Methods and apparatus' for induction welding a first workpiece to a second workpiece at a welding region may include a metallic strip. The metallic strip may be a mesh. The properties of the metallic strip, such as, for example, pore size, thickness, and density, may be configured to conduct heat uniformly across the welding region and prevent eddy current formation across a workpiece. The metallic strip may be embedded in a workpiece or may be fixed to an induction welding tool that acts on the welding region during induction welding. A removable polymer tape may be disposed between a workpiece and a metallic strip fixed to an induction welding tool. The workpieces may be thermoplastic composite structures and thermoplastic composite stiffeners in aircraft structures.

A method of dissipating heat from a surface of a first thermoplastic composite (TPC) being inductively welded with a second thermoplastic composite (TPC) includes flexing a heat sink during placement to conform to the surface of the first TPC, cooling the heat sink, applying inductive heat to a weld interface area between the first TPC and the second TPC, and drawing off heat via the heat sink from the surface of the first TPC.

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.

An end effector for welding composite components includes an end effector housing and a welding member mounted to the end effector housing. The end effector further includes a leading roller mounted to the end effector housing forward of the welding member and at least one follower roller mounted to the end effector housing aft of the welding member. The end effector further includes at least one first cooling air jet positioned to direct a first stream of cooling air toward the at least one follower roller.

A system includes a body having a pair of cable jaws. The pair of cable jaws further includes a dispensing track on an inner circumference of the pair of cable jaws to retain a segment of a thermoplastic cable material. The system includes a piston. The piston is configured to secure an overlapping segment of the thermoplastic cable material at the weld area. An induction coil is configured to apply an electromagnetic field. The system includes a power supply.

A tooling for use in a method for electromagnetic welding of two contacted surfaces of molded parts. The tooling includes a rubber body and pressurizing means for pressurizing the rubber body and applying pressure to the contacted surfaces. The rubber body includes an embedded stiff body shaped such as to define different rubber body thicknesses in different directions, which causes a different pressure build-up in the different directions. A method for manufacturing the tooling. The tooling may be used in electromagnetic welding of two contacted surfaces of molded parts by moving a joining inductor along the contacted surfaces, generating an electromagnetic field in an induction-sensitive component of the molded parts to heat a thermally activated coupling means of the molded parts to above a melting temperature of the coupling means.

Described is a heating means for thermally connecting two objects each having a plastic material, wherein, during the connecting, a first inner object is surrounded at least partially by a second outer object, and the heating means surrounds the first inner object at least partially along a complete circumferential course around the first inner object, and is located between the first inner object and the second outer object. The heating means has a ribbon-type structure. The ribbon-type structure has an auxiliary heating material, which is inductively heatable, wherein the auxiliary heating material is spatially distributed or arranged along the circumferential course such that an electrical conductivity is interrupted at at least one position along the complete circumferential course around the first inner object. Further described are an arrangement and a system each having such a heating means as well as a method for thermally connecting two plastic objects.

Described is a heating means for thermally connecting two objects each having a plastic material, wherein, in the connecting, a first inner object is surrounded at least partially by a second outer object, and the heating means is located between the first inner object and the second outer object. The heating means has a ribbon-type structure, in which a plurality of openings is formed. These openings are dimensioned such that molten-on plastic material of the first inner object and/or of the second outer object can intrude and can connect to molten-on plastic material of the respective other object. Alternatively or in combination, the openings are filled with a plastic material, which can connect to molten-on plastic material of the first inner object and/or of the second outer object. The ribbon-type structure has a ferromagnetic material, which is inductively heatable and which has a Curie temperature that is lower than 460° C. and/or that is adapted to the melting temperature of the first inner object and/or of the second outer object. There is further described a welded arrangement as well as a welding system having such a heating means as well as a method for thermally connecting two objects each having a plastic material.

A device comprising at least one pressure generation unit and a heating unit, the heating unit comprising a two-sided inductor and being configured to generate a uniform alternating magnetic field in an assembly comprising two parts made of composite materials comprising carbon fibers embedded in a resin and a field absorber. The field absorber is configured to absorb the magnetic field and comprising a ferromagnetic material. The field absorber is arranged at the contact walls of the two parts, so as to heat them to at least a transformation temperature of the resin.

Disclosed herein are methods, devices, and systems for manufacturing wind turbine blades which in some instances require using new blade joint designs. The blade joint designs described herein may allow for contact in places where welds will be made, which allows for existing manufacturing tolerances to be used while still enabling the use of thermal welding for wind turbine blades.