of the ablation trench; and (c) removing a portion of the sheet metal piece that includes one of the opposing surfaces formed in step (b) to form the weld notch, wherein the weld notch is partly defined by the other of the opposing surfaces. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the ablation trench is further defined in part by a third surface extending between the opposing surfaces, and step (c) further comprises cutting the sheet metal piece along a central region of the ablation trench so that the weld notch is further defined by a portion of the third surface and another portion of the third surface is removed in step (c). ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the ablation trench is further defined in part by a third surface extending between the opposing surfaces, and step (c) comprises cutting the sheet metal piece along one of the opposing surfaces so that the weld notch is further defined by substantially the entire third surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein step (b) further comprises directing first and second laser beams toward the sheet metal piece so that the beams overlap at a composite laser spot and form the ablation trench with a non-uniform depth. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) further comprises cutting the sheet metal piece along a trim line that corresponds to the portion of the ablation trench formed by the composite laser spot. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein step (b) further comprises directing a laser beam toward the sheet metal piece at a non-zero or offset angle of incidence (a) in order to form a weld notch that is offset with respect to the plurality of material layers. ### Claim 13 A method of forming a weld notch in a sheet metal piece, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a sheet metal piece having opposite first and second sides and a sheared edge extending therebetween, wherein material from a coating material layer along the first side extends at least partially along the sheared edge toward the second side in a shearing direction; (b) removing some of the coating material layer from the sheet metal piece along a pre-determined trim line location; and (c) separating the sheet metal piece into first and second pieces along the trim line location, wherein the first piece includes a newly formed weldable edge substantially free of material from the coating material layer and the second piece includes the sheared edge. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein step (b) comprises forming an ablation trench along the trim line location, the ablation trench having a plurality of trench surfaces, at least a portion of some of the trench surfaces remain with the first sheet metal piece of step (c) as weld notch surfaces. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the pre-determined trim line location is located within an edge region of the sheet metal piece so that the second piece is not usable to form a welded blank assembly. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the pre-determined trim line is located away from edge regions of the sheet metal piece so that each of the first and second pieces includes a weld notch along a newly formed weldable edge substantially free of material from the coating material layer and is usable to form a welded blank assembly. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein step (b) further comprises directing first and second laser beams toward the sheet metal piece so that the beams overlap at a composite laser spot and forms an ablation trench with a non-uniform depth. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the trim line location corresponds to the portion of the ablation trench formed by the composite laser spot and step (c) further comprises cutting the sheet metal piece along the trim line location. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein step (b) further comprises directing a laser beam toward the sheet metal piece at a non-zero or offset angle of incidence (a) in order to form a weld notch that is offset with respect to the coating material layer.