A laser welding system for joining first and second thermoplastic workpieces, and including a clamp, an actuator, and a laser source. The clamp includes first and second clamping structures positioned together to engage opposite sides of the workpieces when they adjoin each other. The first clamping structure has a non-flat or irregular surface, facing the first workpiece. The actuator causes the clamping structures to press the first and second workpieces together. The laser source applies laser radiation having a wavelength of 2 microns toward the workpieces to be joined, while they are pressed together by the clamp, to melt irradiated portions of the workpieces to one another. The first clamping structure transmits substantially all of the energy of the laser radiation through the material. The first workpiece has a non-flat or irregular surface facing the first clamping structure, which substantially conforms with the surface of the first clamping structure.

Apparatus and methods are provided to allow for creation of an elastic laminate. Non-stretched elastic can be laid at peaks over a nonwoven layer contained in valleys and atop peaks. Stretched elastic can be laid over tented nonwoven to create nonwoven tunnels when a second nonwoven is laid atop the first nonwoven and elastic, and the tunnels resist un-stretching of stretched elastic strands by frictional or obstruction forces. An elastic assembly or structure comprising a first and second layer of material bonded at spaced apart bond sites is disclosed, with a plurality of elastic strands disposed in a non-linear manner between said first and second layer of material, so that said strands meander in a cross-machine direction and traverse a machine direction line, restraining movement of the strands by frictional forces between the strands and the non-woven layers.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method of folding a pouch case of a battery cell, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method of folding a pouch case of a battery cell capable of preventing a meandering in a folding process and reducing non-uniformity of a folding amount by forming a pre-folding line on a pouch wing and folding the pouch wing on the basis of the pre-folding line.

A laser welding system is directed to simultaneously joining respective layers of a first bag and a second bag. The system includes a first film layer adjacent to a second film layer for forming the first bag, and a third film layer adjacent to a fourth film layer for forming the second bag, each layer of the plurality of film layers being made of a thermoplastic material that absorbs laser radiation having a wavelength of about 2 microns. A non-absorbing carrier film layer is positioned between the second film layer and the third film layer, the non-absorbing carrier film layer being made of a material that transmits substantially all energy of the laser radiation. A laser source applies the laser radiation toward portions of the plurality of film layers to be joined, forming the first bag generally simultaneously with the second bag.

The present disclosure relates to an induction sealing system for heat sealing packaging material for producing sealed packages of pourable food products, said sealing system may include a sealing jaw and a counter-jaw. In some embodiments, the sealing jaw may include at least one inductor device having at least one active surface configured to contact said packaging material; at least one flux-concentrating insert; a supporting body including heat-conducting material, said supporting body housing, said at least one inductor device and said flux-concentrating insert; and an interactive surface configured to press against said packaging material. In some embodiments, the counter-jaw may include at least one pressure pad made of elastomeric material, said at least one pressure pad configured to provide a counter pressure to the sealing jaw, wherein said at least one pressure pad has an arched convex contact area with height in the direction towards the sealing jaw.

A friction stir spot welding apparatus including a controller that (A) operates a rotary driver and a tool driver such that a pin and a shoulder are brought into contact with a welded workpiece; (B) operates, after the step (A), the rotary driver and the tool driver such that the pin separates from the welded workpiece; and (C) operates, after the step (B), the rotary driver and the tool driver such that the pin advances toward the welded workpiece. The controller controls the tool driver such that pressing force applied to the welded workpiece from the pin and the shoulder in the step (C) is smaller than that in the step (B) and/or controls the rotary driver such that rotational frequencies of the pin and the shoulder in the step (C) are lower than those in the step (B).

A three-dimensional decorative piece that is made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin and can retain bulkiness and shape by a core and a method of producing the same. The three-dimensional decorative piece includes an upper layer molded body made of an upper layer material with a metal vapor-deposited layer and having a three-dimensional shape with a convex portion formed on its front surface side through a high-frequency dielectric heating, a core formed by curing a flowable synthetic resin filled in the convex portion of the upper layer molded body, and a substrate bonded a back surface side of the core by fusion.

A method of bonding a first object to a second object includes the steps of: providing the first object including thermoplastic material in a solid state, providing the second object including a proximal surface, applying a mechanical pressing force and a mechanical excitation capable to liquefy the thermoplastic material until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material is flowable and penetrates into structures of the second object, and stopping the mechanical excitation and letting the thermoplastic material resolidify to yield a positive-fit connection between the first and the second object. The second object has a region of low density, wherein the protrusion penetrates the region of low density at least partly before the thermoplastic material is made flowable, and wherein the first object includes a protruding portion after the step of letting the thermoplastic material resolidify, the protruding portion at least partly penetrates the region of low density.

A composite assembly with a laminate of fibre plies impregnated with a laminate matrix material is disclosed having pad of fibre plies impregnated with a pad matrix material, and a part with a body with protrusions which extend from the body and penetrate at least some of the fibre plies of the pad. The pad is bonded to the laminate by a stepped lap joint or a scarf joint. The assembly is manufactured by pressing the protrusions into the pad, and after the protrusions have been pressed into the pad, curing a pad matrix material impregnating the pad, and bonding the pad to the laminate.

A system includes a first horn, a first ultrasonic transducer, a second horn, a second ultrasonic transducer, a memory, and a controller. The first horn includes a first part-interfacing surface. The second horn includes a second part-interfacing surface and is positioned relative to the first horn such that a part to be welded can be positioned between the first and second part-interface surfaces. The controller is configured to cause a first ultrasonic energy to be applied through the first horn via the first transducer to cause the first part-interfacing surface to vibrate, cause the first horn to move in a first direction at a first time, cause a second ultrasonic energy to be applied through the second horn via the second transducer to cause the second part-interfacing surface to vibrate, and cause the second horn to move in a second direction at the first time.