A process for welding a first molding to a second molding. The process uses an implement including first and second external surfaces. Each external surface further includes a duct. An end of the first molding is heated by a hot gas while the end is at a distance from the duct-entry plane in the range from 3 mm outside the duct to 10 mm inside the duct. A junction area of the second molding is heated by a hot gas while the junction area is at a distance from the duct-entry plane in a range from 3 mm outside the duct to 10 mm inside the duct. The heated end and the heated junction area are then brought into contact with one another and cooled, forming a weld between the first molding and the second molding. Also disclosed is a welded molding obtainable by the process of the invention.

A method for inserting an insert into a hole in a composite material made from a plurality of carbon fiber layers suspended in a resin material includes lowering a temperature of the insert to a reduced temperature at which a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material of the insert causes the insert to contract to a first perimeter, inserting the insert at the reduced temperature into the hole, and permitting the temperature of the insert to increase from the reduced temperature to an operational temperature. At the operational temperature, the insert expands to a second perimeter so that the insert is retained within the composite material due to an interference between the insert and the composite material. The interference transfers a structural load from the insert to the composite material and results in damage to the composite material if the insert is dislodged at the operational temperature.

Methods and apparatus for bonding a strand of a yarn to a strand of a thermoplastic to form a bonded yarn. The bonded yarn may be used to weave a bonded fabric.

A welding method for producing an integral bond of fiber-reinforced plastics parts includes a welding head penetrating one of the plastics parts. The method includes reinforcing at least a first plastics part by a plurality of directional fibers. The re-inforcing fibers reorient themselves within the connection region without severing or breaking.

A method of fabricating a composite joint from a first cured composite component (13) and a second cured composite component (14), the first and second cured composite components (13, 14) comprising fiber elements embedded in a thermoset resin matrix; the method comprising the steps of providing an adhesive (15) on at least one of the first and/or second composite components (13, 14); forming a joint region between the first and second composite component by bringing the first and second composite component into contact with each other with the adhesive (15) therebetween; applying a force to the joint region (16, 17); and heating the first composite component in the joint region to a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the thermoset resin matrix of the first composite component.

An article of manufacture that has at least three layers of heat sealable material. There is at least one first heat seal between at least two of the layers in a first area effected at a first temperature. There is also at least one second heat seal between at least two more layers, where at least one of these two layers is distinct from the at least two layers joined by the first heat seal, in a second area effected at a second temperature, where the second temperature is different than the first temperature, thereby allowing for heat sealing of discrete areas of the article in discrete steps.

An exterior body panel assembly having a Class A painted surface, mold-in color or non-Class A surface, and process of infrared welding components of the assembly. Panels of the assembly are placed on a nesting structure and the inside half of the structures are brought together with the other for a fit check. Panels are separated and an infrared heating fixture then heats the various areas to be heated on the panels. The areas on the panels are heated depending on the thicknesses of the parts at each area and surface geometries to be welded. The parts are immediately clamped back together under pressure for joining and cooling of the joined surfaces in the clamped arrangement.

A microcatheter comprising an elongate flexible tubular body, a tip body and a coupling is disclosed. The elongate flexible tubular body has a proximal end, a distal end and at least one lumen extending axially therethrough. The tip body has a proximal end and a distal end and a lumen extending axially therethrough. The coupling covers a portion of both the tubular body and tip body and is made from a first material and a second material, where the first material is different from the second material. The first material is compatible with an outermost layer of the tubular body and an outermost layer of the tip body, and the second material is configured to form a detachable bond with at least one of the tubular body and the tip body.

The invention relates to a method for the integral bonding of two workpieces made from different types of thermoplastic polymers with the help of a preferably thermoplastic polymer primer as bonding layer, comprising the following steps: providing a first workpiece made from a thermoplastic polymer having a first edge layer; providing a second workpiece made from a thermoplastic polymer having a second edge layer, said thermoplastic polymer being of a different type to the thermoplastic polymer of the first workpiece; preheating the first edge layer; applying the primer on the preheated first edge layer, wherein, during the application of the primer, the preheated first edge layer has a temperature in the range between the extrapolated onset of the glass transition temperature for amorphous plastics or the peak starting temperature of the melting region for partially crystalline plastics and the step starting temperature of the disintegration of the thermoplastic polymer of the first edge layer; bringing the first edge layer provided with the primer into contact with the second edge layer; and integral bonding of the first edge layer with the second edge layer.

An exterior body panel assembly having a Class A painted surface, mold-in color or non-Class A surface, and process of infrared welding components of the assembly. Panels of the assembly are placed on a nesting structure and the inside half of the structures are brought together with the other for a fit check. Panels are separated and an infrared heating fixture then heats the various areas to be heated on the panels. The areas on the panels are heated depending on the thicknesses of the parts at each area and surface geometries to be welded. The parts are immediately clamped back together under pressure for joining and cooling of the joined surfaces in the clamped arrangement.