The present invention relates to a method of bonding silicon parts using silicon powder and high-frequency heating device, the method comprising the steps of forming concave and convex coupling surfaces on the bonding surfaces of a lower ring and an upper ring; mounting the lower ring and the upper ring on a silicon part fusion bonding apparatus; injecting single crystal silicon powder into the concave and convex coupling surfaces on the bonding surfaces of the lower ring and the upper ring; and heating and fusing the bonding surfaces of the lower ring and the upper ring.

A method for joining primary and secondary members includes providing a primary member, a secondary member and a heating element which is joined to one of the primary and secondary members. The heating element includes an electrically insulating matrix material and an electrically conductive reinforcing element extending through the matrix material. The method further includes bringing the other of the primary and secondary members and the heating element into engagement and controlling a flow of electrical current in the reinforcing element so as to resistively heat and fuse at least some of the matrix material of the heating element with a matrix material of the other of the primary and secondary members. The method may be used to join a primary member such as a composite tubular and a secondary member such as a component for terminating the composite tubular.

An apparatus and method of closing a wide variety of thermoplastic tubes, in particular with Shore hardnesses of around 50 (A) to above 100 (A), where the tubes having inside diameters of 1.6 mm to 35 mm and/or wall thicknesses of 0.8 to 4.8 mm. The method involves use of a tube heater having at least one heating element. The heating element has at least four heatable regions which are movable with respect to one another. The tube heater is configured to enclose, in the applied state, at least 75% of the circumference of the tube while bearing against the latter over its circumference at at least four points which are spaced apart from one another. One of the key advantages is that, prior to compression, the tube can already have been heated at a plurality of points on the tube.

A method for joining primary and secondary members includes providing a primary member, a secondary member and a heating element which is joined to one of the primary and secondary members. The heating element includes an electrically insulating matrix material and an electrically conductive reinforcing clement extending through the matrix material. The method further includes bringing the other of the primary and secondary members and the heating element into engagement and controlling a flow of electrical current in the reinforcing element so as to resistively heat and fuse at least some of the matrix material of the heating element with a matrix material of the other of the primary and secondary members. The method may be used to join a primary member such as a composite tubular and a secondary member such as a component for terminating the composite tubular.