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.     

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 and impulse welding of polylactic acid films

The weldability of polylactic acid (PLA) is examined in this article. Biaxially oriented PLA films of various thicknesses were joined with impulse and ultrasonic welding techniques. Relatively high weld strengths were achieved with impulse welding over a wide range of welding parameters. Ultrasonic welding produced high weld strengths with relatively short cycle times. In detail, ultrasonic welded samples had a weld factor (weld strength/base material strength) of 1 at cycle times of 0.25 sec. The weld factor was significantly lower at shorter weld times and weld times above 0.35 sec. In contrast, 100‐μm thick samples joined by impulse welding for 2–3 sec had a weld factor of 1 and a standard deviation of only ±5%. The peak temperature during the impulse welding was measured to determine the fusion temperatures of the films. Mechanical, thermal, and optical analysis was used to examine the properties of the PLA at various welding and annealing conditions. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Experimental Studies on Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of Ultrasonically Welded PC/ABS Polymer Blends

This research paper attempts to investigate the performance of blended PC/ABS joints using the ultrasonic material joining process. The key focus is on examining the thermal aspects during the joining of PC/ABS blends using ultrasonic welding and the subsequent mechanical testing to determine the strength of the weldments. Thermal behavior of the blends during welding may govern or alter the mechanical properties and integrity of the joints. Hence, investigations on thermal characteristics involved in PC/ABS blends when subjected to high vibrational heat generated during the ultrasonic welding process is imperative. DSC is used to measure the glass transient temperature (T_g) after subjecting it to welding. Mass loss is calculated with TGA. TGA and DSC results indicate change in T_g which are attributed to the molecular alignment occurring when the specimens are subjected to ultrasonic vibrations. Initially, two step mass losses occur that is contributed by ABS in which long single chains are associated and alters PC. SEM images reveal the absence in intermolecular compounds or impurities that tend to weaken weld joints. The diffusion of these molecules is uniform in the welded region. The amorphous nature enhances the integrity of weld joints. Molded part illustrates the higher strain rate in comparison with the welded specimens. The RSM model proposed is sufficient and has limited possibility for violating the independence or the assumption of constant variance.     

Ultrasonic improvement of weld line strength of injection‐molded polystyrene and polystyrene/polyethylene blend parts

The effect of melt temperature, ultrasonic oscillations, and induced ultrasonic oscillations modes on weld line strength of polystyrene (PS) and polystyrene/polyethylene (PS/HDPE) (90/10) blend was investigated. The results show that the increase of melt temperature is beneficial to the increase of weld line strength of PS and PS/HDPE blend. Compared with PS, the increase of melt temperature can greatly enhance the strength of PS/HDPE blends. For PS, the presence of ultrasonic oscillations can enhance the weld line strength of PS at different melt temperatures. But for PS/HDPE blends, the presence of ultrasonic oscillations can improve the weld line strength when the melt temperature is 230°C, but when the melt temperature is 195°C, the induced ultrasonic oscillations hardly enhance the weld line strength. Compared with Mode I (ultrasonic oscillations were induced into the mold at the whole process of injection molding), the induced ultrasonic oscillations as Mode II (ultrasonic oscillations were induced into the mold after injection mold filling) is more effective at increasing the weld line strength of PS and PS/HDPE blends. The mechanism for ultrasonic improvement of weld line strength was also studied. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:1666–1672, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effects of calcium carbonate,talc, mica,and glass‐fiber fillers on the ultrasonic weld strength of polypropylene

The objective of this work was to study the differences in the ultrasonic weld strength of polypropylene compounds with different fillers. The fillers were calcium carbonate, talc, mica, and glass fibers. The welder parameters were varied to determine the optimum set. These welder parameters were the weld time, weld force, trigger force, and amplitude. The results indicated that the weld time had the greatest effect on the weld strength of each of the filled compounds. Unfilled polypropylene had the highest weld strength under the optimum welding conditions, which were used as the baseline welding conditions. For each given filler, the weld strength was reduced as the filler loading increased. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 1986–1998, 2004     

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.     

Experimental characterization of processing-performance relationships of resistance welded graphite/polyetheretherketone composite joints

A study to investigate fusion bonding (welding) of AS4 graphite/polyetheretherketone (PEEK) thermoplastic composites is presented. Processing studies are conducted for resistance welding preconsolidated AS4/PEEK laminates in both unidirectional and quasi-isotropic configurations using PEEK and polyetherimide (PEI) film at the joint interface. All bonding was done under a constant displacement process. The influence of processing time, initially applied consolidation pressure, and the rate of heat generation on weld performance is examined through lap shear and Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness testing. A rapid increase in strength with processing time that asymptotically approaches the compression molded baseline is measured. Weld times for quasi-isotropic lap shear coupons are significantly shorter than those with a unidirectional lay-up. Variation of the initially applied consolidation pressure is shown to have little influence on the lap shear strength of PEEK film welded lap joints. A discussion of the mechanisms allowing void formation during the welding process is given. Bond strength test results are correlated with ultrasonic C-scans of the weld regions.     

Vibration welding of nylon 6 to nylon 66

Vibration welding of dissimilar nylons is a promising technique for assembling complex components made of different polymers. The effects of pressure and meltdown on the tensile strength of nylon 6 (PA 6) to nylon 66 (PA 66) vibration welds were determined in this study using an experimental design and three weld geometries. Weld strengths were generally improved by increasing meltdown and decreasing weld pressure. The weld strength was also shown to vary with the position of the lower melting material for T‐welds. Using differential scanning calorimentry and fracture surface analyses, it is concluded that for all geometries, higher weld strengths can be achieved when both materials are melted. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:760–771, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Thickness effects in the vibration welding of polycarbonate

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. Past work on welding characterized the effects of weld parameters such as the weld frequency, the weld pressure, and the weld time, on the welding process and weld strength, and showed that the most important parameter affecting weld strength Is the weld penetration—the decrease in the distance between the parts being welded that is caused by lateral outflow of material in the molten film. However, those weld studies were based on specimens of constant nominal thickness (6.35 mm, 0.25 in). This paper is concerned with the effects of specimen thickness on the weld process and weld strength.     

PVC塑料门窗型材焊缝开裂原因分析

论述了聚氯乙烯(PVC)塑料门窗型材焊缝开裂的主要形式和原因,主要分析了焊接应力对焊接强度造成的影响,并提出了控制焊接应力的方法.     

塑化度与焊接条件对PVC-U型材焊角强度的影响

通过正交试验对比PVC—U型材塑化度和焊接条件对焊角强度的影响试验得知：焊接温度、加热时间及型材塑化度对焊角强度的影响较大,焊接时间与进给压力对焊角强度影响相对较小。型材塑化度在70％左右时具有较好的可焊性,适当提高焊接温度及延长加热时间有利于提高型材的焊角强度,焊接时间超过一定时间后则对焊角强度影响不大,根据型材截面不同进给压力有一最佳值。     

Factors affecting the joint strength of ultrasonically welded polypropylene composites

Ultrasonic welding of thermoplastic composites has become an important process in industry because of its relatively low cost and resultant high quality joints. An experimental study, based on the Taguchi orthogonal array design, is reported on the effect of different processing factors on the joint strength of ultrasonically welded composites, including weld time, weld pressure, amplitude of vibration, hold time, hold pressure, and geometry of energy director. Three materials were used in the study: virgin polypropylene, and 10% and 30% glass‐fiber filled polypropylene composites. Experiments were carried out on a 2000‐Watt ultrasonic welding unit. After welding, the joint strength of the composites was determined by a tensile tester. For the factors selected in the main experiments, weld time, geometry of energy director and amplitude of vibration were found to be the principal factors affecting the joint property of ultrasonically welded thermoplastic composites. Glass‐fiber filled polymers required less energy for successful welding than the non‐filled polymer. The joint strength of welded parts increased with the fiber content in the composites. In addition, a triangular energy director was found to weld parts of the highest strength for virgin polypropylene and 10% glass‐fiber filled polypropylene composites, while a semi‐circular energy director was found to weld the highest strength parts for 30% glass‐fiber filled composites.     

Vibration welding of thermoplastics. Part IV: Strengths of poly(butylene terephthalate), polyetherimide,and modified polyphenylene oxide 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 thermoplastic 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. The three thermoplastics investigated are poly (butylene terephthalate), polyetherimide, and modified polyphenylene oxide. Changes in the weld pressure are shown to have opposite effects on the strengths of polyetherimide and modified polyphenylene oxide welds; Also, the weld frequency is shown to have a significant effect on the weldability of polyetherimide. The weldability data for these three thermoplastics are compared with data for polycarbonate. Under the right conditions, the strengths of butt welds in these materials are shown to equal the strength of the virgin polymer.     

复合钢板Monel 400/16MnDR的焊接

干燥器筒体设计材料是Monel 400/16MnDR镍基合金复合钢板,焊接技术是制造这台设备的关键技术之一.通过分析复合钢板和镍基合金的焊接特点,指出复合钢板焊接的关键是控制基层根部焊接时不熔入复层合金成分;镍及镍基合金在碳钢上堆焊时容易出现热裂纹和气孔等缺陷.采用台阶式坡口是避免根部焊缝金属互熔的最好措施,焊前处理和控制焊接线能量是防止镍基合金焊接缺陷的有效途径.     

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.     

Application of response surface methodology for weld strength prediction in laser welding of polypropylene/clay nanocomposite

Welding as a fabrication process can be used to join materials, including composite and nanocomposites and laser welding process due to its advantages has found wide applications in this field. Its process parameters can play a significant role in determining the weld strength of laser-welded joints in polypropylene/clay nanocomposites. In this study, the effect of laser welding parameters, such as laser power, welding speed and focal position along with the clay content in a polypropylene/clay nanocomposite on weld strength were determined using response surface methodology. This methodology was applied for developing a mathematical model which can predict the main effects of the above parameters and their impacts on tensile strength of butt-welded laser joints in 2-mm thick polypropylene/clay nanocomposite sheets. The analysis of variance was performed to check the adequacy of the developed model. A comparison was also made between the predicted and actual results. The results showed that weld strength decreased when clay content was increased from 0 to 6 %, but welding speed increased from 30 to 60 mm/s. The above parameters were also optimized to achieve a high strength welded joint.     

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.     

玻璃纤维增强尼龙6振动摩擦焊接强度的影响因素

研究了玻璃纤维含量、苯胺黑色母含量、树脂相对黏度、焊接工艺(深度、振幅、压力)等因素对玻璃纤维增强尼龙6(PA6)焊接强度的影响。结果表明,玻璃纤维含量为30%的玻璃纤维增强PA6具有最大的焊接强度,为58.0 MPa;通过差示扫描量热分析发现,加入3%的苯胺黑色母能使玻璃纤维增强PA6的结晶温度从191.8℃降至173.7℃,但对焊接强度影响较小;随着树脂相对黏度从2.0提高到3.4,玻璃纤维增强PA6的结晶度从27.1%下降至16.2%,焊接强度略有提升;焊接工艺参数对玻璃纤维增强PA6的焊接强度影响较大的是振幅与焊接压力,振幅为0.4 mm时,焊接不充分,焊接强度仅为38.8 MPa,振幅为0.7 mm时,能充分焊接,焊接强度增至55.5 MPa,随着焊接压力从3.5 MPa提升到9.0 MPa,焊接强度从56.3 MPa下降至43.3 MPa。     

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