A method for producing a component with a surface that is suitable for plastic welding or adhesive bonding of two parts is provided. As a preparation step prior to joining, a filler sheet comprising a thermoplastic material or adhesive is arranged on a first surface of a first component and a structuring tool is arranged on the filler sheet. Mechanical force is applied to the structuring tool and heat is applied to the filler sheet such that the filler sheet is attached to the first surface of the first component and such that the structuring tool is partially embedded in the filler sheet. The structuring tool is subsequently removed from the filler sheet to produce a plurality of protrusions in the outer surface of the filler sheet. After surface structuring the first and second components are joined using any type of welding technique or joined using of adhesive bonding.

A joining method for joining together a first member in which fiber material is mixed into a first resin, and a second member that includes at least a second resin, includes abutting the first member and the second member together, and softening or melting the first resin of the first member and the second resin of the second member that are adjacent to abutting surfaces of the first member and the second member; and stirring a joint forming portion formed by the softened or melted first resin of the first member and the softened or melted second resin of the second member, and the fiber material included in the softened or melted first resin of the first member, in a direction inclined with respect to the abutting surfaces, and hardening the joint forming portion.

A method of assessing bond quality of a bond between first and second composite parts may include bonding an indication film to the first composite part. The indication film may include NDI-detectable particles arranged in a pattern and bound to polymer chains located inside particle regions. The polymer chains and particles may be stationary during bonding of the indication film to the first composite part. The method may additionally include bonding the first and second composite parts along an assembly bondline during which the particles in the indication film migrate with the polymer chains. The method may further include NDI-inspection of the assembly bondline by observing the appearance of the particles along a direction locally normal to an in-plane direction of the assembly bondline, and determining the bond quality of the assembly bondline based on particle density in the in-plane direction.

Methods and apparatuses for bonding polymeric parts are disclosed. Specifically, in one embodiment, the polymeric parts are bonded by plastically deforming them against each other while they are below the glass transition temperatures. A method includes: placing a first polymeric part in contact with a second polymeric part; and plastically deforming the first polymeric part and the second polymeric part against each other to bond the first polymeric part to the second polymeric part. Additionally, during the plastic deformation, a temperature of the first polymeric part is less than a glass transition temperature of the first polymeric part and a temperature of the second polymeric part is less than a glass transition temperature of the second polymeric part.

A method for joining one or more first-type thermoset components to a second-type thermoset component, each first-type thermoset component being manufactured by providing an uncured starting thermoset component on which a thermoplastic material layer is placed, such that an interpenetrating network forms between the thermoset polymer of the starting thermoset component and the corresponding thermoplastic material layer when each first-type thermoset component is cured; and each first-type thermoset component being then placed on an uncured second-type thermoset component so that when the latter is cured, a further interpenetrating network forms between each thermoplastic material layer and the thermoset polymer of the second-type thermoset component; this results in a strong joint between the first-type and the second-type thermoset components.

A method for joining unidirectional tapes is provided. The method includes placing a plurality of unidirectional tapes by abutting without overlapping an end of one of the unidirectional tapes with an end of other one of the unidirectional tapes at a butt joint. The unidirectional tapes includes a resin material and a plurality of fibers running in a running direction. The method further includes placing a prepreg including a resin material and a plurality of short fibers over the butt joint to cover an area surrounding the butt joint such that the short fibers run in the running direction. The method further includes fusing the prepreg by applying heat such that the short fibers are fused into a matrix of the unidirectional tapes at the butt joint.

A method for joining a thermoset plastic component and a thermoplastic component by bonding includes interconnecting the two components via a functional layer of the thermoset plastic component. The thermoplastic component is directly applied to the functional layer of the thermoset plastic component, such that a diffusion region is formed between the thermoplastic component and the functional layer of the thermoset plastic component.

A method for producing a tool including a sheet, the method including the steps of: providing a first cellulose sheet; attaching first and second plastic layers each to one side of the first cellulose sheet; upon the attaching, placing a first side of a plastic object on the first plastic layer; pressing a metal object on a portion of a second side of the plastic object; vibrating the metal object parallel to the first plastic layer together with the pressing thereon; and ceasing the vibrating, thereby ceasing the heating.