An alternative to ultrasonic welding of plastics - laser welding of plastics

When it comes to plastic welding, the first thing that probably comes to your mind is probably ultrasonic welding. It鈥檚 the fastest plastic welding technology. But just because it鈥檚 popular doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 the best choice for every application. It has many benefits, but it also has some disadvantages. If ultrasonic welding isn鈥檛 the best choice for you, what can you do?

Advantages of Ultrasonic Welding

鈻?Medium-sized parts: Ultrasonic welding has size limitations. Can you hold the part easily in your hand, is the part too big or too small to fit together? If you can鈥檛 handle it with your hands and fingers, ultrasonic welding may not be your best choice.

鈻?amp;nbsp;Spot welding with a robot: Ultrasonics are fast, but require expensive generators to drive each spot. With a horn on the end of the robot, you can quickly move from one spot to another, as each weld only takes a few seconds.

鈻?amp;nbsp;Tight budgets: In some applications, ultrasonic welding can be a cost-effective way to combine plastics together. The technology is mature, and competition has driven component prices down.

Disadvantages and Alternatives to Ultrasonic Welding

鈻?amp;nbsp;Cleanliness requirements: Because ultrasonic welding is a vibrating process, it often generates fine dust. This is also known as particulate matter. If your welding application requires cleanliness, laser welding may be a better choice.

鈻?amp;nbsp;Sensitive components: For sensitive components such as PCBs, small fluid channels, and precision optics, controlling weld depth and energy is critical. If too much energy is applied to a part, it can break, small fluid channels can fill up, and precision optics can be inaccurate. Ultrasonics are difficult to control in these precision applications. This is where laser welding provides enough precision control and allows you to get into the weld quickly or slowly as needed.

鈻?amp;nbsp;Soft materials: Ultrasonic welding works by vibrating and creating molecular friction in the parts being joined. This can be a challenge if the parts are soft, such as polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE). Soft materials such as polymers do not dissolve well after vibration. You can try hot plate welding or plastic laser welding equipment.

鈻?amp;nbsp;Large parts: Ultrasonic welding cannot weld large parts due to the limitations of ultrasonic molds. There are several alternatives that are more suitable for large parts such as laser welding and hot plate welding.