Welding and assembly systems.

A&A ELECTRONIC DIE CO. DIV. OF U.S. STEEL RULE DIE CO., INC 

Dielectric welding equipment for welding supported and unsupported EVA, PVC, PET, PETG films, urethane, and coated fabrics.

AIR HYDRAULICS CO., INC.

Heat-staking systems include standard presses from 0.25 to 8 tons with rigid frame and positive-locking depth-control stops with sensors to prevent overheating.

Hot-air staking systems use tightly controlled superheated hot air to melt studs and an air-cooled staking peen to cold-form heads. Cold-staking systems include pneumatic and hydraulic presses from 0.5 through 60 tons. Also automatic insertion systems for installing threaded female fasteners and studs.

ALLOYD CO.

RF sealing equipment from 0.9 to 60 kw includes appropriate generator and press best suited to application, along with production tooling. Builds equipment for fabricating medical disposables, clamshell and blister packaging, and for automotive-OEM and aftermarket.

AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

ST40 40-kHz ultrasonic tube sealer adapts to most filling machines, seals up to 80 tubes/min, and includes date-coding and trimming station.

AMPAK DIV. HEAT SEAL LLC 

Jaw-type heat-sealing equipment for bag-making applications. SureSeal system handles PVC, PE, and other films from 0.0005- to 0.008-in. in thickness. Also equipment for blister forming and sealing of PVC, PET and PETG films; skin-packaging machinery from 18 x 24 in. to 36 x 72 in. card sizes; and Spirad heaters.

ARMAC INDUSTRIES, CO.

Model 1216 blister sealer automatically feeds blisters into nesting trays, picks and places cards, provides a positive seal, and ejects the finished package. Camco six-position drive ensures index accuracy with smooth acceleration and deceleration. Toggle-activated seal head affords higher pressure for a more uniform seal. Cycle rates to 20 cpm.

ATLAS-VAC MACHINE DIV. OF PLANET PRODUCTS

Tray sealers, blister sealers, heat sealers, discrete product-handling equipment and process automation for medical device and hygienic applications.

BIELOMATIK INC.

Standard and custom hot-plate, linear vibration and laser welding systems. Control software for Laser Tec laser welding units upgraded to make weld-by-depth feasible. Fuel tank automated finishing lines. Full technical design support and fully equipped laboratory.

BRANSON ULTRASONICS CORP.

Range of 15-, 20-, 30-, and 40-kHz ultra-sonic systems with 150- to 6000-w power for most assemblies including welding, staking, spot welding, inserting, swaging and degating. Integrated welders and component systems available for manual or automated lines. Ultrasonic trim knife and hand-held units. On-site and remote ultrasonic tooling manufacturing.

Advanced power supplies provide precise control of process variables and weld quality, reducing standard deviation and increasing Cpk index of welding. Major features include line/load regulation, electronic amplitude control, Autotune plus Memory (AT/M), and Auto Seek. Touchscreen models available for easier setup and operation.

Current 2000 Series microprocessor-controlled systems feature multiple welding modes such as time, energy, time/energy compensation, welding by distance (absolute and collapse), force, and continuous and amplitude stepping.

Vibration welding equipment for parts from 6 sq in. to 48 x 20 in. Linear friction welding is effective on parts with complex geometry and resins that are difficult to weld with ultrasonics. Hy-Line series linear vibration welders include on-board computer for monitoring parameters and controlling machine functions.

Also orbital vibration welding, a friction process that uses constant-velocity orbital motion to weld materials with as little as 30-mil part-to-part clearance; hot-plate welding, a direct thermal welding technique suitable for complex, irregular shapes (joint can be curved in all planes); spin welding suitable for circular parts with final orientation within 1[degrees], and thermal welding.

A new process, laser IRAM welding, passes laser radiation through one plastic component (transmissive component) into a second where it is absorbed to melt the interface (absorptive component). Process is accurate, noninvasive, controllable, and clean. Can be used with dissimilar materials. Two IR-transmissive parts may be laser welded using IR-absorbing products developed by Gentex Corp.

COSMOS ELECTRONIC MACHINE CORP.

Full line of RF welding equipment with generators from one kw to 50 kw. Full PLC controls as well as complete automated systems that include robotic feeders, strippers, cutting and punching stations. Available for use with turntables, shuttles or in-line indexers. In-house RF tool manufacturing facility available for full turnkey projects. Also available from Kabar Manufacturing Corp.

DRADER INJECTIWELD INC.

Manufactures welding equipment and supplies. Injectiweld is an easy-to-use one-hand operated injection welder and is used for repair, fabrication and prototyping. Unit has a hot tip that melts the parent plastic material and injects a high-pressure shot of molten plastic into the weld zone.

DUKANE CORP. ULTRASONICS DIV.

Provider of plastic assembly systems for welding of thermoplastics. Standard line of ultrasonic, vibration, hot-plate, spin welders, laser welders provides solutions for customer requirements. Line also includes film and fabric sewing and slitting machines and custom automated assembly systems.

Company offers application engineering, no-charge consultations, regional technical centers and a network of international offices. Also technical training programs and service and support.

ENERCON INDUSTRIES CORP.

Induction cap-sealing systems establish an electromagnetic field that heats foil in a cap liner to create a hermetic seal. Seal prevents leakage, preserves product freshness and provides tamper-evident packaging. Systems include the portable Compak Jr. and Auto Jr. units, air-cooled Super Seal series (models 50, 75 and 100), Super Seal Max, and water-cooled Compak systems. Top-of-the-line Assists 2000 includes touchscreen control. A wide variety of power supplies employing both tunnel and flat-sealing heads for greater efficiency are available.

EXTOL INC.

Supplies infra-red heat-staking equipment, including standard single-head units with rotary parts-handling table and multi-head units for high-speed assembly.

FORWARD TECHNOLOGY

Stand-alone and automated plastic assembly and leak testing systems. Hot-plate welders (10 standard models) provide high-strength, hermetic seals, high production rates and can weld unusual part geometries. Servo, hydraulic and pneumatic models available for virtually all parts sizes.

Linear vibration welders (4 standard sizes) with patented two-pole digital servo drive and ultra-quiet sound enclosures offer precise welding control or large and small applications by allowing up to eight individual steps of time, collapse distance and absolute distance with variable force and amplitude each step. Hydraulic and pneumatic models available.

Servo or inertial spin welders (4 standard models) weld circular-joint parts at speeds from 500 to 16,000 rpm. Welding times are fast and units easily fitted with rotary tables for high-speed production. Servo and pneumatic models available

Ultrasonic welders include ultra-rigid microprocessor-controlled press systems, actuators, probes and power supplies (20, 35 and 70 kHz frequencies) with power ranging from 100 to 3000 w. Custom-built leak test systems designed to perform pressure decay, vacuum decay, chamber decay leak testing, occlusion or mass flow testing of production parts, and can also be equipped to perform electrical inspection, functional testing and inspect for sub-component presence. All test data can be exported to a data collection device or printer. Electronic Burst Test Systems are designed to test sample parts to failure or by cyclical testing in a contained environment with fluid (water/glycol mix).

H/A INDUSTRIES

Hot-air/cold-stake machines from table-tops to fully automated systems include a handheld unit with a variety of stake-head shapes for low production. Applications include heater duct assemblies, trim work on instrument panels, automobile and truck door assemblies, rubber gimp assemblies on taillights and steering columns, quarter-trim panel assemblies, glove-box doors, and registers on cluster bezels. Builds assembly systems for any type of clip application. Sonic welding fixtures, including foam to ABS and PP, eliminate the need for glue.

An infrared system to replace hot-plate welding and eliminate the need to touch parts in order to get the plastic heated for bonding is in development.

HELLERBOND

Equipment, bonding agents, and technology for high-speed induction bonding. Welds achieved by magnetically generated heat produced when magnetic particles in the bonding agent are exposed to an RF field. Bonding agent is applied as a liquid, hot melt, die-cut film, molded gasket, ribbon, filament, or coextrusion. Welded bonds are achieved in TP polyester, PC, PP, HDPE, nylon, PPO/PPE blends, FEP fluoropolymer, ABS, PVC, and many TP elastomers. Accelerated curing of epoxy adhesive available for joining SMC and other thermosets.

HERAEUS NOBLELIGHT INC.

Offers IR heating-staking systems, which are said to offer 50% shorter cycle times, reduced energy use, extended heater life and less heat in the workplace. Systems are a noncontact welding method that uses infrared heat to melt part surfaces prior to pressing them to form welds. Method is said to bond more strongly at lower cost than hotplate welding, and is also an alternative to super-heated air and cold metal heat-staking methods used in the automotive sector.

HERRMANN ULTRASONICS INC.

CNC ultrasonic welders for sealing and joining fabrics, thin films, and thermoplastic parts. Systems for continuous web applications feature a micro-gap controller and are available in 20 kHz for line speeds exceeding 600 ft/min. Standard systems for indexing in 35 kHz and 20 kHz outputs with 500- to 5000-watt configurations. Technology offers closed-loop, real-time frequency adjustment, proportional air-valve regulation, variable force control, and self-check diagnostics.

Welders can be calibrated for validation in ISO 9000 and FDA production environments.

HIGH FREQUENCY TECHNOLOGY

RF high-frequency plastic welders/sealers from 1-kw to 75-kw output with pneumatic or hydraulic presses. Supplies premachined brass electrode/die rule and diemaking apparatus for in-house fabrication of RF heat-sealing dies/electrodes.

HILL MACHINERY CO.

Welding equipment includes hot-air cold staking, ultrasonic welding, hot-plate welding, vibration and spin welding.

ITALIAN TRADE COMMISSION

Welding equipment from Italian companies includes heat sealing for film (bagmaking, wrapping); high-frequency welding for stationery, packaging, automotive parts, medical items, and inflatables; and ultrasonic welding for assembling molded and/or extruded parts.

KAMWELD TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Hot-air welders for tack and hand welding thermoplastics, including high-temperature materials. Standard hand-held models require compressed air and 110-v a-c (350 to 900 w). Portable models have built-in air compressor. Units and electric heating elements are stainless steel.

Standard tips and tools for tack welding or welding with round or triangular rods and flat strips, and a heating device for bending sheets.

KIEFEL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Thermo-contact welding, high-frequency (RF) sealing, and combination RF/contact-equipment for sealing a wide range of plastics. Inline, rotary and shuttle table configurations. Variety of levels of automation.

KOLBUS AMERICA, INC. COLPITT RF DIV.

Offers Colpitt RF welding systems include 4-, 6-, 8- and 10-station turntable models and in-line automated systems. Complete turnkey engineering services.

KVT TECHNOLOGIES DIV. OF EMERSON ELECTRIC CANADA LTD.

Hot-plate, ultrasonic, and spin welders; chipless boring of hollow containers; and hot-air/cold-staking machines. Specializes in systems for plastic fuel tanks and other automotive applications.

LARAMY PRODUCTS LLC

High-speed hot-gas welders feature six interchangeable "located-heat" elements with welding temperatures of 450 to 1150 F. Wattages are 250 to 750 with heat concentrated at tips for easy barrel handling. Also portable air compressors, extra-long barrels for high-heat applications, and a wide variety of tip configurations. Nitrogen-saving units reportedly can cut nitrogen consumption by 50%. Also equipment to bend and weld thermoplastic sheets for fabricating tanks, hoods, etc., along with contact welders for pipe.

LASER SOLUTIONS & SYSTEMS

Sealed C[O.sub.2] (5-500 watts) and Nd:Yag laser systems (diode and lamp pumped), laser tubes, XY and flying optics cutting tables, marking and engraving systems with on-the-fly technology. Laser systems with materials-handling capability both roll to roll and sheet-fed. DC-CW and RF pulsed lasers and hybrid systems with galvo and XY technology. Laser cutting, sealing, slitting, microdrilling, high-speed marking, barcoding, product identification, removing selective materials and kiss cutting. YAG marking systems for plastics and metals.

LASERQUIPMENT

Supplies diode, scanning laser welders in quasi-simultaneous (QS) and contour (K) versions for automotive, medical, optical and electronic welding. Top-down clamp design is said to allow units to mount easily to conveyor belts for use in compact, automated lines.

LEISTER TECHNOLOGIES LLC

Supplies the Novolas family of high-power laser-welding equipment. The C version does spot or contour welding, whereby laser energy is focused by optical devices on a stationary spot or contour. Parts are guided beneath laser fields using servo-driven x-y tables, joining parts along the entire weld line. The S model performs simultaneous welding, which focuses the laser beam on a line or curve covering many points simultaneously. The M (masking) system blocks part of the laser arc, allowing joining to be done in circle or spiral patterns suitable for complex geometries. Weld lines can be as narrow as four mils for micro-welding of medical parts.

LEPEL CORP.

Solid-state sealing systems from low-volume manual production to high-volume, automatic packaging. Sealing sizes from 5 mm diam. closures to 160 mm.

Induction heating power supplies and work-handling systems for bonding, and induction cap-sealing systems for hermetically sealing foil laminate membranes to plastic and glass containers.

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS TELSONIC

MTS Telsonic offers ultrasonic welding and slit-seal systems from Telsonic of Switzerland, including bench-top models with up to 6000-w power, plus hot-plate and spin-welding equipment.

MASTER APPLIANCE CORP.

Heavy-duty, industrial-quality heat guns feature a universal motor for high-speed performance, die-cast aluminum housing, externally replaceable carbon brushes, non-slip adjustable stand, off-cool-hot switch, reinforced mica-insulated ceramic heating element, and 6 ft. cordset. With temperatures to 1000 F models are 120 v, UL-listed and CSA-certified.

MS PLASTIC WELDERS INC.

Global supplier of multihead ultrasonic welding machines primarily for automotive door and instrument panels, bumper fascia, consoles and other interior and exterior parts.

MTS SYSTEMS CORP. MATERIALS TESTING DIV.

LW laser welding units use diode-type scanner lasers with 50- and 200-w power.

NATIONAL INSTRUMENT CO.

Thermal-impulse sealers for thermoplastic film. Sealing lengths to 24 in., producing 2mm-wide flat seals.

OLSEN MANUFACTURING CO., INC.

Spin welders from bench-type models to free-standing machines that weld up to 24-in.-diam, parts. Welders have dual palm buttons for safety when initiating weld cycle and a solid-state programmable controller. Basic spin welder is modular and can be incorporated into automated lines.

ORBITFORM

Thermuform thermoplastic forming and staking equipment, heat-staking machinery, assembly systems, staking presses; and forming, fastening and assembly systems.

PACKAGING AIDS CORP.

Line of heat sealers includes Audion Futura series of hand-held and table-top constant heat sealers; and Audion Pronto, Sealboy, Sealmaster, Super Poly, and FS-16 impulse sealers. Also a wide range of table-top sealers with or without vacuum or vacuum/gas flush capability. Custom built machines available.

SEELYE INC.

Offers hot-air thermoplastic welding equipment featuring a cooled barrel for operator safety.

SENCORP INC.

Laboratory equipment for heat sealing medical pouches and thermoformed trays. Features include digital control of temperature, pressure and dwell time and output ports for use in calibration and validation process. All equipment is fully validated and calibrated. New pass-through sealers with optional vacuum and gas flush.

SERVICE TECTONICS INC.

Fusion-bonding machine features accessible side platens for easy tooling changes. Hot-air staking machine in various sizes with available tooling.

SERVPAK CORP.

Table-top heat-sealers seal precut heat-sealable lids or films on a roll onto rigid or semi-rigid containers. Manually operated systems for low-volume production and pneumatically operated systems for lab applications. Special units designed to fit inside lab hoods for medical applications.

SONICS & MATERIALS INC.

Ultrasonic welders in 15, 20, and 40 kHz frequency. Electropress model features what is reportedly the only electric motor drive stand for welding high-precision, close-tolerance assemblies. Product line includes handheld, benchtop, rotary, and slimline actuator models. PC Card graphical interface allows for the design of ultrasonic horns.

Spin welders for assembling cylindrically shaped thermoplastic parts that may also require significant tooling relief.

Vibration welders for assembling large and irregularly shaped parts. Model EH 5020 offers a powerful drive mechanism, small footprint, and a large lift table.

Computer-controlled hot-plate welders offer high-strength welding capabilities and hermetic sealing.

SONOBOND ULTRASONICS, INC.

Ultrasonic assembly equipment for welding, staking, riveting and inserting. SureWeld bonding systems include conventional 20 kHz units with power levels from 800 to 3000 w; 35 kHz units from 400 to 900 w for smaller assemblies; and a 70-kHz, 90-w unit for welding and cutting miniature plastic components.

Sureweld 20 and 35 feature rectangular support columns to eliminate deflection, a built-in leveling plate, and a T slot and toe clamps to secure the workpiece, allowing for increased control and repeatable accuracy.

Power supplies for the welders can be attached, mounted separately, or integrated within the unit. Equipment is adaptable to accommodate multiple welding nests and is available in handheld models as well as modules for easy integration into production lines.

For cutting and sealing thin plastic films and fabrics, company offers SeamMaster line of ultrasonic "sewing" machines, slitters and a handheld cutter.

SPIROL INTERNATIONAL CORP.

Line of engineered fasteners and assembly equipment includes pin and insert installation equipment; vibratory parts-feeder equipment and systems; and low-cost assembly equipment for installation of inserts into thermoplastics by heat transfer. Heat-insert drivers enable easy and repeatable setups and provide greater in-process control. Preset, repeatable air pressure and temperature settings ensure uniform insert installation and maximum insert performance. Model HM drivers are for low-volume and prototype installations and Model HP drivers are for semi-automatic installations. HP drivers also adaptable for simultaneous installation of multiple inserts. Model HA drivers suitable for high-volume automated installations.

STAPLA ULTRASONICS CORP.

Offers ultrasonic welding equipment. Recently introduced a controller that operates in multiple welding modes, using 20- and 50-kHz frequencies.

STELLAR PRODUCTS INC.

RF heat-sealing die and fixture manufacturer and designer for medical disposables, clamshell packages, inflatable bags and automotive products. Blister heat-sealing tools for PVC, PE and other films. Automated equipment for use with RF heat sealers including in-line indexers, rotary turntables, shuttles, temperature-controlled platens, and feeders. Thermoforming molds and accessories for thin film products and packaging.

TAUMEL ASSEMBLY SYSTEMS

Orbital head-forming machines can substitute for ultrasonic welding or heat staking of many thermoplastics. Cold form up to 0.625-in.-diam. pins, studs, posts, shafts, or bushings (round or rectangular) with pneumatic powered machines and up to 1.4-in-diam. with hydraulic machines. Infinitely adjustable forming pressure protects delicate components. Molded tabs, ridges, protrusions and integral projections can be formed-out to anchor components in position without affecting work area or parts.

THERMEX-THERMATRON, INC.

High-frequency dielectric heat-sealing equipment from one kw to 100 kw for welding, heat sealing, embossing, and die cutting supported and unsupported vinyls. Harmonic-free units are frequency stabilized. Accessories include board feeders, indexers, inserters, shuttles, turntables, temperature-controlled platens and tools, dies, and fixtures.

TOOLTEX INC.

Automated and stand-alone ultrasonic welding systems and tooling.

Also hot-plate welders, spin welders, heat-staking equipment, hot-air cold-staking systems, induction welding and insertion systems, and vibration welders and fixtures.

ULTRA SONIC SEAL CO.

Ultrasonic welding equipment in 15-, 20- and 40-kHz. Also tooling for welding, staking, forming, spot welding, inserting, tube sealing, and continuous film sealing. Equipment ranges from small hand-held units to large automated systems. Welding can be continuous, timed, depth-controlled, or microprocessor-controlled with q-c functions.

Spin-welding equipment in low-, medium-, high-torque settings for small to large round parts; vibration welding for large parts, and hot-plate welding for irregular-shaped parts.

ULTRASONICS FOR LESS

Zapper PW10 and PW20 ultrasonic welders. Model PW10 (1000 watts) for joining small plastic parts works best with easy-to-weld materials and heat staking applications. Model PW20 (2000 watts) for larger parts. High-energy output makes it suitable for high-speed, high-volume jobs, long linear welds and difficult-to-weld materials. Company also offers a complete line of standard tooling and accessories.

USF MACHINE SYSTEMS, INC.

High-efficiency RF heat-sealing equipment from one kw to 200 kw for sealing and embossing PVC films and coated fabrics. Also thermal contact welding of films. Ultrasonic welding of various films using a platen press design with work area up to 13 x 27 in.

VALAD ELECTRIC HEATING CORP.

Electric-impulse heat sealers with 14- and 18-in. jaws, manual heat sealers with 6-in. jaws, heat-sealing irons with heat controls, and heating elements for specialized sealing.

WEGENER NORTH AMERICA INC.

Hot-air hand-welding systems for rigid sheet and pipe fabrication; hot-air hand welders and automatic welders for industrial fabrics and single-ply roofing systems; and hot-air extrusion welders for rigid sheet and pipe fabrication. Also sheet butt welding and bending machinery.

ZED INDUSTRIES, INC.

Blister heat-sealing machines with platen/ seal area sizes from 10 x 10 in. to 25 x 50 in. Line of equipment from entry-level lab/test units to fully automated, computer controlled production systems; rotary format sealers; in-line sealers; shuttle sealers; and special units, which heat seal and trim/die cut. Seal and trim machines to 200 tons with platen areas from 8 x 10 in. to 60 x 72 in.

Complete in-line, form/fill/seal units with platen areas from 5 x 7 in. to 25 x 40 in. for hardware, pharmaceutical, medical, electronics, and toy applications.