A system and method for thermoplastic composite welding comprising a cooling means and a heat source. The cooling means cools a heat-side laminate so as to create a thermal gradient in the heat-side laminate. The heat source heats the heat-side laminate after the cooling step is initiated but before the thermal gradient dissipates so that a first side of the heat-side laminate closer to the heat source does not deform as faying surfaces of the heat-side laminate and another laminate farther away from the heat source are welded together.

There are disposed, in a width direction of an anvil roll, a plurality of first projections for producing joint portions where a pair of sheets are jointed to each other; each of the first projections extends in a circumferential direction of the anvil roll and includes a carrying groove carrying an elastic member while the elastic member has entered in the groove; and between one first projection and another first projection adjacent to each other in the width direction, at least one receiving part for receiving the pair of sheets is arranged.

A system and method for controlling the speed of both a continuous web and a bonding apparatus is provided in order to effectuate stronger bonds in the web. The bonding system includes a velocity changing device for increasing and decreasing a velocity of the web in a machine direction, an anvil and a corresponding ultrasonic horn that interact to form ultrasonic bonds on the web, and an anvil actuator configured to control a movement of the anvil. A control system is also included in the bonding system for controlling operation of the anvil actuator the velocity changing device, with the control system programmed to decrease a moving velocity of the web from a feed velocity to a bonding velocity as the web passes between the anvil and the ultrasonic horn and control movement of the anvil to synchronize the movement of the anvil with the moving velocity of the web.

The invention relates to an apparatus (10) for embedding a continuous elastic cord (11) along an edge of a continuous plastic sheet (12). The apparatus comprises an adhesive applicator device operable to apply an adhesive (16) along the edge of the plastic sheet, a folder device (18, 20, 34) operable to provide a folded edge of the plastic sheet (12) so that the adhesive is within the folded edge, and a feed device (24) having a tension device (30) operable to feed the elastic cord (11) in tension into the folded edge so that the elastic cord (11) is in contact with the adhesive of the edge. A bonding device (38) is operable to activate the adhesive of the folded edge to bond the elastic cord (11) in tension to the adhesive within the folded edge and to bond the folded edge to the plastic sheet (12). The invention also relates to a plastic sheet having an elastic cord at an edge thereof, a method for manufacture of said plastic sheet, and products or covers made from said plastic sheet such as oversleeves, overshoes, hair nets or bin liners etc.

A handrail has a thermoplastic body having a generally C-shaped cross section, a stretch inhibitor in the thermoplastic body above a T-shaped slot and a slider fabric layer. The handrail includes first and second end portions, each comprising a forward part extending from an end surface of the end portion and a rear part adjacent the forward part. A method of forming a joint can include: providing cuts to separate a top section of the thermoplastic body from a base section including shoulder portions; for each end portion, removing at least shoulder portions from the forward part thereof, to leave a central portion including a forward part at the slider fabric layer and a layer of thermoplastic; cutting the forward parts to a required shape; and assembling the first and second end portions together to form a spliced joint for moulding.

A system using a pressure differential to clamp welding heads on opposite sides of a joint of a thermoplastic composite structure to be welded. The heads are positioned over the joint opposite each other. Each head includes a housing defining a chamber having a lower pressure such that the pressure differential forces the head against the side. Each head includes a contour plate located in the space and against the joint, and at least one of the heads includes a heater located in the space and heating the contour plate to a welding temperature. The system may also include a first arm coupled with one of the heads and moving it along the joint so as to remain aligned with the other head, and a second arm coupled with the other head and moving it along the joint while the system welds the joint in successive overlapping sections.

An ultrasonic welding system. The system includes an ultrasonic transducer assembly having a horn and a first transducer and a second transducer arranged to impart ultrasonic energy into the horn. The horn has a first part-interfacing surface and a second part-interfacing surface opposite the first part-interfacing surface. An actuator assembly is operatively coupled to the ultrasonic transducer assembly and configured to cause rotation of the horn. A controller is configured to: cause the actuator assembly to rotate the horn so that the first part-interfacing surface applies the ultrasonic energy to a first part along an entire length of the first part-interface surface while a first ultrasonic energy is applied through the horn via the first transducer to cause the first part-interfacing surface to vibrate back and forth along its entire length as the first ultrasonic energy is applied by the first transducer to the horn.

A preform charge is formed by forming an assemblage of preforms, wherein preforms in the assemblage are bonded to a neighboring preform such that the preform charge effectively becomes a single unit. The preform charge can then be added to a mold to fabricate a part via compression molding.

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 flow path sealing structure according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, which is disposed on a way of a flow path formed by fusion bonding a pair of resin sheets that are superimposed on each other, includes a widened portion surrounded by a widened seal portion formed by fusion bonding together the pair of resin sheets around a periphery thereof, and one end and another end of which are in communication with the flow path, together with being formed to be wider than the flow path, and a weakly sealed portion formed to extend in a widthwise direction in the widened portion, and which partitions the widened portion in a liquid-tight and airtight manner into the one end and the other end, together with being capable of being opened by increasing an internal pressure of the widened portion.