An ultrasonic welding system includes an ultrasonic welding stack that is movable to initiated a welding operation. A plurality of sensors measure respective control variables and output control signals corresponding, respectively, to the control variables. A motion control system is coupled to and causes controlled movement of the welding stack, including initiating the welding operation. The motion control system determines, based on the control signals, control inputs such that any motion of the welding stack, subsequent to the initiating, is initially delayed until the control signals satisfy a predetermined condition. In response to the predetermined condition being satisfied, the motion control system causes the welding stack to move in accordance with a weld profile.

A ultrasonic welding method of joining dissimilar-material workpieces, such as sheet materials, and the joined components formed thereby. The method includes applying ultrasonic energy to a thermoplastic piece to fill a hole of a dissimilar piece to form a weld point that is made up with polymer from the thermoplastic piece. In general, the geometry of the thermoplastic piece is not altered during the process. The dissimilar piece generally has a higher melting temperate and can be metal, thermoset polymers, or other thermoplastic material. The welded pieces can be arranged in a lap, laminate, or double lap configuration. In some embodiments, the hole of the dissimilar sheet material includes undercut features that improve the mechanical interlock between the dissimilar pieces. In some embodiments, the weld point has a mushroom cap to improve mechanical interlock.

A method of bonding a second object to a first object includes: providing the first object having a thermoplastic liquefiable material in a solid state; providing the second object having a surface portion that has a coupling structure with an undercut, so that the second object is capable of making a positive-fit connection with the first object; pressing the second object against the first object with a tool that is in physical contact with a coupling-in structure of the second object while mechanical vibrations are coupled into the tool; continuing to press and couple vibrations into the tool until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material of the first object is liquefied and flows into the coupling structures of the second object; and letting the thermoplastic material re-solidify to yield a positive-fit connection between the first and second objects by the re-solidified flow portion interpenetrating the coupling structures.

The present invention provides a sealing process for a secondary battery of the present invention, which thermally fuses and seals a sealing portion that extends along an edge surface of a battery case, the sealing process comprising: an arrangement operation of disposing the sealing portion of the battery case between an anvil and a horn; a first region-fixing operation of pressing and fixing a first region of the sealing portion through the anvil and the horn; and a first region-primary sealing operation of applying an ultrasonic wave to the first region of the sealing portion through the horn at a set frequency and a set amplitude for a set time, thereby thermally fusing the first region of the sealing portion.

A method for manufacturing a thrust reverser blocker door may comprise thermoforming a sandwich panel comprising a facesheet, a backsheet, and a honeycomb core. The method may further comprising overmolding a mounting structure onto the backsheet. The first thermoplastic material may comprise a continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite material. The second thermoplastic material may comprise a discontinuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite material.

The invention relates to a device comprising a first fixing element, a further fixing element and a folded planar composite; wherein the first fixing element comprises a first fixing surface and the further fixing element comprises a further fixing surface; wherein the folded planar composite is at least partially fixed between the first fixing surface and the further fixing surface; wherein the folded planar composite comprises a first composite region; wherein the first composite region comprises a first layer sequence comprising a first composite layer comprising a first carrier layer, a second composite layer comprising a second carrier layer, a third composite layer comprising a third carrier layer and a fourth composite layer comprising a fourth carrier layer; wherein in the first composite region the second composite layer is joined to the third composite layer and the third composite layer is joined to the fourth composite layer; wherein in the first composite region the third carrier layer is characterised by a smaller layer thickness than in each case one selected from the group consisting of the first carrier layer, the second carrier layer and the fourth carrier layer or a combination of at least two of these; wherein the first fixing surface or the further fixing surface or both comprises a recess comprising a first recess region; wherein the first composite region is located at least partially between the first recess region and the first fixing surface or the further fixing surface.

A new ultrasonic aided laser joining method (UAL) for bonding dissimilar materials has been developed. The method is capable of eliminating the laser-induced bubbles at the bonding faces and to improve the joint strength over that of the conventional laser-assisted metal and plastic joining method (LAMP). Some experiments on joining titanium to polyethylene terephthalate have been conducted to show the superiority of UAL over LAMP. The results showed that the joint strength, measured in terms of failure load, was significantly increased when ultrasonic vibration was employed during laser joining. For the LAMP joined specimens, fracture normally occurred at the metal-plastic interface, whereas for the UAL joined specimens, fracture normally occurred in the parent plastic part. The improvement in joint strength is mainly due to the elimination of pores in the resolidified plastic. In addition, ultrasound vibration promotes chemical bonding between the plastic and metal parts, and this is supported by the XPS results.

A method of bonding a second object to a first object includes: providing the first object, which includes a thermoplastic liquefiable material in a solid state; providing the second object, which includes a surface portion that has a coupling structure with an undercut such that the second object can make a positive-fit connection with the first object; and pressing the second object against the first object with a tool that is in physical contact with a coupling-in structure of the second object while mechanical vibrations are coupled into the tool. The step of pressing and coupling vibrations into the tool continues until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material of the first object is liquefied and flows into the coupling structures of the second object. Thereafter, the thermoplastic material of the first object is permitted to re-solidify to yield a positive-fit connection between the first and second objects.

Machine for welding workpieces made of plastic materials of the type comprising: two workpiece-carrying fixtures each provided with a template having a recess adapted to accommodate a respective plastic workpiece to be welded; a moving assembly adapted to selectively couple and press the two workpiece-carrying fixtures to/against each other, so as to tighten the plastic workpieces housed in the templates one against the other; a vibrating member which is adapted to vibrate on command a first workpiece-carrying fixture; automatic piece locking means adapted to selectively lock/immobilise the plastic workpiece to be welded inside the template of the first workpiece-carrying fixture; and an electronic control unit adapted to drive/control said automatic piece locking means.

A method of bonding a first object to a second object, including the steps of: providing a profile body having a first profile body portion; providing the first object, wherein the first object has thermoplastic material; providing the second object, wherein the profile body is separate from and attachable to the second object or wherein the second object includes the profile body; embedding the profile body in the first object such that the first profile body portion is within the thermoplastic material of the first object. Embedding the profile body in the first object is caused by mechanical energy impinging on the first object and/or on the second object while the first object and the second object are pressed against each other.