INFRARED WELDING

Welding technique without contact between the heat source and the areas to weld. Infrared welding of plastics: it reduces the ordinary maintenance, contains the energy consumption and doesn't contaminate the melting areas.

INFRARED WELDING

Infrared welding is a welding technique without contact between the articles to weld and the emitter that brings the welding area to melting.

The infared beams are electro-magnetic radiations that have a wave length included between 700 nm and 1 mm. Not all infrared beams that hit an object are absorbed; a part of them, more or less big, is always deflected. It is therefore necessary to study the chemical and physical characteristics of the material to weld and design the emitter accordingly, so that it grants the biggest absorption of radiations.

The emitter selectively hits only the area to join and heats it up evenly. In this way the articles are not heated up and the energy consumption is reduced. The melting temperature is reached in a short time, since the emitter is adjusted to emit the radiations with the highest possible intensity in the shortest possible time, so as to reduce the duration of the working cycle. The time necessary to reach the melting temperature depends on the kind of thermoplastic material, colour and uniformity of the polymers. Once the melting temperature is reached, the components to weld are pressed together for the time necessary to grant a perfect welding. The working cycle ends with the cooling of the parts and the consequent release of the welded articles.

The contactless heat transfer between the source and the joining area eliminates the problem of the adherence of the melted material to the heat source and the connected problem of its removal by means of ordinary maintenance.

The articles that can be infared-welded can be produced by means of injection moulding, extrusion moulding, compression moulding, thermoforming, blow moulding, suction 2D/3D (2k) and rotational moulding.

The infrared welding can be used in various industrial fields. Since it is extremely clean, this welding technique is particularly suitable for accessory articles or articles that have a visible welding area.