Introduction to the welding of thermoplastic composites

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 in 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 will introduce the fundamental mechanisms responsible for adhesion in any welding process. A review of various welding processes will then be presented with special focus on resistance, induction and ultrasonic welding. Finally, joints quality characterization methods will be discussed, and general welding guidelines will be provided.

This presentation is part of CKN’s ongoing Application + Impact (AIM) webinar series. Content discussed in the webinar is linked to the Knowledge in Practice Centre, allowing users to access this and other content in a consistent and coherent manner.

Presenter:
Dr. Martine Dube
Professor, École de technologie supérieure

This webinar is co-hosted by Composites Knowledge Network (CKN) and SAMPE Canada