How Ultrasonic Welding Revolutionized Plastic Welding

The basic principle of ultrasonic welding is that there must be two pieces of material that can be bonded together under great pressure.

Plastic welding or any process that allows thermoplastics to join together seamlessly has been around for quite some time. Among the many methods created for this purpose, one of the most revolutionary is ultrasonic welding. Ultrasonic welding uses sound waves instead of heat or electricity to weld two different parts together, allowing welding without flux or adhesives to keep the two materials together.

Ultrasonic welding uses a "low-power friction" welding process, in which very little heat is generated and can be precisely controlled. The basic idea is to rub the workpiece while clamping the workpiece under pressure to form a bond. The work piece is placed on the anvil. The anvil has small ridges. The raised ridges bite into the material and hold them in place during the welding process. The ultrasonic tools are then lowered onto the workpiece, clamping them under pressure and generating the required frictional action. For most welding operations, the tool vibrates at a frequency of 20 kilohertz, and for low-power applications, the tool vibrates at approximately 40 kilohertz.

Ultrasonic welding process

This process was first discovered in 1963, when Robert Soloff, the founder of Sonics & Materials Inc., began experiments with ultrasound probes. Through experiments, Soloff found that sound waves are not limited by other plastic welding methods. After this discovery, Soloff went on to create the first ultrasonic welding machine for Ideal Toy's engineers.

Friendly ultrasonic welding application

Ultrasonic welding has found use in heat sealing and plastic welding applications around the world. In fact, many mobile phones, consumer electronics and toys use this method to automatically replace adhesives or screws. Since sonic welding does not use welding materials, or emits any heat or smoke, it makes it a very friendly and effective thermoplastic welding method. Like many plastic welding methods, ultrasonic welding can be completed in one second.

This allows the materials to be combined quickly, but ultimately saves money compared to other heat sealing methods. Ultrasonic welding machines are also easy to modify to suit very specific products, allowing it to weld many items. Larger and bulky equipment is difficult to redesign to adapt to the new environment because the cost is too expensive.

What is the ultrasound method?

The use of acoustic overheating or chemical bonding also eliminates the need for companies to use exhaust systems or other expensive forms of protection to remove any heat or fumes from the welding process. And it does not produce any foreign matter, allowing the sonic welding machine to be used in the computer and medical fields, where foreign debris may bring catastrophic consequences. This versatility and welding speed make ultrasonic welding one of the most common plastic bonding methods used today.

Performance

Ultrasonic welding is used when several operations are required. This welding method will make the job complete the fastest and is a very successful method of use. The automotive industry and electronics companies often use this method to solder their products because they have a large inventory. Metals, hard plastics, soft plastics and other materials can all be ultrasonically welded.

At present, because ultrasonic welding has achieved great success in the welding of the above-mentioned materials, people are studying this process to determine how effective it is in welding with other materials. Other products also have a great demand for ultrasound, which is why research must be carried out, such as underwater welding work.

Future

In the future, you can expect ultrasonic energy to be used in various other bonding projects, as it has become very popular, and ultrasonic welding technology is used in different industrial sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, medical, food, cosmetics, home and personal care manufacture. They eliminate the small defects of the product in the production process, and if not controlled, it will damage the brand value of the product or the company.