Introduction to the welding of thermoplastic composites - A323
| Introduction to the welding of thermoplastic composites | |
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| Perspectives article | |
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| Document Type | Article |
| Document Identifier | 323 |
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Webinar Date
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Introduction[edit | edit source]
When fabricating a composite structure, subcomponents need to be assembled. For conventional thermoset composites, this is done using adhesive bonding or mechanical fastening. In the case of thermoplastic composites, welding, also called fusion bonding, can be used as a joining method.
Welding offers several advantages over the other joining methods as it is a fast process that does not require drilling holes in the parts. It consists of bringing together two thermoplastic composite parts and heating their interface above the polymer glass transition or melting temperature. The joining interface is then cooled down under pressure, resulting in a welded joint.
This talk introduces the fundamental mechanisms responsible for adhesion in any welding process. A review of various welding processes is then presented with special focus on resistance, induction and ultrasonic welding. Finally, joints quality characterization methods are discussed, and general welding guidelines are provided.
Presenter[edit | edit source]
Dr. Martine Dubé
Professeure / Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering / Département de génie mécanique, ÉTS (École de Technologie Supérieure)
Chaire de recherche en génie Marcelle-Gauvreau sur les matériaux composites respectueux de l’environnement / Marcelle-Gauvreau Engineering Research Chair in environmentally friendly composite materials
Polymer and Composite Engineering Laboratory / Laboratoire d’ingénierie des polymères et composites
Webinar[edit | edit source]
Webinar slides[edit | edit source]
Webinar slides available by clicking on the icon below
Additional information for select chapters[edit | edit source]
| Chapter | Chapter Title | Links to related information in the Knowledge in Practice Centre |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welcome & introductions | N/A |
| 2 | Knowledge in Practice Centre | |
| 3 | Overview | |
| 4 | Types of polymer matrices | |
| 5 | Typical joining methods for composites | N/A |
| 6 | Welding theory | |
| 7 | Welding theory: Intimate contact | Future Content |
| 8 | Welding theory: Healing | Future Content |
| 9 | Welding theory: Adhesion | Future Content |
| 10 | Welding theory: Residence time | Future Content |
| 11 | Welding theory: How to make a good weld (summary) | Future Content |
| 12 | Welding processes: Overview | Future Content |
| 13 | Welding processes: Ultrasonic welding | Future Content |
| 14 | Welding processes: Resistance welding | Future Content |
| 15 | Welding processes: Induction welding | Future Content |
| 16 | Summary of welding processes | Future Content |
| 17 | Mechanical characterization of joints | Future Content |
| 18 | Summary & wrap-up | N/A |
| 19 | Q&A | N/A |
Related pages
| Page type | Links |
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| Introduction to Composites Articles | |
| Foundational Knowledge Articles | |
| Foundational Knowledge Method Documents | |
| Foundational Knowledge Worked Examples | |
| Systems Knowledge Articles | |
| Systems Knowledge Method Documents | |
| Systems Knowledge Worked Examples | |
| Systems Catalogue Articles | |
| Systems Catalogue Objects – Material | |
| Systems Catalogue Objects – Shape | |
| Systems Catalogue Objects – Tooling and consumables | |
| Systems Catalogue Objects – Equipment | |
| Practice Documents | |
| Case Studies | |
| Perspectives Articles |
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| About | Help |
Welcome
Welcome to the CKN Knowledge in Practice Centre (KPC). The KPC is a resource for learning and applying scientific knowledge to the practice of composites manufacturing. As you navigate around the KPC, refer back to the information on this right-hand pane as a resource for understanding the intricacies of composites processing and why the KPC is laid out in the way that it is. The following video explains the KPC approach:
Understanding Composites Processing
The Knowledge in Practice Centre (KPC) is centered around a structured method of thinking about composite material manufacturing. From the top down, the heirarchy consists of:
- The factory
- Factory cells and/or the factory layout
- Process steps (embodied in the factory process flow) consisting of:
The way that the material, shape, tooling & consumables and equipment (abbreviated as MSTE) interact with each other during a process step is critical to the outcome of the manufacturing step, and ultimately critical to the quality of the finished part. The interactions between MSTE during a process step can be numerous and complex, but the Knowledge in Practice Centre aims to make you aware of these interactions, understand how one parameter affects another, and understand how to analyze the problem using a systems based approach. Using this approach, the factory can then be developed with a complete understanding and control of all interactions.
Interrelationship of Function, Shape, Material & Process
Design for manufacturing is critical to ensuring the producibility of a part. Trouble arises when it is considered too late or not at all in the design process. Conversely, process design (controlling the interactions between shape, material, tooling & consumables and equipment to achieve a desired outcome) must always consider the shape and material of the part. Ashby has developed and popularized the approach linking design (function) to the choice of material and shape, which influence the process selected and vice versa, as shown below:
Within the Knowledge in Practice Centre the same methodology is applied but the process is more fully defined by also explicitly calling out the equipment and tooling & consumables. Note that in common usage, a process which consists of many steps can be arbitrarily defined by just one step, e.g. "spray-up". Though convenient, this can be misleading.
Workflows
The KPC's Practice and Case Study volumes consist of three types of workflows:
- Development - Analyzing the interactions between MSTE in the process steps to make decisions on processing parameters and understanding how the process steps and factory cells fit within the factory.
- Troubleshooting - Guiding you to possible causes of processing issues affecting either cost, rate or quality and directing you to the most appropriate development workflow to improve the process
- Optimization - An expansion on the development workflows where a larger number of options are considered to achieve the best mixture of cost, rate & quality for your application.
