A process for welding profiles (1) of a thermoplastic or thermoplastic elastomer to a top layer (3) of a belt (2), such as a conveyor belt, also being made of a thermoplastic or thermoplastic elastomer. The process uses thermal impulse welding and applies the welding heat onto the surface (21) of the belt (2) which is opposite to the top layer (3). The process is in particular suited for welding TPO profiles to TPO top layers.

A method of anchoring a connector element (10) in a receiving object (66) comprises inserting a distal end of the connector element (10) into a mounting hole in an insertion direction along an insertion axis; inserting a sleeve (36) comprising a thermoplastic material into the mounting hole, the sleeve (36) enclosing the connector element (10); and transferring energy to liquefy at least a portion of the thermoplastic material of the sleeve (36). A machine (500) configured for carrying out the method and a connector element anchoring kit comprising a connector element (10) and a sleeve (36) comprising thermoplastic material.

A method for the production of an elastic laminate, with the following steps in a production line: coextrudeing a first web of elastic film with at least three layers, with at least two different polymer materials, to feed contemporaneously said coextruded first elastic film web and two second nonwoven webs to a thermal, binding calender, wherein the first elastic film web is arranged between said two second nonwoven webs when entering the calender; wherein said first elastic film web, during the movement from the coextrusion step to the thermal binding step, passes from a melted state, to a solidified and cold state when entering the calender, to join, through spot welding in said calender, said second nonwoven webs with respective opposite outer layers of said first elastic film web, thus producing an intermediate web, to stretch mechanically said intermediate web according to a direction transverse to the same web.

Disclosed herein are a method for manufacturing a metal-polymer hybrid part, the metal-polymer hybrid part itself, and a laminate component. The method includes the steps of (a) providing a laminate component containing at least one metallic layer covered by at least one first functional layer, (b) providing a polymeric component, (c) bringing into contact the polymeric component with the at least one first functional layer of the laminate component, (d) joining the polymeric component onto the at least one first functional layer by physical treatment and (e) obtaining the metal-polymer hybrid part.

A process for producing a polymeric stiffened sheet-like component, for example a panel, for aircraft construction. Production includes integration of hollow stiffening profiles, for example closed omega stringers, onto a sheet-like component, for example an external skin, where the stringers and external skin are produced from thermoplastic composite material. The stringers are integrated onto the external skin by establishing contact between the stringers and the external skin and melting thermoplastic composite material with exposure to heat and pressure at the areas of contact between external skin and stringers. Melting of the other sections of the stringers is avoided with a pressurized cooling fluid with a temperature significantly below the melting point of thermoplastic composite material, the fluid flowing through the airtight enclosed space in the stringers. Use of closed airtight thermoplastic omega stringers allows integration of the stringers onto the external skin in absence of any flexible tube within the stringers.

Disclosed embodiments provide automated fiber placement techniques for fabrication of parts made from composite materials. A peening system with multiple pins provides compaction over irregular surfaces, providing superior performance as compared with traditional compaction rollers. The apparatus that carries out the techniques include a tape dispensing system, a heating system, a peening system, a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory contains instructions that when executed by the processor perform the steps of: dispensing a first ply of thermoplastic composite tape over a mandrel; dispensing a second ply of thermoplastic composite tape on the first ply; and peening the second ply onto the first ply, such that the second ply is bonded to the first ply.

The invention relates to an apparatus and to a method for establishing a connection having material continuity or having material continuity and shaping matching or for separating such a connection of at least one metal or ceramic component and of a component formed from or by a thermoplastic polymer in which the components to be joined together can be pressed together by a pressing device having a counterholder and a plunger. A heating device is present at the plunger and/or at the counterholder or acts there. A heating of the at least one metal or ceramic component up to above the softening temperature of the component formed from or by polymer can be achieved with the heating device, with the heating device being having at least one electrical resistance heating element that is covered by an electrically insulating, preferably ceramic, protective film, and/or having at least one laser beam that is directed to the metal component(s) within the joining region, and/or having at least one inductor present at the plunger and/or at the counterholder for the inductive heating of the meal component(s).

A high-frequency dielectric heating adhesive contains a thermoplastic resin, in which the thermoplastic resin contains a styrene copolymer resin, an amount of the styrene copolymer resin contained in the thermoplastic resin is 40% or more by volume and 100% or less by volume, the styrene copolymer resin has a styrene monomer unit content of 10% or more by mass and 90% or less by mass, the high-frequency dielectric heating adhesive has a tensile modulus of 20 MPa or more, and the high-frequency dielectric heating adhesive has a dielectric property (tan δ/ε'r) of 0.005 or more, where tan δ is a dielectric loss tangent at 23° C. and a frequency of 40.68 MHz, and ε'r is a relative dielectric constant at 23° C. and a frequency of 40.68 MHz.

The invention relates to a process for the production of at least two-layer thermoplastic sheets via thermal welding of at least one thinner thermoplastic sheet with density (D1) and of at least one second thinner thermoplastic sheet with density (D2), where the density (D1) of the first thinner thermoplastic sheet is smaller than the density (D2) of the second thinner thermoplastic sheet. The process introduces at least one first heating element and at least one second heating element along mutually offset planes between the two thinner thermoplastic sheets, where the surfaces of the thinner thermoplastic sheets do not touch the surfaces of the heating elements. The first heating element transfers a quantity of energy (E1) to the surface of the first thinner thermoplastic sheet, and the second heating element transfers a quantity of energy (E2) to the surface of the second thinner thermoplastic sheet, where the quantity of energy (E1) is smaller than the quantity of energy (E2).

The present invention concerns an apparatus for ultrasonic processing of a material web having an ultrasonic vibration unit which has a sonotrode and a converter connected thereto optionally by way of an amplitude transformer, and a counterpart tool, wherein for processing of the material web the web is moved through a gap between the sonotrode and the counterpart tool, wherein the ultrasonic vibration unit is fixed to a carriage moveable relative to the counterpart tool so that the ultrasonic vibration unit can be moved together with the carriage in the force direction, that is to say in the direction of or away from the counterpart tool, wherein there is provided a force sensor for measuring the force applied to the sonotrode by the material web. To provide a corresponding apparatus of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, which permits more accurate measurement of the welding force, in order to be able to continuously process by means of ultrasound even situations of use with an extremely small process bandwidth, it is proposed according to the invention that the sonotrode and the carriage are connected together by way of a sensor component which has the force sensor.