Applied power as a function of time is ramped up at the onset of an RF welding process in a manner that is predetermined to match source and load impedance as reflected by maximized forward power during at least the majority of the welding process. The ramp-up portion takes the form of a non-linear curve, such as an S-shaped curve, as opposed to one or more discrete steps. The applied power may then be maintained at or near that maximum required value at least a majority of the remainder of the heating portion of the welding process. The shape of the non-linear ramp-up portion of the applied power curve may be predetermined using, for example, virtual motor control using applied power as a virtual axis.

The method of metal-thermoplastic resin direct bonding is characterized by comprising a first step for irradiating a surface of the metal material with a pulse laser under an oxidizing atmosphere to form a surface modification region, a second step for causing the thermoplastic resin material to abut against the surface modification region to form a bonding interface, and a third step for heating up the bonding interface by laser irradiation to achieve bonding, the first step including forming metal oxide particle clusters obtained when metal oxide particles having a particle diameter of 5-500 nm to be continuously bonded at the surface modification region, so that the maximum height (Sz) of a surface of the metal oxide particle clusters is 50 nm-3 .Math.m.

A stabilizer manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a stabilizer to which rubber bushes are heat-bonded is provided with a curing furnace in which high-frequency induction heating is performed, a conveyor for conveying the stabilizer in a conveying direction through the curing furnace, the rubber bushes being pressure-bonded to bonding locations on the stabilizer on which an adhesive layer is formed, power supply devices for supplying power to coils used in the high-frequency induction heating, and coils for generating a magnetic field in portions to be heated of the stabilizer near the bonding locations and for heating the portions to be heated; the coils being separated by a predetermined distance from the portions to be heated of a predetermined number of stabilizers conveyed in the conveying direction.

An electric heating device includes a control portion adapted to control electric energy supplied to a heater, based on a before-heating temperature, which is a temperature of at least one of an object, the heater and a heat dissipation portion before the heater generates heat, the control portion is adapted to calculate the temperature of the object, based on the before-heating temperature and the electric energy supplied to the heater.

A joining method for joining a resin member and a metal member by heating is provided. Joining of the resin member and metal member is performed by heating a joining interface of the resin member and metal member to a temperature in a range of equal to or higher than a decomposition temperature of the resin member and lower than a temperature at which gas bubbles are generated in the resin member and by cooling a surface of the resin member on the opposite side from a joining surface thereof with the metal member to a temperature that is lower than the melting point of the resin member.

A polar functional group is added onto a surface of a metallic member. A resin member contains an adhesive functional group. The adhesive functional group and the polar functional group attract each other. A method for joining the metallic member and the resin member to each other includes: heating a junction between the metallic member and the resin member while pressing the metallic member and the resin member against each other with a first load; maintaining temperature of the junction higher than melting temperature of a resin that structures the resin member while pressing the metallic member and the resin member with each other with a second load smaller than the first load; and cooling the junction to temperature lower than the melting temperature while pressing the metallic member and the resin member against each other with a third load larger than the second load.

A welding device includes a pair of pressure rollers for pressurizing a web and a strip member, a feed device configured to intermittently or continuously feed the web and the strip member through the pair of pressure rollers, and the laser device configured to irradiate the web or the strip member with a laser beam at a position upstream of the pair of pressure rollers. The welding device may include a movement device configured to move the pair of pressure rollers upstream with respect to the web and the strip member during pause or stop of feed. Alternatively, the feed device may pause or stop the web and the strip member after retracting the web and the strip member by a certain length.

Mechanically attaching articles made from composites has problems due to the difference in properties of the composite in the x, y planar direction and the z perpendicular direction, this results in different properties between the composite and the attachment member such as differences in coefficients of thermal expansion which can weaken the joint further leading to differences in moisture uptake which can further reduce the strength and robustness of the joint. The invention relates to the selection of the position of a joint in order to reduce such problems and to operating the moulding process in a way that improves the provision of mechanical attachments such as bolt holes.

Methods of co-bonding a first thermoset composite (TSC) and a second TSC to define a cured composite part are disclosed herein. The methods include partially curing the first TSC to a target state of cure (SOC) to define a first partially cured TSC. The partially curing is based, at least in part, on a maximum temperature of the first TSC during the partially curing and on an elapsed time that an actual temperature of the first TSC is greater than a threshold temperature. The methods further include combining the first partially cured TSC with the second TSC to define a partially cured TSC assembly and heating the partially cured TSC assembly to bond the first partially cured TSC to the second TSC, cure the partially cured TSC assembly, and produce a cured composite part.

A machine for converting two different types of webs of inflatable material to two different types of inflated cushioning material includes an inflation arrangement, a sealing arrangement, and a tensioning device. The inflation arrangement is configured to provide air at a lower pressure to a first web of a first type of inflatable material to inflate the first type of inflatable material, and to provide air at a higher pressure to a second type of inflatable material to inflate the second type of inflatable material. The inflation arrangement includes a guide pin configured to the first and second webs and align the first and second webs on the machine. The sealing arrangement is configured to seal the first type of inflatable material and the second type of inflatable material to create the two different types of inflated cushioning material. The tensioning device is configured to provide a lower tensioning force to the first web as the first web moves between the inflation arrangement and the sealing arrangement, and to provide a higher tensioning force to the second web as the second web moves between the inflation arrangement and the sealing arrangement.