An apparatus and method of closing a wide variety of thermoplastic tubes, in particular with Shore hardnesses of around 50 (A) to above 100 (A), where the tubes having inside diameters of 1.6 mm to 35 mm and/or wall thicknesses of 0.8 to 4.8 mm. The method involves use of a tube heater having at least one heating element. The heating element has at least four heatable regions which are movable with respect to one another. The tube heater is configured to enclose, in the applied state, at least 75% of the circumference of the tube while bearing against the latter over its circumference at at least four points which are spaced apart from one another. One of the key advantages is that, prior to compression, the tube can already have been heated at a plurality of points on the tube.

Electrofusion tape and method for the production thereof for welding together with plastics pipes in particular for use in a fixed-point fastening, consisting of a jacket element preferably of an electrically insulating plastics material, at least one heating element of electrically conductive plastics material and at least two contact elements for supplying electricity to the heating element, wherein the jacket element and the heating element take the form of tapes, wherein the jacket element surrounds the heating element at least in part, wherein the contact elements are arranged in the mutually opposing marginal regions of the heating element and extend parallel to one another along the heating element.

A method for forming a connection between two tubular sections having a polymeric outer surface jacket, using electrofusion to fusion bond a casing of similar, non-crosslinked polymer to the outer surface of the tubular sections.

A method for manufacturing components includes joining a first edge of a thermoplastic-containing first component part and a second edge of a thermoplastic-containing second component part to one another without any overlap. The first and the second edge are interconnected by friction stir welding. Friction stir welding involves rubbing a rotating friction stir welding pin against at least one metal object.

System includes a first object having an energy-assisted bonding (EAB) mechanism along a surface of the first object. The EAB mechanism includes a heat-activatable adhesive layer and a carbon-filled (CF) sheet material. The CF sheet material is electrically conductive for resistive heating. A control sub-system is configured to control a coupling actuator to drive an actuator body toward the first object, wherein the actuator body and the first object engage each other. The coupling actuator is configured to apply pressure to the EAB mechanism along the surface of the first object. The control sub-system is also configured to control the power source to apply a current through the CF sheet material of the EAB mechanism to provide thermal energy through resistive heating that activates the adhesive layer along the interface.

A method and system for the ultrasonic non-destructive testing of joints in plastic pipes using A-scans. A hand-held ultrasonic transducer is used to perform an A-scan and a comparison made on a response from the interface region of the joint used to determine a quality of the joint. Levels of result can provide a binary output to give an indication of whether or not a defect is present in the joint. Comparison techniques are described. Tests for coupling efficiency and performance are described making the system useable by an unskilled technician. The system finds application in fault detection on electro-fusion welds in plastic pipe joints.

A pressure tool for applying a pressure force during the welding of plastics components has at least one metallic first component contact section, wherein the pressure tool has at least one elastically deformable second component contact section and is thermally controllable. A Pressure apparatus has at least one such pressure tool for pressing together plastics components during welding. A method for welding plastics components is carried out by such a pressure apparatus and plastics module having at least two welded-together plastics components, wherein the at least two plastics components are welded using such a method.

A device for positioning in the body of an animal, the device comprising a first portion and a second portion that may be positioned in contact with one other, the first portion and the second portion each comprising a biocompatible conductive thermoplastic material, such that when the device is positioned in the body of an animal and electric current flows from the first portion to the second portion, heat is generated by electrical resistance at the point of contact between the first portion and the second portion so as to melt regions of the first portion and the second portion, and when the electric current is thereafter terminated, the melted regions of the first portion and the second portion re-solidify so that a weld is formed between the first portion and the second portion.

A method of resistive implant welding thermoplastic composites. At least two sections of a component formed with weldable thermoplastic material are provided. The two sections of the component each have a welding surface along which the component is welded together. The welding surface includes a first surface adjoining a second surface at an angle exceeding about 30 degrees or another three dimensional shape. A first wire mesh conductor material is positioned between the welding surface of the at least two sections along the first surface. A second wire mesh conductor material is positioned between the welding surface of the at least two sections along the second surface in an overlapping manner at the angled connection. An electric current is applied to the conductors causing the conductors to heat up and melt the at least two sections of the component together.

A fusible fitting of this disclosure includes a saddle having a radially extending branch with a closed bottom end. The closed bottom end forms a portion of the saddle and contains some of the fusion wires that run through the saddle. After the fitting is fused to a pipe, the closed bottom end may be tapped through, with that portion of the fusion wires being removed along with the coupon. Because of this configuration, the branch may be a size-on-size or near size-on-size branch. For example, the radially extending branch may have an inside diameter in a range of greater than 75% of an inside diameter of the pipe to 100% of the inside diameter of the pipe plus one wall thickness of the pipe.