Patent ID: 8766133

Claim:
A process for welding two panels comprising: providing at least a top panel having an upper face opposite a lower face, the upper face adjacent to a welding beam; providing a separate metal band; placing the separate metal band on the upper face of the top panel so that the metal band is disposed entirely above the upper face of the top panel, along an axis of a desired welded joint, before welding said panels, so that the metal band is inserted between the welding beam and the panels; and after placing the metal band along the axis of the desired welded joint, joining the metal band to the upper face of the top panel so that the metal band remains fixed on the upper face of the top panel and welding the two panels together where at least a portion of the metal band forms part of the welded joint after the welding process; wherein said process is an edge-to-edge welding process, with the metal band being placed so as to overlap a mounting area located on both sides of two mounted edges of the two panels; wherein the metal band has a width greater than the width of the desired welded joint.