An optical wheel assembly for a laser transmission welding apparatus includes a double-convex optical lens having two spherical surfaces that are joined by a polished side surface extending circumferentially around the lens. Each of the two spherical surfaces has a known spherical diameter. The optical lens is disposed between a pair of dish cup holders, each having a spherical concave surface with the known spherical diameter and engaging the spherical surfaces of the lens. Each dish cup holder has an axial projection extending away from a side of the dish cup holder that is opposite the spherical concave surface. The axial projections are received within respective bearings that are mounted within a housing. The bearings allow the dish cup holders and the optical lens to rotate while pressure is being applied to plastic workpieces during laser transmission welding thereof.

A welder for joining two polymeric sheets together using a wedged heating element allows for a heating profile on opposite faces of the heating element to be varied by controlling where each of the polymeric sheets contacts the corresponding face.

To achieve universal welding of thermoplastic workpiece parts with simple equipment, an infrared light transmission welding method is disclosed in which simple polychromatic, incoherent infrared light is generated by a simple infrared light source and is directed through a first workpiece part to a weld point for the purposes of connection to a second workpiece part. In particular, the infrared light is directed through a transparent bracing element.

A moisture-curable hot-melt adhesive composition is disclosed. This moisture-curable hot-melt adhesive composition contains: a urethane prepolymer including a polymer chain, which includes a structural unit derived from a polyol and a structural unit derived from a polyisocyanate, and having two or more isocyanate groups; and a modified urethane prepolymer including a polymer chain, which includes a structural unit derived from a polyol and a structural unit derived from a polyisocyanate, and having one or more isocyanate groups modified with a castor oil monool.

A method of induction welding a first thermoplastic composite (TPC) to a second thermoplastic composite (TPC) includes inductively heating a weld interface area between the first TPC and the second TPC, and cooling a surface of the first TPC opposite the weld interface area while inductively heating the weld interface area.

A heat sink for use in induction welding includes a number of tiles, where the tiles are electrically non-conductive and thermally conductive, a joint flexibly joining the tiles together, and a fluid path formed through the heat sink for communicating a coolant therethrough.

A tape layup apparatus whereby the tape layup performance on a surface to be laid up can be enhanced is provided, the tape layup apparatus being an ATL apparatus 10 having an ATL head 20 for laying up with pressing a tape 1 on a laid-up surface 2a, the ATL head 20 equipped with a pressing part 30 to press the tape 1 on the laid-up surface 2a and a parallel linkage 40 to operate in a manner that allows a pressing position and/or a pressing attitude of the pressing part 30 to follow a form of the laid-up surface 2a.

A manufacturing apparatus of a metal-composite patch part and a manufacturing method thereof include: a laser oscillator oscillating a laser; a first laser irradiator used to perform pattern processing on one surface of a metal with a laser by receiving the laser from the laser oscillator; and a metal-composite bonding apparatus for bonding a composite tape to the one surface of the pattern-processed metal. The apparatus includes a feeder roller supplying a composite tape to the one surface of the pattern processed metal and a pressing roller pressing the composite tape to the one surface of the metal. The bonding performance between the metal and the composite and productivity may be improved because the number of the processes related to the metal-composite patch part manufacturing process may be significantly reduced.

A heat sink for use in induction welding includes a flexible backing and a number of tiles disposed on the flexible backing in a single layer, wherein the tiles are electrically non-conductive and thermally conductive.

An end effector, for adhesively attaching a first part to a second part, comprises a support and a first nozzle, coupled to the support and movable relative to the support, and a second nozzle, coupled to the support and movable relative to the support. The first nozzle comprises a first-nozzle body, comprising a first-nozzle-body outlet port and a first-nozzle separator plate, extending from the first-nozzle body. The second nozzle comprises a second-nozzle body, comprising a second-nozzle-body inlet port and a second-nozzle separator plate, extending from the second-nozzle body. The end effector further comprises a roller, coupled to the support, rotatable relative to the support about a roller axis, and located between the first nozzle and the second nozzle.