To provide a balloon catheter and an apparatus and method for manufacturing the balloon catheter, whereby the degree of welding can be appropriately adjusted and the balloon catheter can be formed so as to have a desired surface profile suitable for various uses including medical use. With a shaft 14 inserted through a catheter tube 30a inserted into an end portion 28b of a balloon and also with a pressure tube 32a fitted around a welding section where the end portion 28b of the balloon 28 is lapped over the catheter tube 30a, the shaft 14 is heated by emitting laser light from a laser radiation unit 8 to the welding section while the shaft 14 is rotated by a chuck, to weld the welding section.

There is provided a technique that readily performs positioning of a joining member relative to a strip member during conveyance. A joining device 100 joins a gas diffusion layer 7 with a first catalyst electrode layer 2 of a strip body 5r which is a continuous strip member of a membrane electrode assembly 5, while conveying the strip body 5r. A controller 101 of the joining device 100 obtains a detection time t.sub.d based on a detection signal of a catalyst layer detector 130 when a front end 3e of a second catalyst electrode layer 3 placed on the strip body 5r passes through a detection point DP. The controller 101 subsequently obtains a joining position reach time t.sub.t based on the detection time t.sub.d when the gas diffusion layer 7 reaches a press point PP of joining rollers 152. The controller 101 starts conveying the gas diffusion layer 7 by means of a transfer at a conveying start time t.sub.s that is obtained based on the joining position reach time t.sub.t and a specified speed pattern of the transfer 141.

A resin pipe 30 and a resin member 31 are fixed to a setting portion 5 provided on the front side of a base 6, and a timing pulley 13 which is provided on the back side of the base 6 and to which a light emission unit 3 is attached is rotated. As a result, the light emission unit 3 applies laser light 20 to a junction 32 between the resin pipe 30 and the resin member 31 while revolving around the junction 32. This makes it easy to fuse and join the entire outer circumferential surface of the resin pipe 30 with the entire inner circumferential surface of the resin member 31, which are variously shaped and sized.

A resin pipe 30 and a resin member 31 are fixed to a setting portion 5 provided on the front side of a base 6, and a timing pulley 13 which is provided on the back side of the base 6 and to which a light emission unit 3 is attached is rotated. As a result, the light emission unit 3 applies laser light 20 to a junction 32 between the resin pipe 30 and the resin member 31 while revolving around the junction 32. This makes it easy to fuse and join the entire outer circumferential surface of the resin pipe 30 with the entire inner circumferential surface of the resin member 31, which are variously shaped and sized.

Invention relating to a method for controlling an ultrasonic machining, in which an ultrasonic vibration is transmitted via a sonotrode into the material to be machined. During the first machining interval, a first welding variable of the group S, consisting of the frequency f and the amplitude ü of the ultrasonic vibration, the force F, which the sonotrode exerts on the material to be machined, the power P, which the generator delivers, and the speed v, with which the sonotrode is moved in the direction of the material to be machined, is kept constant until a first target variable of the group Z adopts a predetermined value. During an adjoining second machining interval, a second welding variable of the group S is kept constant until a second target variable of the group Z adopts a predetermined value, wherein the first and the second target variable differ.

Apparatus for forming transversal welds on a composite web material, comprising at least two superimposed sheets of material, suitable for use in the production of sanitary articles, comprising: a feeding unit including first and second feeding means configured to advance the composite web along a main straight direction X at a speed V.sub.1. an ultrasonic welding unit 80 arranged between the first and second feeding means, comprising at least one ultrasound source coupled to a sonotrode having a flat welding surface and an anvil unit having at least one anvil element movable along a closed path, which has a straight portion parallel to the main direction X.

An ultrasonic welding system includes a movable ultrasonic welding stack for applying vibrational energy to a workpiece. A motion control system controls the motion of the ultrasonic welding stack and one or more sensors sense a control variable and output a corresponding control signal. A controller provides control inputs, based on the control signal, to the motion control system and causes, following initiation of a welding operation, an automatic change of speed of motion of the ultrasonic welding stack. The automatic change of the speed is a function of at least one control variable until the control variable reaches a predetermined value.

A piece insertion method for a pipe, for example an irrigation pipe, including: ejecting at least one piece, for example a dripper, from an ejection unit, advancing the at least one dripper inside the irrigation pipe by a dripper advancing unit, lifting the dripper towards the inner surface of the irrigation pipe by using a lifting device such that the dripper is parallel or substantially parallel to this inner surface of the irrigation pipe on impact with this inner surface. The method according to the invention allows also coordination between the lifting device, the ejection unit and the dripper advancing unit such that the dripper spacing can be maintained in tight tolerances.

An ultrasonic welding system includes a motion control system that is coupled to and that causes controlled movement of an ultrasonic welding stack, in accordance with control inputs that are based on one or more control signals that are received from one or more sensors. The motion control system initiates a welding operation, subsequent to which an initial motion delay occurs until a predetermined condition is satisfied. Subsequently, in response to the predetermined condition being satisfied, the ultrasonic welding stack is caused to move in accordance with a weld profile. Subsequently, in response to an occurrence of a predetermined delay initiating condition, the ultrasonic welding stack is caused to stop motion and to maintain a stationary position. Subsequently, in response to an occurrence of a predetermined delay terminating condition, motion of the ultrasonic welding stack is resumed in accordance with the weld profile.

An ultrasonic welding system includes a motion control system that is coupled to and that causes controlled movement of an ultrasonic welding stack, in accordance with control inputs that are based on one or more control signals that are received from one or more sensors. The motion control system initiates a welding operation, subsequent to which an initial motion delay occurs until a predetermined condition is satisfied. Subsequently, in response to the predetermined condition being satisfied, the ultrasonic welding stack is caused to move in accordance with a weld profile. Subsequently, in response to an occurrence of a predetermined delay initiating condition, the ultrasonic welding stack is caused to stop motion and to maintain a stationary position. Subsequently, in response to an occurrence of a predetermined delay terminating condition, motion of the ultrasonic welding stack is resumed in accordance with the weld profile.