Prepare For Plastic Welding

Take Time to Prepare Plastics For Welding

The spectrum of plastic welding is wide. To start, there are many types of plastic welds available to plastic fabricators. You have ultrasonic welding, which consists of using an acoustic tool to transfer vibration energy through plastic parts. Vibrating molecules generate friction, which in turn generates heat, welding the parts together. In plastic welding, you also have high frequency, which is similar to ultrasonic welding. Then you have injection welding, hot-gas welding, extrusion welding and spin welding, which unite round plastic parts with a circular, spinning motion. So while one part holds still, the other spins, creating friction between the parts. This generates heat and melts the plastic parts, fusing them together as the plastic cools. Pretty scientific stuff and logical, too, but it’s not as easy as most people think. There are many things to consider when making a quality plastic welding. First of all, not all types of plastics are weldable. Thermoset plastics, for example, are not weldable because they don’t melt when heat is applied. However, thermoplastics will melt when heated and can be welded. Generally, only plastics of the same type are weldable. Why is this?

Each plastic type has its own molecular structure. What this translates to is that each plastic type has its own weld temperature, or melting point. So you can’t always weld together different types of plastic, such as polypropylene with polyethylene.

Before you start any plastic welding project with most welding systems, you must properly prepare the surface of the plastic parts. This is time-consuming, but necessary for quality plastic welding. Not only will proper preparation reduce oxidation, but also other contaminants, including grease and dust. These contaminants can impact and compromise the quality of your work. Preparing the surface is simple. Just take a scraper and remove the first layer of the material. This will keep the plastic area clean and free of contaminants. Now you’re ready to weld.

Learn about the inner workings of thermal assembly systems and other plastic welders at Plastic Assembly Systems, the world leader in plastic assembly solutions, by logging onto HeatStaking.com.

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