Methods of joining metal components and resulting articles particularly automotive torque converter assemblies

Method of joining components together, comprising:

• positioning one component adjacent another component;
• applying a joining material to at least one junction between the one component and the other component, the joining material including a first part comprising nanoscale size particles of an exothermic material and a second part comprising copper having particulate sizes of between 1-3 .mu.m;
• and
• directing an energy source solely at the joining material;
• wherein:
• the one component is a first plurality of vanes, each vane having an inner edge and an outer edge with a length;
• the other component is an automatic transmission bowl component having an inner surface;
• further comprising:
• positioning the vanes with their outer edges adjacent the inner surface of the bowl;
• and
• applying the joining material along the outer edges of the vanes.

Method of joining components together, comprising:

• positioning one component adjacent another component;
• applying a joining material to at least one junction between the one component and the other component;
• and
• directing an energy source at the joining material;
• wherein:
• the joining material contains the following weight percentages of the following materials having the following particle sizes:
• 2% Cerium (<1 .mu.m);
• 3% Boron (<1 .mu.m);
• 5% Chromium (<1 .mu.m) ;
• 12% Nickel (<1 .mu.m) ;
• 18% Magnesium (<1 .mu.m) ;
• 15% Aluminum (nanoscale);
• 2% Tin (1-3 .mu.m);
• 5% Zinc (1-3 .mu.m);
• 20% Copper (1-3 .mu.m);
• and 18% Silver (1-3 .mu.m).

Method of joining vanes to the bowl of an automatic transmission impeller assembly, comprising:

• positioning a vane adjacent a bowl of an automatic transmission impeller assembly;
• applying a self-sustaining joining material containing a metal having particulate sizes of between 1-3 .mu.m to a junction between the vane and the bowl;
• and
• directing a beam from an Nd:YAG laser at the joining material to raise the temperature of the joining material to a point no more than between and including about 200 and 400 degrees centigrade.

Method of joining components together comprising:

• positioning one component adjacent another component;
• applying a self-sustaining exothermic joining material to at least one junction between the one component and the other component;
• directing an energy source at the self-sustaining exothermic joining material for elevating the temperatures of said joining material by no more than approximately 400.degree. C. to initiate a continuous exothermic reaction along said junction between said one component and said other component for joining said components together;
• and
• maintaining the temperature of said joining material at a level no more than approximately 400.degree. C. throughout the process of joining the components together.

Method of joining components together comprising:

• positioning one component adjacent another component;
• applying a self-sustaining exothermic joining material to at least one junction between the one component and the other component, said self-sustaining exothermic joining material containing a first component including nanoscale size material smaller than approximately 100 nanometers and a second component including material having sizes of between 1-3 .mu.m;
• and
• directing an energy source at the self-sustaining exothermic joining material for elevating the temperature of said nanoscale material by no more than approximately 400.degree. C. to initiate a continuous exothermic reaction along said junction between said one component and said other component for joining said components together.

Method of joining components together comprising:

• positioning one component adjacent another component;
• applying a self-sustaining exothermic joining material to at least one junction between the one component and the other component, said self-sustaining exothermic joining material containing nanoscale size material smaller than approximately 100 nanometers;
• directing a laser beam at the self-sustaining exothermic joining material for elevating the temperature of said nanoscale material by no more than approximately 400.degree. C. to initiate a continuous exothermic reaction in said self-sustaining exothermic joining material along said junction between said one component and said other component for joining said components together;
• and
• maintaining the temperature of said joining material at a level no more than approximately 400.degree. C. throughout the process of joining the components together.

Method of joining components together comprising:

• positioning one component adjacent another component;
• applying a self-sustaining exothermic joining material to at least one junction between the one component and the other component, said self-sustaining exothermic joining material containing nanoscale size material smaller than approximately 100 nanometers;
• directing an infrared laser beam at the self-sustaining exothermic joining material for elevating the temperature of said nanoscale material by no more than approximately 400.degree. C. to initiate a continuous exothermic reaction in said self-sustaining exothermic joining material along said junction between said one component and said other component for joining said components together;
• and
• maintaining the temperature of said joining material at a level no more than approximately 400.degree. C. throughout the process of joining the components together.

Method of joining components together, comprising:

• positioning one component adjacent another component;
• applying a joining material flowable at ambient temperatures to at least one junction between the one component and the other component, the joining material including a first part comprising nanoscale size particles of an exothermic material and a second part comprising copper having particulate sizes of between 1-3 .mu.m;
• and
• directing an energy source at the joining material to raise the temperature of the joining material to a point no more than between and including about 200 and 400 degrees centigrade.