The present invention relates to a method for evaluating an assembly by welding of parts made of thermoplastic materials, to a test piece and its associated uses, to an installation for implementing this method and to the associated welding system.

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 separation welding device for the sectional joining and sectional separation of weldable film layers includes a temperature-controlled working surface that is designed to support joinable and separable film layers and further includes an electrical heating device as well as a counterholder for sectionally applying pressure to the joinable and separable film layers, which delimits a variably adjustable working gap with the working surface and that includes two mutually spaced joining stamps and one separating stamp arranged between the joining stamps wherein the separating stamp and/or at least one joining stamp is moveably attached to the counterholder wherein provision can be made for the separating stamp and/or the joining stamp to each be assigned a force sensor and/or a motion sensor to calculate a separation sequence determined by the separating stamp and/or a joining sequence determined by the joining stamp.

An apparatus comprising a packaging machine, which comprises a control unit having a process parameter generator designed to determine specific process parameters for a production process of the packaging machine. The control unit of the packaging machine also comprises a recipe generator for an adjustment process of the packaging machine preceding the production process or can be connected to a recipe generator of the apparatus, which generator is designed as a separate unit. The respective recipe generator comprises a set of rules for determining recipe variables for the adjustment process of the packaging machine and is designed to generate the recipe variables with reference to a plurality of data and to form therefrom a recipe data set for the adjustment process of the packaging machine. A method for using the apparatus is also included.

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 packaging machine comprising a control unit, a plurality of measuring devices and a plurality of working units for different process. The control unit is functionally connected to the working units and to the measuring devices. The measuring devices may detect actual process values at the respective working units and forwarding these values to the control unit for monitoring the respective working units. The control unit may create a specific program sequence for each of the individual working units and/or a program sequence coordinated with respect to the working units, by comparing the actual process values from the respective measuring devices with associated target process values from a memory. The individual working units may function according to this program sequence, depending on the actual process values detected at these working units, and/or the working units are coordinated with one another based on the actual process values.

A packaging machine, comprising a control unit, a plurality of measuring devices and a plurality of working units for different processes. The control unit is functionally connected to the working units and the measuring devices. A work cycle at the packaging machine comprises at least a first functional process and a second functional process at one or at different working units, the second functional process starting later than the first functional process. The control unit may execute an early start for the second functional process of a working unit, when an actual process value of the preceding first functional process of the program sequence of one of the working units has not yet reached the respective target process value. The control unit may control the early start of the second functional process based on an approximation method for predetermining the temporal end of the first functional process.

A packaging machine, comprising a control unit, at least one measurement device and a plurality of work units for different processes. One of the work units is designed as a sealing station which comprises at least one moisture sensor designed as the measurement device which is functionally connected to the control unit and is designed to detect moisture within the sealing station as a time-dependent measured variable during a program sequence of the sealing station. The program sequence may comprise an evacuation process, wherein the control unit is designed to calculate a rate of change in the moisture during the evacuation process of the sealing station. The control unit may abort the evacuation process performed on the sealing station, based on the rate of change, before reaching a target vacuum pressure within the sealing station, immediately or after a specified delay time elapses.

A flexible bonding roll including one or more pressure applying members is configured to operatively engage an anvil roll. The one or more pressure applying members include one or more spring elements. The spring elements allow for the one or more pressure applying members to compress as the pressure applying members are engaged by the outer circumferential surface of the anvil roll. The compression of the pressure applying members allows for relatively reduced damage of substrates and equipment during bonding.

A flexible bonding roll including one or more pressure applying members is configured to operatively engage an anvil roll. The one or more pressure applying members include one or more spring elements. The spring elements allow for the one or more pressure applying members to compress as the pressure applying members are engaged by the outer circumferential surface of the anvil roll. The compression of the pressure applying members allows for relatively reduced damage of substrates and equipment during bonding.