Ford aluminum ultrasonic welding research

Ultrasonic welding of aluminum sheet as a near-miss process — it doesn't eliminate contamination, only redistributes it. Sample passed around class. Contrasted with Sandia's full-area-contact approach.

This is an ultrasonic weld that was made at Ford research a number of years ago on aluminum. Aluminum has a very stable oxide — this surface contamination — and won't bond if you just stick them together. But if I put it in a mechanical press and hold one of them stationary — you'll see some little ribs on here — and the other one you'll see a different pattern, and then you just vibrate the thing ultrasonically. Anybody know what an ultrasonic horn looks like? A couple of you mechanical engineers? I'll tell you what an ultrasonic horn looks like.