Vibration welding of thermoplastics. Part I: Phenomenology of the welding process

In vibration welding of thermoplastics, frictional work done by vibrating two parts under pressure, along their common interface, is used to generate heat to effect a weld. The main process parameters in vibration welding are the weld frequency, the amplitude of the vibratory motion, the weld pressure, and the weld time. How these parameters affect weld quality, the conditions that result in the best welds, the weldability of dissimilar plastics, and the effect of fillers such as glass are of interest. To address these issues, a research vibration welding machine in which all the parameters can be independently and accurately controlled and monitored was designed and fabricated. The phenomenology of welding, as determined by experiments on the four thermoplastics polycarbonate, poly (butylene terephthalate), polyetherimide, and modified poly (phenylene oxide), is described.