A welding apparatus is suitable for welding polymeric materials, and particularly but not exclusively those that may be thin or brittle. A welding apparatus is provided for welding polymeric materials along a weld zone of the polymeric material. The welding apparatus has a carrier for supplying heat to the weld zone to cause melting of the polymeric material, wherein the heating element is arranged to reciprocate relative to the carrier between a retracted and an extended configuration, such that as the element moves from the retracted to the extended configuration the heating element melts and penetrates the surface of the polymeric material. The carrier also has a trailing contact surface trailing the heating element along the weld zone arranged to constrain molten polymeric material in the weld zone. The heating element is also arranged to reciprocate relative to the trailing contact surface.

A welding apparatus is suitable for welding polymeric materials, and particularly but not exclusively those that may be thin or brittle. A welding apparatus is provided for welding polymeric materials along a weld zone of the polymeric material. The welding apparatus has a carrier for supplying heat to the weld zone to cause melting of the polymeric material, wherein the heating element is arranged to reciprocate relative to the carrier between a retracted and an extended configuration, such that as the element moves from the retracted to the extended configuration the heating element melts and penetrates the surface of the polymeric material. The carrier also has a trailing contact surface trailing the heating element along the weld zone arranged to constrain molten polymeric material in the weld zone. The heating element is also arranged to reciprocate relative to the trailing contact surface.

The present invention relates to a method for evaluating an assembly by welding of parts made of thermoplastic materials, to a test piece and its associated uses, to an installation for implementing this method and to the associated welding system.

A method for bonding thermoplastic fiber-composite parts comprises providing surface texture on one or both parts being bonded, and/or providing both parts with engagement features. Such surface textures and engagement features have a specific geometry and fiber alignment that facilitate fibrous interlock between the two parts at a bonding interface via in-situ consolidation.

A method for bonding thermoplastic fiber-composite parts comprises providing surface texture on one or both parts being bonded, and/or providing both parts with engagement features. Such surface textures and engagement features have a specific geometry and fiber alignment that facilitate fibrous interlock between the two parts at a bonding interface via in-situ consolidation.

A hollow molded article having a joining site where two or more split objects are welded by plastic welding and comes into contact with pressurized hydrogen, wherein an average spherulite size in a portion which is 500 μm deep inside from a surface of the hollow molded article is 20 μm or less, and a tensile strength of a test piece containing the joining site of the hollow molded article is 80% or more based on a tensile strength of a test piece not containing the joining site of the hollow molded article.

The invention relates to the use of a low Tg compatible resin as an adhesive layer for the welding of a thermoplastic composite structure to a thermoplastic or thermoset structure. The invention is especially good for the welding of large parts, such as wind turbine halves and spar caps. A useful thermoplastic composite is one formed by the infusion and curing of long fibers by a reactive acrylic liquid resin system, such as ELIUM® resin systems from Arkema.

A method of welding/joining corrugated pipe segments, an apparatus configured to weld/join corrugated pipe segments, and a method of circulating water are disclosed. The method of welding/joining corrugated pipe segments includes holding or securing an end of each of the corrugated pipe segments with a jig, and welding the ends of the corrugated pipe segments together. The jig includes at least two rings, each configured to receive one of the ends of the corrugated pipe segments, and a brace or connector connected to each of the two rings. The apparatus includes the jig, a welding ring configured to receive the ends of the corrugated pipe segments, a resistive heating coil for heating the welding ring, and a control circuit configured to control a temperature of the resistive heating coil and maintain the temperature of the resistive heating coil once a target temperature is reached.

A thermoplastic welding assembly includes a structural cage that supports a press and one or more hydraulic and pneumatic actuators. The press includes first and second plates that movable toward and away from each other to load and remove thermoplastic components to be held together for thermoplastic welding. Specifically, the first plate of the press includes non-conductive tooling inserts that are positioned to form a slot for a welding prove, and the second plates includes non-conductive tooling inserts that form cavities for plungers to move through. Plungers that are movable using the actuators are positioned in the cavities of the second plate, and compressible pressurizers are attached to the ends of the plungers. An operator uses electrical controls to move the plungers in the plunger cavities toward the thermoplastic components in the press to drive the pressurizers into the thermoplastic components and provide stabilizing pressure on the components during welding.

The machine (1) for welding profiled elements comprises: a base frame (2); two retaining members (3, 4) of respective profiled elements (5) made at least partly of plastic and an area to be welded (6), the retaining members (3, 4) being mounted on the base frame (2) and defining a first retaining axis (A) and a second retaining axis (B) forming an angle of welding (7), and along which the profiled elements (5) can be fastened; removal means (8) of material from the profiled elements (5) to make a machining on the area to be welded (6) of the profiled elements (5); heat sealing means (9) mounted on the base frame (2) and adapted to weld the areas to be welded (6) of the profiled elements (5); adjusting means (10) of the angle of welding (7) adapted to move at least one of the retaining members (3, 4) to incline at least one of the first retaining axis (A) and the second retaining axis (B) to change the angle of welding (7); sliding means (11) of the retaining members (3, 4), mounted on the base frame (2) and adapted to move the retaining members (3, 4) in mutual approach or moving away without changing the angle of welding (7).