Engineers have many options for welding plastic parts, including ultrasonic, vibration, laser and hot-plate welding. Two of the newest machines for joining plastic parts will be on display at The ASSEMBLY Show this fall.

Did you know plastic welding is the technology that keeps us safe almost daily? Before we dive deep into the different types of plastic welding at The ASSEMBLY Show workshop, Miranda Marcus lays out the basics of how and why plastic welding started in the first place. 

For more than 30 years, manufacturers have used infrared welding (IW) to assemble plastic components that are large, made of challenging materials or have high strength and hermetic requirements.

Laser welding is one of the newest technologies for joining thermoplastic parts. This noncontact process has many advantages. It’s fast and precise, and it doesn’t generate flash or particulates.

Ideally, every component in a plastic assembly would be made from the same material. However, cost, functional and aesthetic requirements often dictate that a mix of materials be used.

Food-borne illness is no laughing matter. In 1985, a listeriosis outbreak in Southern California killed as many as 40 people. The outbreak was eventually traced to a Mexican-style soft cheese contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.

In ultrasonic plastic welding, three process variables directly affect weld quality: amplitude, duration and force.

A lot can happen in 0.5 second, especially in the world of assembly. One or more rivets can be simultaneously inserted. Multiple beads of adhesive can be dispensed. And two thermoplastic pieces can be ultrasonically welded into a usable part.