Ultrasonic welding is a common way for goods manufacturers to fuse pieces together and is usually used to weld plastics and metal, it can also be used with pieces that are different materials. This method was developed in the 1960s for use on rigid plastics and is now used to assemble electronics, electric motors and much more.
How Does It Work?
In this type of welding, the pieces you want to fuse together are held in place under pressure and subjected to subsonic vibrations which cause localized melting of the materials, when they have solidified again the pieces are joined together with a weld. Manufacturers use a press to apply pressure and set the pieces in a nest to help direct the sound waves to the join spot as well as an ultrasonic stack to produce the vibrations. The equipment for this type of welding includes Branson ultrasonic converters, boosters and power generators which can be used for welding, liquid processing and lab equipment depending on the configuration.
What Is It Used On?
Ultrasonic welding is most effective on thinner materials and can be channeled into incredibly small spaces, so it is often used in computer and electrical applications such as capacitors and diodes. You can also use this method to weld automotive instrument panels, product packaging and medical equipment. Since ultrasonic welding is relatively easy to automate and does not introduce contaminants into the weld, it is a favorite method to produce medical pipettes, arterial filters and dialysis tubes.
The development of ultrasonic welding has made manufacturing and packaging items made of various plastics and thin metals more efficient and it can be used in several industries. This welding type harnesses subsonic vibrations to melt and fuse pieces together which are too small or complex for other welding methods and is well suited to automation and cleanroom applications.
