Machines, devices or processes for specific methods of soldering, welding, cladding or plating by soldering or welding, cutting by applying heat locally or working by laser beam (B23K 1/00-B23K 26/00).

Welding or cutting machines, devices or processes not covered by any of the preceding groups (B23K 28/00).

Soldering, welding or cutting processes specially adapted for particular articles or purposes (B23K 31/00).

Specially-profiled edge portions of workpieces for making soldering or welding connections and filling the seams formed thereby (B23K 33/00).

Rods, electrodes, materials or media for use in soldering, welding or cutting (B23K 35/00).

Auxiliary devices or processes, not specially adapted to a soldering, welding or cutting procedure covered by only one of the preceding main groups (B23K 37/00).

Upon classifying in B23K 31/00, B23K 33/00, B23K 35/00 or B23K 37/00, the appropriate classification in B23K 1/00-B23K 26/00 or subgroups should be added, if applicable. References B21C 23/22, B22D 19/08, B22D 23/04, B22F 7/00, B23Q, C23C and F23D are non-limiting in the subclass B23K. CPC will be updated/corrected once this inconsistency is resolved in IPC.

Soldering and brazing, which are processes in which two or more metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a filler metal (solder) into the joint, the filler metal having a lower melting point than the workpiece. Brazing is a form of soldering, wherein the temperatures used to melt the filler metal are above 450 °C.

Unsoldering, wherein solder is removed from a joint prior to resoldering.

Arc soldering or brazing to be classified in B23K 9/16 and B23K 1/00.

MIG soldering or brazing to be classified in B23K 9/173 and B23K 1/00.

TIG soldering or brazing to be classified in B23K 9/167 and B23K 1/00.

Tools, devices for soldering, brazing or unsoldering.

Welding, where a flame is applied to the base metal and held until a small puddle of molten metal is formed with or without addition of more metal from a welding rod or filler rod into the molten metal puddle.

Cutting where the flame is not intended to melt the metal, but to bring it to its ignition temperature.

Welding methods and apparatus, wherein a welding power supply is used to create an electric arc between an electrode and the base material to melt the metals at the welding point.

Arc welding and cutting with direct (DC) or alternating (AC) current.

Arc welding with consumable or non-consumable electrodes.

Arc welding with or without shielding means.

Underwater arc welding.

Backing means for arc welding.

Inserts between the pieces to be joined through arc welding.

Power supply for arc welding.

Drag welding.

Submerged arc welding.

Stud welding.

Percussion welding.

Protecting means used during arc welding.

Plasma arc welding (PAW), wherein heat is produced between an electrode and a constricting orifice (nontransferred arc). Shielding is generally obtained from the hot, ionized gas issuing from the orifice of the constricting nozzle, which may be supplemented by an auxiliary source of shielding gas. Shielding gas may be an inert gas or a mixture of gases.

Plasma arc cutting (PAC), wherein a pilot arc is first generated between the electrode (cathode) and the nozzle (anode). The pilot arc ionizes gas passing through the nozzle exit orifice. After the ionized gas reduces the electrical resistance between the electrode and the workpiece, the arc transfers from the nozzle to the workpiece. The torch is operated in this transferred plasma arc mode, which is characterized by the conductive flow of ionized gas from the electrode to the workpiece, for the cutting of the workpiece.

Electric resistance welding, where heat to form the weld is generated by the electrical resistance (Joule effect) of material vs the time and the force used to hold the materials together during welding.

Spot and seam welding.

Welding by conduction heating, wherein a high frequency current produces heat in a tool contacting the workpiece.

Welding by induction heating, high frequency current (called eddy current or Foucault current) is produced by induction in the workpiece and is used to heat the same.

Electron beam welding wherein a beam of high-velocity electrons is applied to the materials being joined.

Electron beam cutting wherein high-velocity electrons concentrated into a narrow beam are directed toward the work piece, creating heat and vaporizing the material.

Welding, micromachining using an ion beam.

Wire welding; Capillary welding; Ball bonding.

Isostatic pressure welding.

Thermo-compression bonding, bonding tips therefore.

Explosive welding.

Ultrasonic welding.

Friction welding; friction stir welding.

Alumino-thermic welding during which a reacting composition of iron oxide red (rust) powder and aluminium powder is ignited at high temperatures and a strongly exothermic (heat-generating) reaction occurs that produces through reduction and oxidation a white hot mass of molten iron and a slag of refractory aluminium oxide.

Welding, wherein heat is generated by an exothermic reaction other than alumino-thermic (e.g. US2007/0295782).

Electroslag welding (ESW) which is a single pass welding process for thick materials in a vertical or close to vertical position wherein an electric arc is initially struck by a wire that is fed into the desired weld location, flux is added until the molten slag, reaching the tip of the electrode, extinguishes the arc upon which the wire is then continually fed through a consumable guide tube into the surfaces of the metal workpieces and the filler metal are then melted using the electrical resistance of the molten slag to cause coalescence.

Laser scribing for making a weakened layer, even without notching.

Laser shock processing.

Apparatuses for laser surface treatment.

Laser ablation.

In this group, the involved material should be identified by allocating the appropriate indexing codes as foreseen in B23K 2103/00 and subgroups

Method and devices for positioning or observing the workpiece.

Aligning, aiming or focussing the laser beam by exchanging the focussing optics.

Features of workpiece holding or support member B23K 26/702 + B23K 26/08 or subgroup.

If the workpiece is immobile at the moment of being laser processed B23K 26/10.

Robots B23K 26/0884.

Configurations for evacuating by-products between pieces.

Marking by way of material removal.

Feeding welding wire.

Elements for intercepting radiations at the end of boring a hole, even if not applied to the surface.

Localised welding with special shaped welded area, e.g. button shaped.

In this group, the involved material should be identified by allocating the appropriate indexing codes as foreseen in B23K 2103/00 and subgroups

Laser Cladding.

Glazing.

Nanostructuring, e.g. colouring metal.

Melting.

Removing material e.g. ablating, without cutting or boring.

In this group, the involved material should be identified by allocating the appropriate indexing codes as foreseen in B23K 2103/00 and subgroups.

Welding in a furnace.

Welding by means of an electrolyte.

Combined welding or cutting procedures or apparatus.

Making of profiled bars.

Connecting cutting edges or the like to tools.

Attaching reinforcements to workpieces, e.g. wear-resisting zones to tableware.

Making tubes with soldering or welding.

Processes specially adapted for particular articles or purposes relating to cutting or desurfacing.

Investigating the properties, e.g. the weldability of materials.

Filling of continuous seams of cylindrical workpieces.

Filling of continuous seams for automotive applications.

Interlayers, electrodes, rods, wires, welding studs for metallurgical bonding of workpieces, for soldering, brazing, welding techniques, characterised by their mechanical features, composition, media

B22F provides for processes of making and working metallic powders. B23K provides for processes of soldering or unsoldering, welding, cladding or plating by soldering or welding, cutting by applying heat locally e.g. flame cutting, working by laser beam. When the method is intended for providing a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well (see informative references for some of them). When the composition of the alloy is disclosed, either in claims or description, this one is classified in C22C.

Under B23K 35/00 the last place rule is followed (classification in the last appropriate place) combined with multiple classifications for classifying a 100% disclosed alloy composition. When classifying under B23K 35/00 all essential features disclosed should be classified as invention information while all other special features disclosed in claims, description, examples and figures/diagrams should be classified as additional information.

Transition pieces for metallurgical bonding of workpieces

If a composition is given it should also be classified in the relevant groups under C22C. For example, a process for producing composite body consisting of soldering at least a part of a high-temperature-resistant, metallic or nonmetallic component and at least a part of a high-temperature-resistant, nonmetallic component, where prior to soldering, a metallic barrier layer, which is impervious to the solder melt, of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Ti, Zr, Hf and alloys thereof, is deposited on that surface of each nonmetallic component which is to be soldered will be classified in B23K 35/005 ,B23K 35/001 . Documents should also be considered for classification in the following fields: soldering methods B23K 1/19; layered products B32B 7/04, B32B 18/00; ceramics C04B 37/003, C04B 37/026 alloys C22C 14/00, C22C 16/00.

Rods, electrodes, materials for use in soldering, welding, or cutting characterized by mechanical feature

If a composition is given it should also be classified in the relevant groups under C22C. For example, a bonding wire for semiconductor, comprising a core and an outer peripheral part formed of a conductive metal and the alloy thereof formed mainly of the same type of elements, respectively, and a diffusion layer and/or an intermetallic compound layer formed of the elements forming the core and the outer peripheral part disposed between the core and the outer peripheral part or comprising a core formed of a first metal having a conductivity or an alloy formed mainly of the first metal, an outer peripheral part formed of a second metal having a conductivity different from that of the first metal of the core or an alloy formed mainly of the second metal, and a diffusion layer and/or an intermetallic compound layer disposed between the core and the outer peripheral part (metals, alloy disclosed) will be classified in B23K 35/0272 . Documents should also be considered for classification in the following fields: manufacture of wires otherwise than by rolling B21C 37/042 ; layered products B32B 15/018 ; semiconductors H01L 24/43, H01L 24/45; and the relevant groups for alloys in C22C.

Rods, electrodes, materials for use in soldering, welding, or cutting characterized by the composition or nature of the material, composition of soldering/brazing/welding materials

Macromolecular compounds classified in C08F, C08G, C09D.

B23K 35/34 takes precedence. If a composition is given it should also be classified in the relevant groups under C22C For example, a mixture for applying a polymer, non-corrosive, electroconductive coating which can be shaped in a low-abrasive manner, to a base, method for producing a non-corrosive, viscoplastic coating on a base, said coating containing polymer and inorganic particles, and to an electroconductive coating containing polymer and inorganic particles will be classified in B23K 35/226 . Documents should also be considered for classification in the following fields: inorganic substances /macromolecular as compounding ingredients C08K 5/0008 , C09D 5/082 , C09D 5/084 , C09D 5/10, C09D 5/24; H01B 1/22 (use as a cable/conductor). For example, a flux cored wire for welding duplex stainless steel consisting of, by mass% with respect to the mass of the wire as a whole, C: 0.001 to 0.1%, Si: 0.01 to 1.0%, Mn: 2.0 to 6.0%, Cr: 17.0 to 27.0%, Ni: 1.0 to 10.0%, Mo: 0.1 to 3.0%, Al: 0.002 to 0.05%, Mg: 0.0005 to 0.01%, Ti: 0.001 to 0.5%, and N: 0.10 to 0.30%, further limiting P to 0.03% or less and S to 0.01% or less, satisfying 0.73 Cr equivalents - Ni equivalents 4.0 and Ti(mass%) N(mass%) 0.0004, and having a balance of iron and unavoidable impurities will be classified in B23K 35/0266 , B23K 35/3086 , B23K 35/3053 , B23K 35/308 . Documents should be considered for classification in the following field: alloys C22C 38/22, C22C 38/38, C22C 38/40. Similarly, a process of assembling two silicon carbide pieces by non-reactive, moderate refractory welding, comprises contacting the pieces with a non-reactive welding composition respectively a binary alloy formed, as mass percentages, from 56% to 70% silicon and 44% to 30% yttrium, and heating an assembly formed by the pieces and the composition to a sufficient temperature for melting the composition and to form a moderate refractory joint will be classified in B23K 35/327 , B23K 35/025 , B23K 35/24. Documents should be considered for classification purposes in the following fields: welding techniques B23K 1/19, B23K 1/20, B23K 1/0008 , alloys C22C 28/00, ceramics C04B 37/006 .

Coatings, fluxes compositions, as well as soldering/brazing/welding materials conjoint with non-metallic compositions

Macromolecular compounds classified in C08F, C08G, C08K, C09D

B23K 35/34 takes precedence. If a composition is given it should also be classified in the relevant groups under C22C. For example a cream solder comprising a nitrogen - containing base hydroborofluorate is included by 1x10-3 - 7x10-2 mol. to 100 gr. of flux for solder powder, the nitrogen-containing base being from e.g. propylamine, dipropylamine, allylamine, diallylamine, isobutyl-amine, sec-butylamine, tert-butylamine, etc and the cream solder being for Ag/Pd, Ag/Pt or Ag/Pd/Pt fired body or electrode and also includes a hydrofluorate, hydrochlorate, hydrobrcmate and/or hydroiodate will be classified in B23K 35/3617 ,B23K 35/3612 , B23K 35/025 , B23K 35/22 and will be circulated to organic chemistry field C08. Similarly, a stainless steel flux-cored welding wire for the welding of galvanized steel sheets where the sheath and the flux contain, as metal or alloying components and in a total amount based on the total mass of the wire, C: 0.01 to 0.05%, Si: 0.1 to 1.5%, Mn: 0.5 to 3%, Ni: 7 to 10% and Cr: 26 to 30% with the F value falling within the range of 30 to 50, that the flux contains, as slag formers, TiO2: 3.8 to 6.8%, SiO2: 1.8 to 3.2%, ZrO2: 1.3% or below, and Al2O3: 0.5% or below, that the total amount of these slag formers and the other slag formers is 7.5 to 10.5%, that TiO2 accounts for 50 to 65% of the total amount of all the slag formers, and that the balance of the sheath and the flux consists of Fe and unavoidable impurities will be classified in B23K 35/0266 , B23K 35/308 , B23K 35/362, B23K 35/368. Documents should also be considered for classification in the following fields: Welding techniques B23K 9/00; Alloys C22C 38/02, C22C 38/04, C22C38/40A, C22C 18/04.

Selection of media in soldering/welding

If a composition is given it should also be classified in the relevant groups under C22C. For example a perfluoro-heptaglyme, improved vapour-phase soldering fluid - prepares by perfluorination of heptaglyme and method of vapor-phase soldering employing perfluoroheptaglyme as vapor phase soldering fluid is classified in B23K38/F, B23K 35/38.

Processes of making soldering/welding wire/rods/electrodes

If a composition is given it should also be classified in the relevant groups under C22C For example a tungsten electrode (alloy composition disclosed) and its method of manufacture will be classified in B23K 35/402 ,C22C 1/04, C22C 27/04, B23K 9/24. Similarly, a seamless tube compound welding electrode made by filling of a pre-formed tube closed at the bottom with a mixt. consisting of several granulated materials such as flux, de-oxidisers, carbides, which are periodically compacted by means of a punch introduced from the top, following which the tube is size reduced by rolling and/or drawing, which also further compacts the filling will be classified in B23K 35/406 , B23K 35/327 , B23K 35/0272 , B23K 35/302 . Documents should be considered for classification purposes in the following fields: Manufacture of metal sheets, wire, rods, tubes or profiles, otherwise than by rolling B21C.

Cooling means for welding or cutting.

Safety devices for welding or cutting.

Carriages supporting the welding or cutting element.

Devices or processes for holding or positioning work.

Devices or processes for aligning cylindrical work; clamping devices therefore.

Devices or processes for positioning molten material, e.g. confining it to a desired area.

Devices or processes for flash removal.