Ultrasonic welding of thermoplastics in the near-field

Ultrasonic welding is one of the most popular techniques for joining thermoplastics because it is fast, economical, and easily automated. In near-field ultrasonic welding, the distance between the horn and the joint interface is 6 mm or less. This study investigated the near-field ultrasonic welding of amorphous (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and polystyrene) and semicrystalline (polyethylene and polypropylene) polymers. High frequency ultrasonic wave propagation and attenuation measurements were made in order to estimate the dynamic mechanical moduli of the polymers. The estimated moduli were entered into a lumped parameter model in order to predict heating rates and energy dissipation. Experimental results showed that variations in the welding pressure had little effect on energy dissipation or joint strength; Increasing the amplitude of vibration increased the energy dissipation and the weld strength. For the semicrystalline polymers, increasing the weld time improved strength up to weld times greater than 1.5 s, where strength leveled off. For the amorphous polymers, the weld strength increased with Increasing weld time up to times of 0.8 s; for longer weld times, the power required was too high, causing overloading of the welder. Monitoring of the energy dissipation and static displacement or collapse provided valuable information on weld quality.     

Ultrasonic welding of thermoplastics in the far-field

In far-field ultrasonic welding of plastic parts the distance between the ultrasonic horn and the joint is greater than 6 mm. This study investigated the farfield ultrasonic welding of amorphous (acrylo butadiene styrene and polystyrene) and semicrystalline (polyethylene and polypropylene) polymers. Far-field welding worked well for amorphous polymers. Weld strength improved substantially with increasing amplitude of vibration at the joint interface. Increasing the weld pressure and/or the weld time also resulted in higher weld strengths. Far-field ultrasonic welding was not successful for semicrystalline polymers. The parts melted and deformed at the horn/part interface with little or no melting at the joint interface. A model for wave propagation in viscoelastic materials, which was developed to predict the vibration amplitude experienced at the joint interface, indicates that increasing the length of the samples to a half a wavelength should improve the far-field welding of semicrystalline polymers by maximizing the amplitude of vibration at the joint interface.     

Vibration welding of thermoplastics. Part I: Phenomenology of the welding process

In vibration welding of thermoplastics, frictional work done by vibrating two parts under pressure, along their common interface, is used to generate heat to effect a weld. The main process parameters in vibration welding are the weld frequency, the amplitude of the vibratory motion, the weld pressure, and the weld time. How these parameters affect weld quality, the conditions that result in the best welds, the weldability of dissimilar plastics, and the effect of fillers such as glass are of interest. To address these issues, a research vibration welding machine in which all the parameters can be independently and accurately controlled and monitored was designed and fabricated. The phenomenology of welding, as determined by experiments on the four thermoplastics polycarbonate, poly (butylene terephthalate), polyetherimide, and modified poly (phenylene oxide), is described.     

Vibration welding of thermoplastics. Part II: Analysis of the welding process

The vibration welding process for thermoplastics is known to consist of four phases: (1) initial heating of the interface to the melting temperature by Coulomb friction; (2) unsteady melting and flow in the lateral direction; (3) steady-state flow; and (4) unsteady flow and solidification of the film after the vibratory motion is stopped. Simple analytical models are developed for the first three phases. These models are used for estimating the molten film thickness, the size of the heat affected zone, and the weld time as functions of the weld parameters: the amplitude and frequency of the weld motion, and the weld pressure. The steady-state film thickness and the heat-affected zone are shown to be very small.     

Recent developments in hot plate welding of thermoplastics

This paper considers the hot plate welding process applied to three injection molded thermoplastic materials: polypropylene, high impact polystyrene, and poly(phenylene oxide). Weld quality was assessed by tensile testing. The process was found to be suitable for all three materials, although tolerance to variations in process parameters varied. The parameters in the heating phase, i.e., hot plate temperature and time, were the most important for achieving good welds, whereas parameter variations in the consolidation phase were relatively unimportant.     

Estimates for process conditions during the vibration welding of thermoplastics

The aim of this work is to interpret experimental findings of Stokes and Schlarb on the basis of analytical formulas and finite element calculations. In the analytical approach, some simplifications that had to be made proved to be inappropriate. Only computer calculations may reveal the details of the processes involved in vibration welding. Comparison of the computer calculations with the experiments reveals that even transient effects in viscosity have to be considered. Viscosity is dependent not only on temperature and shear rate, but also on the frequency or amplitude of vibration. After correction for these effects, the correlation between theory and experiments proved to be excellent. Based on the calculations, some recommendations are presented to improve weld quality, as ascertained by the type of fracture in a tensile test, by changing the welding parameters.     

Process data acquisition in vibration welding of thermoplastics

A measuring method is presented for process monitoring and process analysis of linear vibration welding of thermoplastics. The method works by recording and evaluating time-dependent signals that describe the process—such as the frequency-dependent signals of the displacement of the two parts being joined, the tangential force in the welding plane—and the nonperiodic signals of the welding process, i.e. the normal force in the welding plane and the melting or joining displacement of the parts being joined. It is possible to determine the energy input into the welding zone as a function of the selected machine parameters and the process sequence over time.     

Estimates for process conditions during the ultrasonic welding of thermoplastics

Order of magnitude estimates are presented for processes that play a role in ultrasonic welding. The fact that the sonotrode may not always be in contact with the product being welded, which results in the sonotrode repeatedly hammering the product, is accounted for in this study. The calculations do not use estimates for loss or storage modulus of plastics at 20 kHz around the glass or melting point for amorphous or semicrystalline polymers respectively. The flow of molten polymer in the weld zone is shown to be a laminar viscous squeeze flow driven by the welding pressure. An energy balance is used to show that the heat generated by the internal damping is, in part, used in heating cold material and is squeezed out into weld flash. The theoretical findings are correlated with existing practical pointers on ultrasonic welding in series and mass production in industry.     

Effects of variable viscosity on the steady melting of thermoplastics during spin welding

The steady melting of several amorphous and semicrystalline polymers during spin welding is analyzed by solving a simplified set of momentum and energy balance equations, assuming a shear-rate and temperature-dependent viscosity. A numerical model is developed for predicting the flow field and the temperature distribution in the molten film. It is shown that the steady melting rate of the thermoplastic solid is affected by the variable viscosity, by the pressure applied on the parts to be joined, and by a balance between the viscous heat generation in the melt and the convection of colder material into the molten film. The convection of heat in the outflow direction is shown to have a much smaller effect on the melting process.     

Comparison of orbital and linear vibration welding of thermoplastics

This work was conducted to determine if there were any benefits with orbital vibration welding compared to linear vibration welding. The experiments were conducted using standard full‐factorial designs with each process and each material. Four materials, polypropylene/polyethylene copolymer (PP/PE), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) and Nylon (PA), were studied with each process. The equipment used was a modified Branson VW‐4 with an orbital head that had isolated magnets. The same machine was used to weld with both linear and orbital motions. This was achieved by modifying the controlling parameters of the drive. It was found that compared to linear vibration welding, orbital welding had a reduction of cycle time by 36% and 50% in Phase I and Phase III, respectively. It was also found that orbital welding dissipated 56% and 100% more power than linear vibration welding in Phase I and Phase III, respectively. In addition, it was seen that orbital welding was able to universally join unsupported walls with higher strengths and better consistency compared to linear welding. Other benefits included: a difference in the appearance of weld flash and small increase in weld strength. Some of the limitations of orbital welding that were identified included the effects of disengagement and residual stresses. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Heating and bonding mechanisms in ultrasonic welding of thermoplastics

An experimental study of the heating and bonding mechanisms in ultrasonic welding is described. Polystyrene specimens were joined under a variety of welding conditions while the temperatures at the interface and within the interior of these specimens were measured. The power input, amplitude of vibrations, and amount of deformation during welding were measured concurrently. In general, the rate of heating at the interface is greatest at the beginning of the weld cycle, but slows markedly after the interface temperature reaches approximately 250°C. The interface temperature peaks well before the weld is completed. Temperatures within the body increase most rapidly at temperatures near the glass transition temperature. Welded specimens were broken on a special testing apparatus under combined torsional and compressional loads to determine the weld strength. The results show that weld strength is dependent on the amount of energy input and the degree to which material flows out of the interface region. Possible mechanisms for heating and bonding during ultrasonic welding are discussed in light of the observed behavior.     

Simulation of the residual stresses in the contour laser welding of thermoplastics

This article presents the influence of the process parameters in laser transmission welding for plastics on the residual stress in the welded part. The contour welding process is modeled by means of finite element (FE) simulation. In this process, the weld seam is only partially heated, i.e., only part of it melts. The calculations are performed using a material model that describes the time‐dependent temperature and stress development in a plate geometry, making allowance for the material's asymmetric compressive‐tensile behavior. Experimental data were measured under different load cases to present the time‐dependent material behavior, and then implemented in numerical terms by formulating the necessary constitutive equations. The calculations to simulate the influence of process parameters on the residual stress behavior were performed using a finite element model that was developed. The simulation covers the entire welding process, including the heating and cooling stages. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Energy transfer and bond strength in ultrasonic welding of thermoplastics

This paper describes an investigation into some fundamental aspects of ultrasonic welding of thermoplastics. A simple model was developed to characterize the temperature rise at the weld interface up to the glass transition temperature. Beyond this point, the temperature increases more rapidly and almost directly proportional to weld time. The rate of temperature rise increases with increase of amplitude of vibration. The correlation between weld strength and interface temperature was established using the method of dimensional analysis. It was found that the process can be optimized in terms of weld strength by monitoring the power input. There is an optimal load one can apply to achieve high weld strength. The overall efficiency of the process is rather low in terms of energy usage.     

Effects of the shape of the energy director on far‐field ultrasonic welding of thermoplastics

An energy director is widely used in ultrasonic welding to increase the welding speed and quality. In the present work, three different types of energy directors were studied—namely, a triangular, a rectangular, and an innovative semicircular energy director. Experiments were performed using far‐field test samples made of amorphous‐type (ABS) and semicrystalline‐type (PE) thermoplastics. It was found that the weld time is an important parameter of ultrasonic welding for the three types of energy directors studied. Weld pressure has different effects for the types of plastics tested. Increasing the weld pressure will decrease the welding efficiency for ABS. But for PE, increasing the weld pressure to four bars will increase the welding efficiency. The shape of the energy director was found to significantly affect the welding efficiency. In comparison, a semicircular shape was found to yield the highest welding efficiency under the same welding conditions and the triangular shape the lowest. Temperature measurements at the triangular energy director during the welding process indicate that the energy director absorbed 48.5% of the welding energy for ABS and 21.1% for PE. The different energy absorption rates are probably due to the difference in elasticity and viscosity between amorphous (ABS) and semicrystalline (PE) plastics.     

塑料感应焊接技术

感应焊接是一门简单、快捷、可靠的塑料焊接技术。该技术是通过感应加热向设计接头精确输出能量,接头处的植入材料选择吸收能量、熔化和流动以填满接头。塑料感应焊接商业应用已有三十多年历史,在焊接压力容器和其它高要求零件（需高强度和外形美观的结构、密封接头）方面获得了持续成功。感应焊最初之所以大受欢迎是因为它有效地解决了低表面能聚合物如聚丙烯和聚乙烯的焊接问题,过去的十年里其使用范围已扩展到覆盖全系列工程塑料及难以用其它方法焊接的高填充复合物。本文论及感应焊接原理及过程、植入物、焊接设备、工艺参数、焊接性、接头设计、特点、应用、最新进展。     

Residual stresses in the quasi‐simultaneous laser transmission welding of amorphous thermoplastics

Laser transmission welding is frequently being used increasingly for joining complex, assembly‐oriented components, thanks to its small heat affected zone. As a result of the cooling processes, residual stresses can develop inside the components, potentially leading to stress cracking and premature component failure. One subgoal of process design should therefore be to reduce the level of residual stresses as far as possible when laser welding is employed. This work looks into experimental testing for residual stresses, as a factor for the weld parameters in quasi‐simultaneous laser transmission welding, with the objective of determining the optimum welding parameters. The ARAMIS optical measuring system for deformation analysis was used to this end, in conjunction with a modified hole‐drilling method. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:1520–1526, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Vibration welding of thermoplastics. Part III: Strength of polycarbonate butt welds

In vibration welding of thermoplastics, frictional work done by vibrating two parts under pressure, along their common interface, is used to generate heat to effect a weld. The main process parameters are the weld frequency, the amplitude of the vibratory motion, the weld pressure, and the weld time or weld penetration; The effects of these parameters on weld quality were systematically studied by first butt-welding polycarbonate specimens under controlled conditions over a wide range of process parameters, and by then determining the strengths and ductilities of these welds by tensile tests, A significant result is the apparent existence of a weld-penetration threshold above which high weld strengths are attained, but below which the strength drops off. Under the right conditions, the strengths of polycarbonate butt welds are shown to equal the strength of the virgin polymer.     

An approach to model the melt displacement and temperature profiles during the laser through‐transmission welding of thermoplastics

Laser transmission welding of thermoplastics is gaining importance in industrial series production because of its advantageous properties and the increasing interest in this technology. At the same time, the demand on ongoing investigations and research to understand the processes involved is being developed intensively. In this report, a simplified mathematic–physical model of laser transmission welding based on finite‐elements method will be presented. For the first calculations, the material PA6 and the quasi‐simultaneous laser welding process mode were chosen. The model comprises of the complete laser welding process, including the heating and the cooling phase. Boundary conditions and relevant process parameters were specified for the simulation, such as the laser beam intensity, the joining pressure, and the welding time. Flow and temperature profiles were then calculated. Because of the array of available boundary conditions, it is possible to continuously improve the model while comparing the simulated data with that obtained in the experiments. The experimental data were gathered by detecting the displacement of tracer particles in dependence on time and place. Moreover, the melt layer thickness was measured. In general, very good agreement was achieved between the calculated and the measured results. Once the steady–state conditions were achieved, no change in the remaining melt layer thickness, temperature, flow velocity, or weld strength was observed. It was seen that the maximum temperature was placed in the upper layers of the absorbent partner and not in the joining surface. Accordingly, the flow behavior is first detected in the absorbent partner, and afterwards in the transparent one. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 46:1565–1575, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Improving the stiffness of commingled thermoplastics

One of the limitations of commingled recycled plastics is their low flexural modulus, resulting from both the linear nature of thermoplastics and the incompatibility of the polymer phases. The goal of this study was to increase the flexural modulus of commingled recycled plastics by the addition of small amounts of polyester that acted both as a compatibilizer and a crosslinking agent. It was found that the increase in flexural modulus was caused by the unsaturated polyester acting as a filler, the improvement in compatibility of the phases, and the crosslinking of the commingled plastics. The increase was offset somewhat by a decrease in crystallinity of the phases.