Plastic is used to make a number of different objects in the modern world. This includes stationery, toys, window frames, crockery and much more. Many plastic parts can be welded, such as cups, bowls, utensils, microphones, toys and radios in the consumer sector.
In the automotive sector, plastic welding is used in the production of lens housing, valve components and filter housing. For medical use, it is used in the production of tubes, testing apparatus, breathing aids and surgical instruments. With regards to film and fabric, it is used in the production of shower curtains, filters and polymer clothing. Military items that utilise the technique include helmets, radio housing, grenade components, guns, missiles and camouflage.
Plastic welding is sometimes also known as heat sealing. It is the welding of compatible thermoplastic pieces to each other to create a bond. This is used for joining plastics and is a common process in the industrial world.
Welding has many benefits. It can increase the strength of the material, as well as to lower the times for mechanical and chemical bonding. The steps of welding include pressing, heating and cooling. Pressure is used in all stages in order to keep the pieces in the right place and to better the melt flow. Heating allows intermolecular diffusion from one piece to another, while cooling then makes the bond stronger by solidifying it. Cooling is a key part of the welding process as it impacts on how strong the overall plastic is.
Plastic welding can be done in many different ways, such as the most common ones of vibration, hot plate, spin, ultrasonic’s, laser / infrared, implant and radio frequency. The heating method varies with each one. It has a number of benefits, such as keeping the molded microstructure and allowing for rigid support during the welding process.
Using pressure is important to this process for many reasons. It makes the surface of the plastic flatter in order to increase the contact between the pieces. It keeps them in place and also improves intermolecular diffusion between both parts by compressing the melt layer. It stops voids from forming due to part shrinkage in the cooling process. Pneumatic presses were widely used for the pressure part of the process in the past, although more recently, servo motors have overtaken, as they offer a better precision and control.
Specialist contractors can undertake the welding process. A quick search engine search will bring up a whole range of relevant results for this, so be sure to compare a few with one another in order to find out the best value for money. You may even want to ask others for their recommendations.
Plastic is so important as so many products are made from it in the modern world. This is because it is easy to make and very cheap as well. It can be easily mass produced and sold for an affordable price. It is a good idea to recycle plastic after using it, as it is made from oil, which is quickly running out and takes a long time to be produced naturally, so we need to re-use as much as possible so we don’t run out in the future.
