A first thermoplastic component and a second thermoplastic component including a first joint portion and a second joint portion, respectively, are provided. A least a portion of a surface area of each of the first and second joint portions include a respective first and second mating surface. The first and second mating surfaces of the respective first and second joint portions are positioned in contact with one another. The first and second joint portions are fusion joined. Fusion joining the first and second joint portions forms a fused unitary portion of the first and second thermoplastic components.

Embodiments of systems and methods for positioning and bonding a nutplate to a substrate comprising at least one aperture, wherein the system includes a nutplate engagement fixture formed from a rigid tube and an elastomeric tube, a heater operable to deliver heat to a bonding surface of the nutplate, at least one temperature sensor operable to measure the temperature of the bonding surface of the nutplate, a temperature sensor retention fixture operable to position and secure the at least one temperature sensor to the nutplate, and a heater controller operable to control the output from the heater.

Compaction systems and methods of compacting components are provided. In one aspect, a laminate of a component can be laid up on a tool of a compaction system. The laminate defines a cavity. A noodle is positioned relative to or in the cavity. A noodle ring is then positioned relative to the noodle. For instance, the noodle ring can be placed over the noodle. A cross section of the noodle ring can be shaped complementary to a cross section of the noodle. A plunger of the compaction system is moved so that it engages the noodle ring. Particularly, the plunger is moved in such a way that a force is applied on the noodle ring so that the noodle ring compacts the noodle into the cavity.

A method and apparatus for assembling a wind turbine blade (10) including first and second outer shell portions (16, 18) and an internal web (12) are provided. An adhesive material (42) is applied to a top end (30) of the internal web (12) as well as the edges (62, 64) of the first outer shell portion (16) for connection to the second outer shell portion (18). Localized heat energy is applied to pre-cure the adhesive material (42) at the top end (30) of the internal web (12) before applying heat energy to fully cure all of the adhesive material (42) in the wind turbine blade (10). The pre-curing is performed by a removable localized heater device (72), and it assures that the integrity of the bond between the internal web (12) and the second outer shell portion (18) is maintained during the full curing of the blade (10), when temporary thermal deformation of the outer shell (14) sometimes occurs.

A method for connecting at least two structural parts of an orthopedic component, wherein the structural parts are retained in an orienting device while oriented in relation to each other, and an intermediate space thus being formed between the structural parts. The orienting device and the structural parts together form a cavity, which has a flow connection to at least one feed connection, via which an adhesive for adhesively bonding the structural parts is introduced into the cavity.

A system for holding a workpiece in position and exposing it to laser radiation, such that: the workpiece includes a bottom surface and a top surface that are electrically insulated from each other. The system includes an electrostatic charge generating device for generating electrostatic charges on the top surface; an electrically conductive support for forming, on the bottom surface, electrostatic charges of opposite sign to those generated on the top surface; and a laser device for machining or welding. The electrostatic charge generating device is arranged to be activated before or during the laser machining or welding, such that the workpiece is held in position relative to the electrically conductive support during the machining or welding thereof.

A plastic welding machine for welding plastic parts together is capable of controlling the weld force vector in both magnitude and direction.

The sealing device includes a heatable base plate that cooperates with a heatable split plate to simultaneously form three intersecting seal lines. The split plate includes an alpha plate and a beta plate. The alpha plate and the beta plate each include a first heated surface that cooperate with the base heated surface to form a pair of co-linear seal lines. In addition, the alpha plate and the beta plate each include a second heated surface that cooperate together to form a third seal line that extends in a direction perpendicular to the co-linear seal lines and intersects the co-linear seal lines. A method of forming a complex seal joint is also described.

According to a method of the present invention for treating a terminal portion of an interior part for a vehicle, the terminal portion is stably maintained in a folded state by being welded firmly and deformation is constrained. In a heating step, in a state where distal end edges of heat shield panels 30A and 30B are abutted against a boundary between a terminal portion 4 and an adjacent portion 5 of a peripheral edge portion 3 of an opening of a roof trim 1 for a sunroof, hot-air is provided toward a back surface of the terminal portion 4 from hot-air nozzles 40A and 40B, thereby softening the terminal portion 4 and melting the back surface of the terminal portion 4. In a folding-back step, the terminal portion 4 is folded back by pressing members 50A and 50B at the distal end edges of the heat shield panels 30A and 30B and then pressed against the adjacent portion 5, thereby welding the back surface of the terminal portion 4 to a back surface of the adjacent portion 5. A ventilation opening 32a is formed in the heat shield panel 30A disposed at a corner portion. In the heating step, a portion of the hot-air from the hot-air nozzle 40A is guided to the adjacent portion 5 through the ventilation opening 32a to heat the adjacent portion 5.

A pair of thermoplastic resin members are placed on an anvil. A pressing force of a tool horn vibrating ultrasonically in a direction not perpendicular to but along upper surfaces of the pair of thermoplastic resin members is applied to the upper surfaces. The application of the pressing force of the tool horn vibrating ultrasonically allows melting of a vicinity of the upper surfaces of the pair of thermoplastic resin members. A welded structure part is formed on an unwelded structure part, thereby welding the pair of thermoplastic resin members as an overlap structure including the welded structure part arranged on the unwelded structure part. The distance and positional relationship between the pair of thermoplastic resin members after the welding are unchanged before and after the welding. The surfaces, placed on the anvil, of the thermoplastic resin members are neither burned nor discolored.