Design, fabrication and installation of systems for heat staking and thermal sealing/bonding thermoplastics. Serves the medical, automotive and consumer goods industries.
Xfurth is the official UK supply partner for Cemas Vibration and Hot Plate welders. These are simple machines, easy to operate and well suited to production environments. They can join most thermoplastics, including amorphous and semi-crystalline resins.
Ultrasonic Welders
Ultrasonic welding is a non-contact, low-heat process that uses sound waves to join materials. It is ideal for joining plastics and nonferrous metals with thin walls. The process is quick and requires little labor and can be automated, making it a good alternative to glues or screws. The Ultrasonic Welder Manufacturer a horn to emit high-frequency mechanical vibrations, which build up frictional heat at the joint interface and melt and bond the materials together.
The horn vibrates at a frequency that is higher than audible sounds (human hearing range of 16 Hz to 20 kHz). It’s also possible to use an adjustable power supply to control the amount of energy produced.
There are four main parts of an ultrasonic welding system: a power generator, which converts low-frequency electricity into high-frequency electricity; a transducer, which changes the high-frequency electricity into ultrasound; a booster, which amplifies the sound; and a horn, which concentrates and directs the ultrasonic vibrations onto the stack of materials to be welded.
Ultrasonic welding is a popular choice for manufacturing medical devices, such as hospital gowns and masks, because it produces no dust or fumes. It is also used to bond wires and ribbons, and to connect components for semiconductor chips such as transistors and diodes. Ultrasonic welding creates reliable bonds without introducing impurities and thermal distortion into microcircuits.
Hot Plate Welders
In Hot Plate Welder Manufacturer plastic is bonded between two components by contact at a constant pressure. This process is typically used for softer, semi-crystalline thermoplastic materials such as PP and PE. However, the process can also be used for dissimilar materials provided that they are chemically compatible and have similar melt points and viscosities. The welding process begins when the molded components are loaded into their holding fixtures. Once the positions have been aligned and the welding surface of the hot plate has been positioned against the bonding surfaces, a predetermined heating cycle is initiated. The hot plate is then retracted to reveal the melted parts which are then brought together, pressed one against the other and then allowed to cool down.
The process is ideally suited for production of large volume parts in which good visual aesthetics are important. The process is also well suited for high integrity connections such as those found in hydraulic reservoirs or polyethylene petrol tanks.
The main advantage of hot plate welding over other thermoplastic joining processes is that it can produce joints with a higher degree of accuracy, especially in the case of thick-walled components. It can also achieve weld strengths approaching those of the parent material if correct welding procedures are followed. Additionally, it is a very economical method of welding since the tools do not need to be heated. This reduces costs, complexity and maintenance.
Vibration Welders
Vibration Welder Manufacturer a very strong bond by rubbing two elements together to create frictional heat that melts the parts and bonds them. When the weld is cooled, it forms an extremely strong and durable weld. This method of bonding is often used for joining dissimilar yet compatible thermoplastics together.
Like rubbing your hands to warm them, vibration welding creates heat and friction at the interface between two surfaces of the plastic being joined. The resulting weld is stronger than other types of thermal plastic welding techniques such as laser, infrared or spin welding.
This type of welding can join most thermoplastics whether they have been injection molded, extruded, blow-molded, thermoformed or even fabricated from fiber reinforced materials. It is less sensitive to mold release and surface contaminants than ultrasonic and hot plate welds but it can be affected by moisture content. Pre-drying the parts can help reduce bubble formation and welding time.
Linear vibration welders can be equipped with a variety of lift tables from 20 to 36 inches in diameter and specialized fixture designs for assembling large or complex-shaped components. They do not require heated tooling which saves on cost, complexity and maintenance. This allows for quick setup and changes to machine parameters as needed for specific applications. This flexibility makes vibration welding an ideal choice for assembling items such as refrigerator ice dispensers, dishwasher pumps and spray arms and detergent dispensers.
Laser Welders
Laser welding uses a focused beam of laser light to fuse metal parts together, eliminating the need for an arc. This method is highly versatile and offers precise control over heat distortion, making it ideal for manufacturing electronics, automotive, and aerospace components. It is also suitable for a wide range of materials and can be used to join dissimilar metals, extending the scope of applications compared to electrical or traditional thermal welding.
The power density of a laser beam is high, so the process can heat and melt a small area without burning other surfaces. As a result, it is capable of producing fine, complex welds. The controlled heat-affected zone also helps to minimize the amount of residual stress that would be generated by other processes, resulting in welds with better mechanical properties.
The speed at which the beam is traversed along the weld seam defines the weld quality and the size of the heat-affected zone (HAZ). The dwell time must be long enough to ensure the fusion of the weld material, but not so long that it causes excessive decomposition of the weld material. Shielding gases are often used to prevent weld oxidation, and the type and flow rate must be appropriate for the weld material. The use of a shield can also help to reduce the amount of heat that is transmitted to the workpiece, reducing distortion.