The present invention concerns A sonotrode with a wheel-shaped portion having a wheel axis and of a diameter d, which has two substantially circular main surfaces and a substantially cylindrical sealing surface of the width b, that connects the main surfaces. To provide a corresponding sonotrode in which the triangular frequency differs markedly from the main frequency it is proposed according to the invention that at least one main surface has a non-central thickened portion which in a sectional view perpendicularly to the main surface has a convex region which is not arranged on the wheel axis.

An energy system for applying energy to a workpiece includes a first energy application device, mounted such that the first energy application device has a fixed position relative to the workpiece during energy application; a second energy application device, mounted such that the second energy application device has a moveable position relative to the workpiece to apply energy to the workpiece at a point moving progressively across the workpiece, wherein one of the first and second energy application devices is an anvil and the other of the first and second energy application devices is an ultrasonic bonder; and a controller for regulating the application of energy to the workpiece, wherein the controller is configured to adjust progressively across the workpiece one or more of bonder vibration amplitude versus position on the workpiece, bonder pressure versus position on the workpiece, and horn travel velocity versus position on the workpiece.

Methods and devices for bonding a plurality of substrates in a nip provided between an anvil and a bonding device may involve preheating a portion of a first substrate for a preheating duration to impart a preheated temperature, and then conveying the plurality of substrates to the nip to form a bond. The portion of the first substrate may reach the nip at a final temperature that is within 0 C. to 40 C. of the preheated temperature. A time-in-nip to create the bond may be less than 20 milliseconds. The preheating duration may be at least 200% longer than the time-in-nip. Laminate materials formed via such methods and devices may include unbonded areas in the nonwoven material that may have at least 5 fibers per square inch that are fused at fiber-to-fiber intersections caused by preheating the nonwoven material.

The present invention relates to a device for the ultrasonic processing of materials, which has an ultrasonic processing system, which comprises: an ultrasound generator, a converter (12), a sonotrode (16), and a counter tool (18); wherein the sonotrode (16) and/or the counter tool (18) has a substantially cylindrical sealing surface having at least one elevation (45) and can be rotated such that, during the processing, the elevation (45) rotates about the axis of rotation and comes in contact with the material web (20) during a sealing time, wherein a control apparatus (24) is provided for the ultrasound generator, to which control apparatus a feedback variable from the ultrasound processing system is fed and which control apparatus determines a manipulated variable therefrom and feeds said manipulated variable to the ultrasound generator, wherein a process variable from the processing process is determined and is linked to the manipulated variable determined by the control apparatus (24) before the feeding to the ultrasound generator. In order to provide an improved device for the ultrasonic processing of materials having an ultrasonic processing system, a trigger apparatus (44) is provided, which determines the position of the elevation (45) and is designed to permit or prevent the linking of the process variable to the manipulated variable in accordance with the position determination.

An ultrasonic welding system that includes an ultrasonic transducer configured to convert electricity to generate ultrasonic waves, wherein the waves propagate along a first direction from the transducer; and a sonotrode that includes a single-component body having nodal and anti-nodal regions, and configured to propagate ultrasonic waves received at a nodal region along a first direction; a plurality of redirecting features formed in the body and configured to cause received ultrasonic waves propagating along the first direction to propagate along a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, upon encountering one or more of the redirecting features; wherein the body is further configured to stretch and compress along the second direction based on corresponding peaks and valleys of the waves propagating along the second direction; and at least one ultrasonic welding surface at an anti-nodal region of the body configured to oscillate based on the stretching and compressing, wherein opposing ends of the sonotrode comprise the nodal region, at least one of the opposing ends configured to receive the ultrasonic waves.

An ultrasonic sealing tool including an anvil with a sealing surface, a horn with a sealing surface facing the sealing surface of the anvil, the sealing surface of the anvil including a plurality of beads including a first bead having a first height and at least one second bead having a second height, the second height being less than the first height, the ultrasonic sealing tool delivering ultrasonic vibrations via at least one of the anvil and the horn to create a closure seal in a work piece positioned between the anvil and the horn, the closure seal including a first seal created by the first bead and at least one second seal created by the at least one second bead, the first seal having a weld depth greater than a weld depth of the at least one second seal.

The invention relates to a horizontal transverse sealing station (10a-b), in particular for a horizontal tubular bag machine (12a-b), for producing transverse sealing seams (14a-b) on at least one film tube (18a-b) transported in a continuous, at least essentially horizontal transport direction (16a-b), comprising a transverse sealing station base (20a-b) fixedly connected to a packing machine (22a-b), a transverse sealing unit (24a-b), and at least one sealing jaw pair (28a-b) movably mounted on the transverse sealing unit (24a-b) and formed by two sealing jaws (26a-b), the sealing surfaces (30a-b) of which come closer to each other during a sealing process in a sealing movement (32a-b), which relative to the transverse sealing unit (24a-b) is provided with at least one movement component (34a-b) in the transport direction (16a-b), in order to seal material layers (36a-b) of the film tube (18a-b) between the sealing surfaces (30a-b) by way of heating and/or applying pressure, and to remove again at the end of the sealing process. According to the invention the transverse sealing unit (24a-b) is driveably mounted on the transverse sealing station base (20a-b) in a displacement movement (38a-b) that is at least substantially parallel to the transport direction (16a-b).

A method is used for a pair of bonding composite materials that are each provided with a melting material and a heat-resistant material. Each heat-resistant material includes a heat-resistant member and a binder member. The ceramic separators have ceramic layers that face each other and that are bonded. An ultrasonic wave is applied to the composite materials while applying a pressure thereto with a processing member. Also heat is applied to the binder members with a heating member. Here, the heater heats the binder members to a temperature that is greater than or equal to the glass transition temperature of the binder members and less than the melting point of the binder members.

The present invention relates to a device for the ultrasonic processing of materials, which has an ultrasonic processing system, which comprises: an ultrasound generator, a converter (12), a sonotrode (16), and a counter tool (18); wherein the sonotrode (16) and/or the counter tool (18) has a substantially cylindrical sealing surface having at least one elevation (45) and can be rotated such that, during the processing, the elevation (45) rotates about the axis of rotation and comes in contact with the material web (20) during a sealing time, wherein a control apparatus (24) is provided for the ultrasound generator, to which control apparatus a feedback variable from the ultrasound processing system is fed and which control apparatus determines a manipulated variable therefrom and feeds said manipulated variable to the ultrasound generator, wherein a process variable from the processing process is determined and is linked to the manipulated variable determined by the control apparatus (24) before the feeding to the ultrasound generator. In order to provide an improved device for the ultrasonic processing of materials having an ultrasonic processing system, a trigger apparatus (44) is provided, which determines the position of the elevation (45) and is designed to permit or prevent the linking of the process variable to the manipulated variable in accordance with the position determination.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for thermally treating webs which comprise thermoplastic respectively meltable compounds, thereby creating cylindrical or elliptic consolidation regions which may optionally comprise an aperture by employing a thermal energy source, such as ultrasonic energy, as well as to webs comprising elliptic consolidation regions. In a particular aspect the invention concerns apparatus and methods for creating the consolidation regions by using an anvil with a contact member that is supported by support ribs in its outer or proximal portion.