A system and method for thermoplastic composite welding comprising a cooling means and a heat source. The cooling means cools a heat-side laminate so as to create a thermal gradient in the heat-side laminate. The heat source heats the heat-side laminate after the cooling step is initiated but before the thermal gradient dissipates so that a first side of the heat-side laminate closer to the heat source does not deform as faying surfaces of the heat-side laminate and another laminate farther away from the heat source are welded together.

A horizontal pillow packing apparatus includes a center sealer configured to wrap a packing target object by bringing both end portions of a back surface of a belt-shaped film in a width direction into contact with each other and seal a center seal portion at which the both end portions of the back surface in the width direction are in contact with each other, and an end sealer configured to seal and cut both side portions of the belt-shaped film wrapping the packing target object in the width direction. The center sealer includes at least two pairs of heating rollers configured to nip and heat the center seal portion of the belt-shaped film wrapping the packing target object, and a pair of compression rollers configured to cool and compress, to bond the center seal portion, the center seal portion heated by the at least two pairs of heating rollers.

A method and apparatus for sealing a bag made of a polymeric material by applying heat activated layers on different portions of the bag, wherein the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer have respective heat activation temperatures below the softening point temperature of the polymeric material; after creasing the bag along a fold line, applying heat at a temperature below the softening point temperature of the polymeric material to activate the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer to adhesive states after the bag has been filled with contents; and folding the bag to form an adhesive-to adhesive seal by contact between the heat activated first adhesive layer and the heat activated second adhesive layer.

A system and method for thermoplastic composite welding comprising a cooling means and a heat source. The cooling means cools a heat-side laminate so as to create a thermal gradient in the heat-side laminate. The heat source heats the heat-side laminate after the cooling step is initiated but before the thermal gradient dissipates so that a first side of the heat-side laminate closer to the heat source does not deform as faying surfaces of the heat-side laminate and another laminate farther away from the heat source are welded together.

A horizontal packaging machine (M) for packaging a product (P) fed in a horizontal direction (X) comprises a cut-sew group (22) for making on a packaging film (F) transverse welds and a cut to close and separate from each other two successive packs (C1, C2, C3, C4), wherein the cut-sew group (22) comprises a plurality of cut and sew tools (U1, U2, U3) for making the transverse welds and the cut, wherein the transverse welds define the edges of the packs (C1, C2, C3, C4) according to different packaging sizes for the product (P), wherein the cut-sew group (22) comprises an upper shaft (AS) and a lower shaft (AI) driven in rotation independently by means of a respective upper motor (MS) and a respective lower motor (MI), in which each shaft (AS, AI) mounts on it the plurality of cut and sew tools (U1, U2, U3) and in which each cut and sew tool (U1, U2, U3) is composed of an upper tool (US) and a corresponding lower tool (U1). In particular, the horizontal packaging machine (M) includes compensation means of the mutual distance (MMV, PE, P1, P2, CT, FL) between the two shafts (AS, AI) with micrometric adjustment of the distance to compensate for thermal expansion and use of packaging film (F) of different thickness.

A horizontal pillow packing apparatus includes a center sealer configured to wrap a packing target object by bringing both end portions of a back surface of a belt-shaped film in a width direction into contact with each other and seal a center seal portion at which the both end portions of the back surface in the width direction are in contact with each other, and an end sealer configured to seal and cut both side portions of the belt-shaped film wrapping the packing target object in the width direction. The center sealer includes at least two pairs of heating rollers configured to nip and heat the center seal portion of the belt-shaped film wrapping the packing target object, and a pair of compression rollers configured to cool and compress, to bond the center seal portion, the center seal portion heated by the at least two pairs of heating rollers.

A system and method for thermoplastic composite welding comprising a cooling means and a heat source. The cooling means cools a heat-side laminate so as to create a thermal gradient in the heat-side laminate. The heat source heats the heat-side laminate after the cooling step is initiated but before the thermal gradient dissipates so that a first side of the heat-side laminate closer to the heat source does not deform as faying surfaces of the heat-side laminate and another laminate farther away from the heat source are welded together.

The present disclosure relates more to processes for making a filter element that includes a filter membrane having a strip of thermoplastic polymer material laminated thereto, for example, as a strip along an edge of the filter membrane. For example, one such process includes providing a sheet of filter membrane having a first surface and an opposed second surface; providing a strip of thermoplastic polymer material having a first surface and an opposed second surface; contacting the first surface of the strip of thermoplastic polymer material with the first surface of the filter membrane; and softening the strip of thermoplastic polymer material at at least its first surface by irradiation with laser radiation; such that the softened polymer material of the first surface of the strip of thermoplastic polymer material bonds to the first surface of the filter membrane upon hardening.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods of protecting the outer surface of a cylinder for containing fluid. The cylinder includes a heat shrinkable polymer sleeve configured to shrink onto the cylinder with the application of heat. The apparatuses include and a ventilated enclosure having a heating assembly configured to distribute heat gradually or in increments to the shrinkable polymer sleeve.

An apparatus for welding polymeric pipes such as pipe segments in a pipeline welds first and second pipes around a circumferential weld zone and has one or more welding heads, a carriage for guiding the one or more welding heads around the circumferential weld zone and a drive arrangement for effecting relative rotation between the pipes and the or each welding head. The or each of the welding heads has a body and a heating element carried by the body for supplying heat to the circumferential weld zone to cause melting thereof. The heating element is arranged to reciprocate relative to the body of the welding head between a retracted and an extended configuration such that as the heating element moves from the retracted to the extended configuration the heating element melts and penetrates the surface of the circumferential weld zone forming a weld.