The invention pertains to a composite part with a fibrous reinforcement and a thermoplastic polymer matrix, comprising: substrate part with a matrix of a first thermoplastic polymer having a first melting temperature; stiffener made of a composite material with a matrix of a second thermoplastic polymer having a second melting temperature; comprising the steps of: obtaining an unconsolidated preform of the substrate part; obtaining a preform of the stiffener; integrating a layer of the first thermoplastic polymer into the preform of the stiffener at a location configured to be in contact with the substrate part; and subjecting the substrate part and the preform of stiffener to a thermomechanical cycle so as to consolidate the substrate part and weld the stiffener to the substrate part.

A method of fastening a second object to a first object includes: providing the first object with an attachment surface; providing the second object; placing the second object relative to the first object, with a resin composition in between the attachment surface and the second object, wherein the resin composition has a resin having a first viscosity and being in a flowable state; pressing the first and second objects against each other and causing mechanical vibration to act on at least one of the objects until the resin composition experiences a vibration induced activation, which includes at least one of reduction of the viscosity of the resin compared to the first viscosity and activation of particles dispersed in the resin. The pressing and mechanical vibration are continued or repeated until the resin has at least partially cross-linked and the viscosity of the resin is increased compared to the first viscosity.

A method and apparatus for making pouches is disclosed. It includes using one or more of the following features: using two servo motors to drive a platen, providing a calibration routine is run at start-up and/or after the machine has been operating; controlling in response to feed back from the servo motor(s) such as feedback indicative of the distance the platen travels; the feedback is not of force exerted by the platen; and/or the platen is controlled to prevent unacceptable fracturing of the film laminate.

The present invention provides a thermal caulking device which can quickly heat and cool an object to be caulked with low electrical power. Provided is a thermal caulking device which caulks a portion of a plastic part 7 as an object to be caulked, the thermal caulking device including: a metal tip 3 having a pressing part 3a which presses the object to be caulked and a heating rod 3c which is provided upright at a center part of the pressing part 3a; heating means 10c for heating the heating rod 3c; a cooling pipe 9 which cools the heating rod 3c; cooling fluid supply means 4 for supplying a cooling fluid to the cooling pipe 9; a holder 1 which holds the metal tip 3 and the cooling pipe 9 so that the cooling pipe 9 delivers the cooling fluid toward the heating rod 3c; and control means 6 for controlling the heating means 10c and the cooling fluid supply means 4, wherein the control means 6 heats the pressing part 3a from the heating rod 3c by the heating means 10c, and after the object to be caulked is thermally caulked by the pressing part 3a, supplies the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid supply means 4 to the cooling pipe 9 to cool the pressing part 3a from the heating rod 3c.

The present disclosure can provide for an ultrasonic welding method for a pair of workpieces. The method can include first pressing an ultrasonic welding stack against a first workpiece in the pair so that the first workpiece comes into contact with a second workpiece in the pair. The method can then provide for initiating a weld phase by outputting energy from the ultrasonic welding stack to the first workpiece. The method can provide for monitoring, with at least one sensor, a sensed parameter. The sensed parameter can be, for example, weld force and/or weld force rate of change. The method can provide for determining whether the sensed parameter has reached a predetermined level. Based on determining that the sensed parameter has reached the predetermined level, the method can provide for ending the weld phase.

The application relates to a method for producing a moulded part assembly from a first plastic moulded part and a second plastic moulded part by means of laser welding, wherein the first plastic moulded part consists at least partially of a first material and the second plastic moulded part consists at least partially of a second material that can be welded to the first material, wherein a welding region of the second plastic moulded part is arranged in a stepped receiving means of the first plastic moulded part, or vice versa. According to the invention, during the laser welding, the first plastic moulded part and the second plastic moulded part are to be shifted onto one another in a shifting direction. The invention also relates to a production device for producing a moulded part assembly.

A method of anchoring a connector in a first object, wherein the first object is a lightweight building element having a first outer building layer and an interlining layer, and wherein the connector includes thermoplastic material in a solid state. The method includes: bringing a coupling surface portion of the connector into contact with an attachment location of the first outer building layer; displacing a portion of the first outer building layer at the attachment location with respect to the interlining layer by applying a first pressing force to the first outer building layer and thereby piercing the first outer building layer; applying a second pressing force to the connector and transferring energy to the connector until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material has liquefied and flown to interpenetrate structures of the interlining layer; and stopping the energy transfer and allowing the flow portion to re-solidify.

A packaging machine, comprising a control unit, a plurality of measuring devices and a plurality of working units for different processes. The control unit is functionally connected to the working units and the measuring devices. A work cycle at the packaging machine comprises at least a first functional process and a second functional process at one or at different working units, the second functional process starting later than the first functional process. The control unit may execute an early start for the second functional process of a working unit, when an actual process value of the preceding first functional process of the program sequence of one of the working units has not yet reached the respective target process value. The control unit may control the early start of the second functional process based on an approximation method for predetermining the temporal end of the first functional process.

A method and apparatus for making pouches is disclosed. It includes using one or more of the following features: using two servo motors to drive a platen, providing a calibration routine is run at start-up and/or after the machine has been operating; controlling in response to feed back from the servo motor(s) such as feedback indicative of the distance the platen travels; the feedback is not of force exerted by the platen; and/or the platen is controlled to prevent unacceptable fracturing of the film laminate.

A method of mechanically securing a first object including a thermoplastic material in a solid state to a second object with a generally flat sheet portion, with a perforation of the sheet portion, and with the sheet portion having an edge along the perforation is provided, wherein the first object is positioned relative to the second object so that the edge is in contact with the thermoplastic material and wherein mechanical vibration energy is coupled into the assembly including the first and second objects until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material due to friction heat generated between the edge and the thermoplastic material becomes flowable and flows around the edge to at least partially embed the edge in the thermoplastic material. After the mechanical vibration stops, the thermoplastic material is caused to re-solidify, whereby the re-solidified thermoplastic material at least partially embedding the edge anchors the first object in the second object.