An automatic welding machine, comprising a supporting frame and a tensioning device for reversibly joining at least two opposing booms to one another and applying a tension force between these, having an open position in which the opposing booms are separated from one another by a gap and a closed position in which the opposing booms are joined to one another and braced with respect to one another. One boom is mounted in a torsion-proof manner on the tensioning device and is pivotable in relation to the other boom and can be moved out of the open position into the closed position by the pivoting of the tensioning device. The tension force is generated by way of a spring-loaded element disposed on the tensioning device, wherein the spring-loaded element, at one end, is rigidly connected to a supporting element of the tensioning device and, at the other end, is pivotably mounted on the supporting frame by way of a double swivel joint, and the spring-loaded element is tensioned by the pivoting of the double swivel joint out of the open position into the closed position, whereby a torque is applied onto the pivotable boom.

A heat sealing apparatus includes: a first sealing unit and a second sealing unit which are provided to be capable of being opened and closed and perform a heat sealing process of a bag while nipping the bag in a state where the first sealing unit and the second sealing unit are arranged in a closed position with the bag positioned between the first sealing unit and the second sealing unit; and a heat shield member including a heat reflector which is provided to cover at least a part of the first sealing unit and the second sealing unit arranged in the closed position, at a position away from the first sealing unit and the second sealing unit.

A heat sealing machine may include a heater assembly, a heat plate lock assembly supporting a heat plate in proximity to the heater assembly, and a lock mechanism allowing the heat plate lock assembly to alternately open and close. The heat plate may be replaced by a second heat plate by moving the lock mechanism to a retracted position, moving a heat plate lock assembly to move the first heat plate away from the heater assembly, removing the first heat plate from the heat plate lock assembly, inserting the second heat plate into the heat plate lock assembly, moving the heat plate lock assembly to move the second heat plate into engagement with the heater assembly, and moving the lock mechanism to a locked position to maintain the engagement between the second heat plate and the heater assembly.

A first resin member including a first contact surface and formed of laser beam-transmissive resin and a second resin member including a second contact surface, which contacts the first contact surface, and formed of laser beam-absorbing resin are arranged one upon the other. A laser welding apparatus includes a clamping unit abutting the second resin member and applying clamping force to the second resin member, a laser emitter emitting laser beam, a laser controller controlling output of the laser beam, a displacement sensor measuring displacement of the second contact surface in stacking direction of the resin members, and a control unit controlling the clamping unit to adjust the clamping force corresponding to displacement amount of the second contact surface continuously or intermittently obtained from the displacement sensor.

A method of producing a golf ball applies ultrasonic welding on two half shells to form at least one intermediate layer, at least one cover layer, or at least one intermediate layer and at least one cover layer. The ultrasonic welding may include pressing the two half shells together, delivering a high power electrical signal to a welding stack, and converting the high power electrical signal at the welding stack to ultrasonic energy. The converting may include converting the high power electrical signal into a mechanical vibration, modifying an amplitude of the mechanical vibration to generate a modified mechanical vibration, and applying the modified mechanical vibration to an interface of the two half shells to weld them together ultrasonically. Aspects also relate to golf balls, or one or more layers thereof, made using ultrasonic welding.

A heat-resistant release sheet includes a heat-resistant release sheet to be disposed between a compression bonding target and a thermocompression head at the time of thermocompression-bonding the compression bonding target by the thermocompression head to prevent fixation between the compression bonding target and the thermocompression head, wherein surface hardness, as expressed in an indentation degree A.sub.300 given by an equation A.sub.300 (%)=(d.sub.300/t.sub.0)×100, of the heat-resistant release sheet at 300° C. is 15% or less, where to is a thickness of the heat-resistant release sheet at ordinary temperature (20° C.) and d.sub.300 is an indentation depth evaluated for the heat-resistant release sheet at 300° C. using a penetration probe by thermomechanical analysis (TMA) under the following measurement conditions: • Measurement mode: penetration mode, temperature rise measurement—Shape and tip diameter of penetration probe: columnar shape and 1 mmφ •Applied pressure: 1 MPa—Starting temperature and temperature increase rate: 20° C. and 10° C./min.

An apparatus for applying the film to the substrate includes a bed having a substrate placement surface and a selectively positionable tack bar, a roller support moveable over the span of the bed, and including the location of the positioning bar, and a roller rotatably supported to the positioning bar and moveable over the bed in response to movement of the roller support with respect to the bed. In another aspect, the tack bar is of the same thickness, or slightly less thick, as the substrate onto which the film is to be applied, such that a portion of the film to be applied can be secured thereto and not on the substrate before the backing is removed from additional portions of the film, such that the tack bar supports an end of the film in substantially the plane of, or slightly below the plane of, the substrate.

A method of producing a golf ball applies ultrasonic welding on two half shells to form at least one intermediate layer, at least one cover layer, or at least one intermediate layer and at least one cover layer. The ultrasonic welding may include pressing the two half shells together, delivering a high power electrical signal to a welding stack, and converting the high power electrical signal at the welding stack to ultrasonic energy. The converting may include converting the high power electrical signal into a mechanical vibration, modifying an amplitude of the mechanical vibration to generate a modified mechanical vibration, and applying the modified mechanical vibration to an interface of the two half shells to weld them together ultrasonically. Aspects also relate to golf balls, or one or more layers thereof, made using ultrasonic welding.

A first resin member including a first contact surface and formed of laser beam-transmissive resin and a second resin member including a second contact surface, which contacts the first contact surface, and formed of laser beam-absorbing resin are arranged one upon the other. A laser welding apparatus includes a clamping unit abutting the second resin member and applying clamping force to the second resin member, a laser emitter emitting laser beam, a laser controller controlling output of the laser beam, a displacement sensor measuring displacement of the second contact surface in stacking direction of the resin members, and a control unit controlling the clamping unit to adjust the clamping force corresponding to displacement amount of the second contact surface continuously or intermittently obtained from the displacement sensor.

A heat plate lock assembly for a heat scaling machine may include clamp plates mounted on either side of a heater assembly that are movable relative to the heater assembly and engage and support a heat plate beneath a heater platen of the heater assembly. Lift arms may be mounted to and movable relative to the heater assembly, and operatively connected to the clamp plates so that movement of the lift arms causes movement of the clamp plates relative to the heater assembly. In an open position, the heat plate can be inserted between and removed from between the clamp plates. In a closed position, the clamp plates move the heat plate into contact with the heater platen and a lock mechanism engages the heater assembly to retain the heat plate lock assembly in the closed position.