An automatic welding machine for lap welding the edges of plastic webs, comprising a movable supporting frame, a heating device for partially melting the plastic webs, at least two opposing, counter-rotating pressing rollers and/or advancing rollers, at least one of which being driven, and at least one driving device comprising a drive motor and at least one gearbox for driving the pressing and/or advancing rollers, wherein the pressing rollers and/or advancing rollers are driven by the driving device by way of at least one flexible shaft. Furthermore, the gearbox can be implemented as a worm gear mechanism comprising a worm that is seated directly on a motor shaft of the drive motor and two counter-rotating worm gears driven by the worm.

The sonotrode and anvil of Applicant's issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,376,016, for advanced ultrasonic welding of work pieces, are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but existing machines with heat-seal stations pose difficult problems for swapping of the sealing packages. Kits enabling heat station replacement with the Applicant's patented sonotrode and anvil include: a housing; a rail fixed thereto; anvil and sonotrode support members; and a parallel gripper. Each of the anvil and sonotrode support members is slidably attached to the rail(s) and are also connected to a respective piston of the gripper, permitting actuation of each through cycling of the gripper pistons. The improved sonotrode/anvil combination each include corresponding pluralities of energy directors arranged into a three-dimensional grid pattern that produces narrower weld regions, which exhibit greater durability, permitting use of less packaging material.

Advanced ultrasonic welding components of Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 8,376,016 are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but owners of existing machines utilizing heat-seal stations were unsuccessful at swapping the sealing packages. Retrofit kits to a replace heat sealing stations with an advanced ultrasonic sonotrode and anvil comprise: a housing; a linear rail fixed thereto; first and second bearing carriages being slidable upon the rail; and first and second fluidic muscles. Each of the fluidic muscles is mounted with a first end fixed to a respective housing wall, and a second end fixed to a respective bearing carriage, permitting actuation of each carriage through pressurization/depressurization of the muscles. The advanced anvil and sonotrode may be secured to respective carriages. In-line arrangements of anvil/sonotrode, bearing carriages, the first fluidic and second fluidic muscles provides a narrow profile, permitting side-by-side kit installations for retrofits accomplishing duplex sealing on a horizontal machine.

A process for manufacturing a sheet molding compound carrier film including a first layer of material and a second layer of material sealed with each other along an edge. The seal is formed using ultrasound transmitted by a weld horn as both layers of material move along an anvil portion. The seal on the edge is suitably formed to protect the edge and build a weld to ensure moldable sheet molding compound flows to the edges of the carrier sheet, while providing a homogeneous mixture of glass and resin and also allowing air to escape.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a gathered material, wherein the material consists of two material web portions and a thread positioned between the material web portions and the two material web portions are connected to one another at two connecting surfaces, wherein the thread is disposed between the two connecting surfaces such that the thread is connected to the material web portions, wherein the apparatus comprises a sonotrode having a first sealing surface and a counter tool having a second sealing surface, wherein the counter tool is cylindrical with a lateral surface and a cylinder axis and the second sealing surface is disposed on the lateral surface, wherein the sonotrode and the counter tool are disposed with respect to one another in a processing position such that the material web portions and the thread can be guided through a gap formed by the first and the second sealing surface in a feed direction tangential to the lateral surface of the counter tool. To overcome or at least mitigate the described drawbacks, it is proposed according to the invention that the sonotrode comprise a groove which is oriented in feed direction and extends over the entire first sealing surface for receiving the thread.

In a vertical vibration joining apparatus where a resonator having a vibrator on one end side is horizontally attached to a supporting tool capable of ascending and descending, the resonator includes a cross phone of a cross shape in a front view and two boosters, the cross phone is for converting acoustic vibration transmitted from the vibrator from vibration in a lateral direction to vibration in a vertical direction orthogonal to the lateral direction, two boosters are provided at both ends of a pair of projection portions of the cross phone in the lateral direction, and portions to be supported to the supporting tool are coaxially and integrally provided on two boosters by bending outer peripheral faces of the boosters at minimum vibration amplitude points of vibration in the lateral direction resonating with the acoustic vibration transmitted from the vibrator outside in a diametrical direction to project the same annularly.

The sonotrode and anvil of copending application Ser. No. 12/925,652, for advanced ultrasonic welding of work pieces, are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but existing machines with heat-seal stations pose difficult problems for swapping of the sealing packages. Kits enabling heat station replacement, with the further improved sonotrode and anvil disclosed herein, comprise: a housing; a linear rail fixed thereto; anvil and sonotrode support members; and a parallel gripper. Each of the anvil and sonotrode support members is slidably attached to the rail(s) and are also connected to a respective piston of the gripper, permitting actuation of each through cycling of the gripper pistons. The improved sonotrode/anvil combination each comprise a corresponding plurality of energy directors arranged into a three-dimensional grid pattern to produce a narrower weld region, but one exhibiting greater durability, thereby permitting use of less packaging material, and which may also weld a company logo into the workpieces.

A device for joining thermoplastic workpieces includes an ultrasonic welder including an ultrasonic transducer, a booster and a horn having a welding tip. A clamping mechanism attaches to the ultrasonic welder and includes an upper frame coupled to a boot. The welding tip of the horn of the ultrasonic welder projects into an aperture in the boot of the clamping mechanism. The clamping mechanism exerts a clamping force on the workpieces that differs from a welding force exerted on the workpieces by the ultrasonic welder when the ultrasonic welder is operating to join the thermoplastic workpieces.

Advanced ultrasonic welding components of Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 8,376,016 are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but owners of existing machines utilizing heat-seal stations were unsuccessful at swapping the sealing packages. Retrofit kits to a replace heat sealing stations with an advanced ultrasonic sonotrode and anvil comprise: a housing; a linear rail fixed thereto; first and second bearing carriages being slidable upon the rail; and first and second fluidic muscles. Each of the fluidic muscles is mounted with a first end fixed to a respective housing wall, and a second end fixed to a respective bearing carriage, permitting actuation of each carriage through pressurization/depressurization of the muscles. The advanced anvil and sonotrode may be secured to respective carriages. In-line arrangements of anvil/sonotrode, bearing carriages, the first fluidic and second fluidic muscles provides a narrow profile, permitting side-by-side kit installations for retrofits accomplishing duplex sealing on a horizontal machine.

Advanced ultrasonic welding components of co-pending application Ser. No. 12/925,652 are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but owners of existing machines utilizing heat-seal stations were unsuccessful at swapping the sealing packages. Retrofit kits to a replace heat sealing station with an advanced ultrasonic sonotrode and anvil comprise: a housing; a linear rail fixed thereto; first and second bearing carriages being slidable upon the rail; and first and second fluidic muscles. Each of the fluidic muscles is mounted with a first end fixed to a respective housing wall, and a second end fixed to a respective bearing carriage, permitting actuation of each carriage through pressurization and depressurization of the muscles. The advanced anvil and sonotrode may be secured to respective carriages. In-line arrangements of anvil/sonotrode, bearing carriages, the first fluidic muscle, and the second fluidic muscle provides a narrow profile, permitting side-by-side kit installations for retrofits accomplishing duplex sealing on a horizontal machine.