An improved ultrasonic system and method. The ultrasonic stack is moved at a low, constant (or slowly varying) speed at the initiation of the welding operation, with this speed being maintained until the predetermined condition is satisfied. In some applications, this produces a higher quality weld, such as in applications involving plastic material that softens very quickly once ultrasonic energy is imparted to the workpieces being welded, which causes the force between the workpieces to decrease rapidly. Advancing the ultrasonic stack at a low speed or slow acceleration can avoid scuffing or marking of the surface of the workpiece in contact with the ultrasonic horn, decrease audible noise produced during the welding process, and improve the consistency of weld quality in such applications compared to conventional techniques.

The invention provides improvements to electrofusion fitting methods that allow for continuity and repeatability of welds between an electrofusion fitting and a pipe lining (or stand-alone pipe). An electrofusion fitting for joining sections of lined pipe has heating elements configured to create at least one weld between the electrofusion fitting and a pipe lining. However, prior to the weld step taking place the electrofusion fitting is heated and expands accordingly to ensure contact with the pipe lining. Preheating the electrofusion fitting also provides a predetermined starting temperature for the fitting and the lining which results in improved fusion cycle reliability. Furthermore, the need for clamps or support frames to support the electrofusion fitting in situ is removed, with corresponding reductions in cycle times, complexity, and hence cost.

A gasket welding apparatus (10) comprising: a pair of opposed clamping members (16A, 16B) for supporting corresponding first and second lengths of gasket material. The clamping members (16A, 16B) being moveable towards and away from one another by an actuator (58). The gasket welding apparatus (10) comprises a heating element (30), the heating element (30) is moveable between a first position in which it is removed from the clamping members and a second position in which it is disposed between the clamping members.

The present invention discloses a heat fusing device for a smart trash receptacle, including: a heating wire for fusion-cutting and thermally sealing an open end of a trash bag, the heating wire being connected to a heat-fusing circuit; a base having heat-resistant and insulating properties, the base having a first end surface on which the heating wire is arranged; and a control mechanism communicatively coupled to the heat-fusing circuit for control thereof. The present invention also discloses a smart trash receptacle incorporating the heat fusing device and a method for controlling a heat fusing temperature. With the present invention, during automatic bagging by the smart trash receptacle, good contact between the heating wire and the trash bag can be ensured while preventing adhesion of the trash bag. This results in improved sealing quality and enables the fulfillment of two tasks, i.e., thermoplastic sealing and thermal fusion-cutting, in the same action of the heat fusing device. As a result, higher automatic bagging quality and reliability are obtainable at lower bagging control difficulty and reduced bagging cost. Moreover, control in the system is simplified, and the stability and reliability of the system are increased.

A resistance spot welding method can be used to join polymeric and metallic workpieces together and includes the following steps: (a) placing an electrically conductive coating between a polymeric workpiece and a metallic workpiece, wherein the metallic workpiece has a textured surface facing the polymeric workpiece; (b) piercing the polymeric workpiece with first and second electrically conductive pins of a welding electrode assembly; (c) applying electrical energy to the first and second electrically conductive pins so that an electrical current flows through the first electrically conductive pin, the electrically conductive coating, and the second electrically conductive pin in order to at least partially melt the polymeric workpiece and the electrically conductive coating, thereby forming a weld pool; and (d) cooling the weld pool to form a solid weld nugget in order to establish a mechanical interface lock between the solid weld nugget and the textured surface.

The invention provides improvements to electrofusion fitting methods that allow for continuity and repeatability of welds between an electrofusion fitting and a pipe lining (or stand-alone pipe). An electrofusion fitting for joining sections of lined pipe has heating elements configured to create at least one weld between the electrofusion fitting and a pipe lining, however prior to the weld step taking place the electrofusion fitting is heated and expands accordingly to ensure contact with the pipe lining. Preheating the electrofusion fitting also provides a predetermined starting temperature for the fitting and the lining which results in improved fusion cycle reliability. Furthermore, the need for clamps or support frames to support the electrofusion fitting in situ is removed, with corresponding reductions in cycle times, complexity, and hence cost.

The invention provides improvements to electrofusion fitting methods that allow for continuity and repeatability of welds between an electrofusion fitting and a pipe lining (or stand-alone pipe). An electrofusion fitting for joining sections of lined pipe has heating elements configured to create at least one weld between the electrofusion fitting and a pipe lining, however prior to the weld step taking place the electrofusion fitting is heated and expands accordingly to ensure contact with the pipe lining. Preheating the electrofusion fitting also provides a predetermined starting temperature for the fitting and the lining which results in improved fusion cycle reliability. Furthermore, the need for clamps or support frames to support the electrofusion fitting in situ is removed, with corresponding reductions in cycle times, complexity, and hence cost.

A bonding method includes ultrasonically welding a protruding portion extending on a surface of a first substrate member to a surface of a second substrate member by applying ultrasonic vibration to the first substrate member. A protruding stopper portion for stopping welding is provided on the surface of the first substrate member formed with the protruding portion, or on the surface of the second substrate member to come in contact with the protruding portion in a pressed state, to be disposed around the protruding portion in the pressed state. The ultrasonically welding includes a first process for applying ultrasonic vibration at amplitude as a first value to the first substrate member, and a second process for applying ultrasonic vibration to the first substrate member at amplitude as a second value lower than the first value after the first process.

The disclosure relates to a pipe joint applicator with a control device and a method for producing a joint between a first pipe element and a second pipe element. The pipe joint applicator with a control device thereby detects actual process parameters via means for actual value detecting. The pipe joint applicator with a control device and the method determines therefrom the target process parameters for process control means for controlling the process parameters to be delivered to a pipe joint to be made. The pipe joint applicator with a control device optionally compares at least one actual value of the process parameters to at least one target process parameter and, in the event of deviation from at least one tolerance value range, issues an alarm to the user and/or generates an error protocol.

A gasket welding apparatus (10) comprising: a pair of opposed clamping members (16A, 16B) for supporting corresponding first and second lengths of gasket material. The clamping members (16A, 16B) being moveable towards and away from one another by an actuator (58). The gasket welding apparatus (10) comprises a heating element (30), the heating element (30) is moveable between a first position in which it is removed from the clamping members and a second position in which it is disposed between the clamping members.