Importance of Ultrasonic Welding
Ultrasonic welding first appeared in the early 90s but the technology has improved by leaps and bounds since then, resulting in a wider range of materials that can be joined together.
In a nutshell, ultrasonic welding is a technique whereby two pieces of plastic or metal are joined together seamlessly through high-frequency acoustic vibrations. The acoustic energy is converted into frictional heat energy, so that plastic parts reach melting point and can be welded together.
At the beginning, only non-flexible plastics could be welded because their material properties allowed the efficient transmission of acoustic energy. Nowadays, less rigid plastics can be welded as large amounts of acoustic energy can be applied to the welding zone.
Ultrasonic welding is unique in that no bolts, nails, soldering materials, or adhesives are necessary to bind the two parts together. This saves greatly on manufacturing costs and creates visually attractive (i.e., unnoticeable) seams for products where appearance is important.
Because ultrasonic welding has low cycle times and is largely automated, a technician only need to pull a lever and the welding is complete. The downside of ultrasonic welding is that it only applies to small components – watches, cassettes, plastic products, toys, medical tools, and packaging.
Another advantage of ultrasonic plastic welding is that it can be applied to embed metal parts into plastic. This has been important in the automobile industry, from steering wheels to door panels. Surface finish are also not damaged from unsightly marks.
Ultrasonic welding is also utilized in the medical industry, primarily because it doesn’t introduce contaminants. Textile wear as hospital gowns, surgery garments and transdermal patches can be sewn and sealed using ultrasonic plastic welding to avoid and reduce the risk of infection.
Ultrasonic plastic welding has been used in the packaging industry too which include beverages and dangerous explosives because of its speed, cleanliness and airtight seals.
With so many advantages of ultrasonic welding, and the technology continues to improve, a lot of traditional welding techniques will become obsolete.
If you need more information on ultrasonic welding, Heatstaking is a leading firm which provides advanced thermal press.
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