A method of bonding a second object to a first object includes: providing the first object, which includes a thermoplastic liquefiable material in a solid state; providing the second object, which includes a surface portion that has a coupling structure with an undercut such that the second object can make a positive-fit connection with the first object; and pressing the second object against the first object with a tool that is in physical contact with a coupling-in structure of the second object while mechanical vibrations are coupled into the tool. The step of pressing and coupling vibrations into the tool continues until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material of the first object is liquefied and flows into the coupling structures of the second object. Thereafter, the thermoplastic material of the first object is permitted to re-solidify to yield a positive-fit connection between the first and second objects.

A method of anchoring a connector in a heterogeneous first object that includes a first building layer and, distally of the first building layer, an interlining layer. The method includes providing the first object and the connector, which includes thermoplastic material in a solid state; contacting the connector with the first building layer; applying a first mechanical pressing force to the connector until the first building layer is pierced by the connector and a distal portion of the connector reaches into the interlining layer; applying a second mechanical pressing force and mechanical vibration to the connector until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material is flowable and penetrates structures of the first object, and a distally facing abutment face of the head portion abuts against the metal profile in a region next to the opening; and letting the thermoplastic material resolidify to yield a positive-fit connection.

A method of mechanically securing a first object including a thermoplastic material in a solid state to a second object with a generally flat sheet portion, with a perforation of the sheet portion, and with the sheet portion having an edge along the perforation is provided, wherein the first object is positioned relative to the second object so that the edge is in contact with the thermoplastic material and wherein mechanical vibration energy is coupled into the assembly including the first and second objects until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material due to friction heat generated between the edge and the thermoplastic material becomes flowable and flows around the edge to at least partially embed the edge in the thermoplastic material. After the mechanical vibration stops, the thermoplastic material is caused to re-solidify, whereby the re-solidified thermoplastic material at least partially embedding the edge anchors the first object in the second object.

A punch for a staking/riveting device having a workpiece receiving opening formed on a pressing surface of the punch to make a workpiece, projecting from a contacting surface, that is at least partially introducible into the receiving opening in response to the pressing surface of the punch approaching the contacting surface and is deformable in conformity with an inner contour of the receiving opening; at least a partial surface of the inner contour being formed in a spherical/ellipsoidal cap shape; and the inner contour of the receiving opening having an inner-contour intermediate surface between a rim of the inner contour on the pressing surface and the spherical or ellipsoidal cap-shaped partial surface that is a cylinder truncated cone jacket-shaped. A staking/riveting device, a joining partner for cooperating with the punch or with the staking/riveting device, a device having at least one staked/riveted workpiece, and a method for staking/riveting a workpiece.

A method and apparatus for securing a zipper closure to polymeric film using minimal tension on the zipper closure includes providing first and second tension control loops, an eyemark detector, and a hole punch programmed to punch a hole in the zipper closure upon detection of the eyemark. The zipper closure and the film are supplied to a sealing station at the same speed, and the hole zipper closure is aligned with the eyemark on the film, to result in sealing the strip of zipper closure to the film resulting in minimal wrinkles to the resulting bag.

An adhesive injection method is for injecting an adhesive that bonds an outer plate and a reinforcing member. The reinforcing member has through holes bored through the reinforcing member in a direction intersecting a bonding surface facing the outer plate. The method includes positioning the outer plate and the reinforcing member; disposing a sealing material covering a gap between the outer plate and the reinforcing member; and injecting the adhesive into the through holes in order from one end to the other end of the bonding surface. At the injecting, while the adhesive is injected into the through hole, when the adhesive is recognized through another through hole formed adjacent to the through hole into which the adhesive is being injected, a through hole into which the adhesive is to be injected is shifted from the through hole into which the adhesive is being injected to the other through hole.

The invention provides a process for producing plastic parts, each of which has at least one glass insert which is connected to the plastic part along a connecting region, and the glass insert is free of plastic in the region encompassed by the connecting region and forms a glass window. The connecting region of the glass insert is preferably circumferentially closed. The glass window can have through-holes or preferably recesses extending only over a portion of the thickness of the glass window and having microstructures.

A method of installing and sealing a friction fastener to at least an upper substrate and a lower substrate includes providing an expandable sealant to an underhead volume of the friction fastener, installing the friction fastener through the upper substrate and into the lower substrate using a joining device, and applying heat in-situ to the expandable sealant such that the friction fastener is sealed to at least the upper substrate. The heat in-situ is applied to the expandable sealant via installing the friction fastener and/or with an external heating source disposed downstream from the joining device.

A method of anchoring a lightweight building element having a first building layer and an interlining layer distally of the first building layer, and possibly a second building layer distally of the interlining layer. For anchoring, the distal end of a connector element is inserted into a mounting hole in the lightweight building element, and also a sleeve including a thermoplastic material is inserted into the mounting hole, the sleeve enclosing the connector element. Then, a distally facing liquefaction face of the sleeve is caused to be in contact with a proximally facing support face of the connector element. Energy impinges to liquefy at least a flow portion of the thermoplastic material of the sleeve, and the liquefaction face is pressed against the support face to cause at least a fraction of the flow portion to flow radially outward. After the flow portion has re-solidified, it anchors the connector element in the receiving object.

A preform that is embodied for manufacture of a combined heating and anti-surge apparatus for automotive operating fluid tanks, in particular for automotive reservoir tanks for aqueous urea solution, encompasses a planar plastic component having at least one electrical resistance heating trace provided thereon and having anti-surge baffles embodied integrally with the planar plastic component and standing off therefrom, the planar plastic component including as functional portions a heating portion having at least one electrical resistance heating trace provided thereon and an anti-surge portion, two functional portions of the plastic component being connected to one another movably relative to one another.