Methods and apparatus' for induction welding a first workpiece to a second workpiece at a welding region may include a metallic strip. The metallic strip may be a mesh. The properties of the metallic strip, such as, for example, pore size, thickness, and density, may be configured to conduct heat uniformly across the welding region and prevent eddy current formation across a workpiece. The metallic strip may be embedded in a workpiece or may be fixed to an induction welding tool that acts on the welding region during induction welding. A removable polymer tape may be disposed between a workpiece and a metallic strip fixed to an induction welding tool. The workpieces may be thermoplastic composite structures and thermoplastic composite stiffeners in aircraft structures.

Described is a heating means for thermally connecting two objects each having a plastic material, wherein, during the connecting, a first inner object is surrounded at least partially by a second outer object, and the heating means surrounds the first inner object at least partially along a complete circumferential course around the first inner object, and is located between the first inner object and the second outer object. The heating means has a ribbon-type structure. The ribbon-type structure has an auxiliary heating material, which is inductively heatable, wherein the auxiliary heating material is spatially distributed or arranged along the circumferential course such that an electrical conductivity is interrupted at at least one position along the complete circumferential course around the first inner object. Further described are an arrangement and a system each having such a heating means as well as a method for thermally connecting two plastic objects.

An applying unit for applying lids to necks of containers may be provided. The applying unit may include a conveying device configured to advance the containers along a path in an advancement direction; a group of applying heads, each applying head configured to screw a lid onto a corresponding neck; and a movement device configured to move the group of applying heads along the advancement direction, so that each applying head may be coupled to a corresponding neck along a portion of the path. The movement device may be configured to act on a common support element configured to support the applying heads of the group, so as to synchronously move the applying heads along the advancement direction.

A retortable container is formed with an opening formed defined by a projecting rim. The rim includes an external surface and securing structure formed thereon. A flexible membrane is sealed to the rim and closes the opening. A closure is provided having a molded plastic tubular ring and a separately formed molded plastic disk. The tubular ring includes an overlapping flange at a top and directed inwardly towards an inwardly positioned open area. The skirt includes an engagement structure for securing the closure to the external surface of the rim. The disk is separately attached to the ring within the open area after the retort process is applied to the sealed bottle.

Fluid flow conduits and apparatus and methods for joining the conduits, preferably in a sterile manner, are disclosed. Each conduit has a polymeric open end that is sealed by a sealing member that may include a heating element. The polymeric end material is melted, the sealing members are moved to expose the melted open ends of the conduits and the ends are brought together to form a fused or welded connection between the conduits.

The present invention relates to a method for joining at least two flexible foils (10a-b). The method comprises the steps of (i) providing a first flexible foil (10a) having a first row (12) of light emitting diodes (14) and a first set of electrically conductive tracks (16) for supplying current to the first row (12) of light emitting diodes (14), (ii) providing a second flexible foil (10b) having a pot second row (12) of light emitting diodes (14) and a second set of electrically conductive tracks (16) for supplying current to the second row (12) of light emitting diodes (14), and (iii) joining the first flexible foil (10a) and the second flexible foil (10b) at an overlap (22) of the first flexible foil (10a) and the second flexible foil (10b), wherein a metal strip or wire (24; 24) gets embedded between the first flexible foil (10a) and the second flexible foil (10b) at the overlap, and wherein the metal strip or wire (24; 24) electrically connects to the first and second sets of electrically conductive tracks (16).

A retortable container is formed with an opening formed defined by a projecting rim. The rim includes an external surface and securing structure formed thereon. A flexible membrane is sealed to the rim and closes the opening. A closure is provided having a molded plastic tubular ring and a separately formed molded plastic disk. The tubular ring includes an overlapping flange at a top and directed inwardly towards an inwardly positioned open area. The skirt includes an engagement structure for securing the closure to the external surface of the rim. The disk is separately attached to the ring within the open area after the retort process is applied to the sealed bottle.

A method of fabricating a thermoplastic component using inductive heating is described. The method includes positioning a plurality of induction heating coils to define a process area for the thermoplastic component, wherein the plurality of induction heating coils comprises a first set of coils and a second set of coils. The method also includes controlling a supply of electricity provided to the plurality of inductive heating coils to intermittently activate the coils. The intermittent activation is configured to facilitate prevention of electromagnetic interference between adjacent coils.

An inductive welding device includes a circuit for the inductive heating of a metal that is embedded in a non-magnetic bed. A transformer induces eddy currents in the metal as a function of an exciter current and an exciter voltage and forms a load impedance together with the metal to be heated. Temperature monitoring is provided for the metal to be heated. The load impedance is operated in the region of the resonant frequency of the load impedance. The exciter current and exciter voltage and their phase shift relative to each other are measured and logged when the metal is heated. A temperature progression which is proportional to the phase shift is calculated from the exciter current, exciter voltage, and phase shift.

A welding head comprises a welding element (51) for welding a lid (1) to an opening device of a container (10). The welding head (43) further comprises a 5 compensating device (62) operable for compensating a misalignment between the welding element (51) and the lid (1), thereby centering the welding element (51) relative to the lid (1).