Got a tough combination of molded components? Normally we weld, but sometimes the two materials are welding incompatible or the welding conditions are too extreme in temperature or time for the size of the part or complexity of the design. In that case, the option is to bond the materials.
Bonding thermoplastics is a little tricky because the surface energy is low compared with a thermoset material. It may be necessary to use a surface preparation technique to raise the wetting level. Dispensing can also be challenging, especially on small parts, but syringe units are quite sophisticated and give reproducible results. Once the components are joined, the curing can be fast if we used a cyanoacrylate or UV/VIS curable.
If you have a weird combination of materials to join, don’t be shy about asking us for suggestions. We work with all brands of adhesives and curing methods, and our goal is to get you running and successful. If you need testing or analysis, that’s no problem – we do that too. Bring it on, bring it over.
My name is Dr. George Ritter. I’m a materials engineer at EWI and I’ve been doing this for thirty years. Post your materials joining question below or contact me at gritter@ewi.org or 614.688.5199.
Dr Ritter,
I am leading our thermoplastic composite effort in North America…our focus is on thermoplastic composites for automotive.
We are having issues with thermoplastic part joining, and interested in EWI’s capability. Currently, we are considering laser welding, vibration welding and adhesive joining for our composites…but would be interested in discussing this with EWI.
Our composite technical team would like to visit and then we can discuss possibly joining EWI.
Thank you
Paul Kane
Development Program Manager
DuPont TPC
Troy, MI
248 583 8107
Paul.J.Kane@dupont.com
Been trying to reach you by email and phone. Definitely want to talk with you about welding TP materials. We frequently work with materials suppliers on developing welding parameters for their customers. Happy to discuss this with you and also to schedule a visit with us here in Columbus, OH.