While ultrasonic welding is one of the most popular plastic welding processes, it is also the most sensitive.There are many interdependent factors that make this welding process a nightmare in many manufacturing environments including complex joint designs, material considerations, tooling, and environmental factors. Ultrasonic welding can be very successful if its limitations and process requirements […]
Read MorePlastic is constantly incorporated into new applications. As one of the go-to plastic welding specialists, I have the opportunity to develop assembly processes for several unique and challenging applications. I have had experiences welding components ranging from several meters to a few millimeters in length. It is truly exciting to work on such a variety […]
Read MoreContinuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFRTPCs) are strong, light, inexpensive, recyclable, and easy to shape. These attributes make CFRTPCs highly attractive for manufacturing use in the aerospace, automotive, and energy industries. EWI associates Jeff Ellis, Miranda Marcus, and Matt Nitsch have recently validated through-transmission laser welding (TTLW) as an effective joining method for thermoplastic composites. […]
Read MoreContinuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFRTPCs) are increasingly being used in aerospace, automotive, and oil & gas (O&G) due to their low cost, recyclability, complex shape adaptability, high strength, and low weight. The CFRTPC market worldwide is projected to grow by US$634.1 million, driven by a compounded growth of 8.3%. Continuous Carbon Fiber displays the potential […]
Read MoreIf you’re wanting to learn more about plastics welding, check out the recently published American Welding Society’s (AWS) Welding Handbook, 9th edition, volume 5. EWI’s George Ritter and Matt Short, along with colleagues from other institutions, authored chapter 8, “Plastics,” providing a timely rewrite of the 1995 edition. George Ritter also served as committee chair. This section on plastics welding was […]
Read MorePolymers undergo creep and stress relaxation over long periods, which can be detrimental to the function of products in a multitude of industries. When designing devices or components that contain polymers, it is important to understand how to analyze stress relaxation vs. creep in plastic materials and develop mitigation strategies for the two phenomena. Polymer […]
Read MoreBy James Cruz, EWI My first job out of college at Honda of America Manufacturing was a dream come true—the chance to play with robots and build cars! They handed me several crisp, white uniforms on day 1. Within that first week on the production line, however, I had soiled my pretty white pants with a huge, […]
Read MoreWelding Technology and Medical Miracles — A Personal Story by James Cruz, EWI Welding is everywhere. As a welding engineer with over 25 years of industrial experience, I know that. And after all this time, especially with 15 of those years here at EWI, I thought I had seen just about every application of welding […]
Read MoreWhat are the best processes for joining miniature metal and plastic parts in commercial products? EWI has studied several techniques using different materials to determine effective microjoining solutions for manufacturers. This work is discussed in Plastics and Metal Joining: How Small Can You Weld?, a paper written by EWI associates Jeff Ellis, Miranda Marcus, Tim […]
Read MoreWelding of dissimilar polymers is becoming more commonplace in manufacturing. There are several key reasons for this trend. First, many new plastics are being used in environments where adhesives cannot be easily applied. Typical examples include medical products for which finding adhesives that pass FDA regulations and join materials with low surface energy (like polyolefins) […]
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