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Laser welded piston assembly

  • US 9,593,641 B2
  • Filed: 09/20/2012
  • Issued: 03/14/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:

  • providing a steel piston body defining a piston axis, the piston body forming a lower surface of a cooling gallery, the body including radially inner and outer body mating surfaces;

    assembling a steel cooling gallery ring with the piston body such that the piston body and cooling gallery ring cooperate to form a continuous upper combustion bowl surface having a radially inner portion defined by the piston body and a radially outer portion defined by the cooling gallery ring, the cooling gallery ring including a radially inner ring mating surface and a radially outer ring mating surface, wherein all mating surfaces between the piston body and the cooling gallery ring are aligned non-perpendicular to the piston axis;

    joining the body to the cooling gallery ring along a radially inner interface region, the radially inner interface region including the corresponding radially inner mating surfaces of the body and the cooling gallery ring;

    joining the body to the cooling gallery ring along a radially outer interface region, the radially outer interface region including the radially outer mating surfaces of the body and cooling gallery ring, wherein the radially outer interface region is elongated in a direction parallel to the piston axis; and

    establishing at least one of joining the body to the cooling gallery ring along a radially inner interface region and joining the body to the cooling gallery ring along the radially outer interface region as including laser welding, wherein the laser welding includes directing a laser along a path, the path extending along one of the body mating surfaces and one of the ring mating surfaces, the path oriented in a direction extending through an interior of the cooling gallery,wherein the laser welding includes;

    running the laser at a first laser power, and thenrunning the laser at a second laser power less than the first power;

    wherein the ring is interference fit to the body along the radially outer interface region including the radially outer mating surfaces of the body and cooling gallery ring.

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