JOINING | TECHNOLOGY
Moulders can find strength in bonding
The trend towards part integration in the automotive and electronics sectors is leading to innovation in various plastics joining technologies. David Eldridge finds out about new products and new methods
Technology companies are continuing to innovate in order to provide solutions for tricky problems in joining plastics parts and materials. This trend is inspired by manufacturers who have come to realise the benefits of part integration in their work for customers in sectors such as automotive, consumer electronics and medical. These manufac- turers now have access to a wide range of estab- lished technologies from adhesives to heat staking and welding with lasers and ultrasonics. But there is still room for new technologies and processes to be developed to answer specific difficulties in materials and applications. The importance to plastics manufacturers of developing bonding solutions and know-how is illustrated by Hi-Mark Automotive, a Wales-based injection moulding business owned by bicycle components manufacturer Fibrax Group. Hi-Mark has started a collaborative project with University of Wales, Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), which focuses on the development and optimisation of bespoke automated processes for adhesive applications in injection moulding. The collaboration is a Smart Partnership, which is part-funded by the Welsh government to facilitate
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IMAGE: HERMANN ULTRASCHALL
a knowledge exchange and collaboration between universities and industries. In this partnership, Fibrax says its team will be working with UWTSD to identify the benefits of automation and digitisation, and implement the findings should they enable Fibrax to gain a competitive advantage. For Fibrax, the priority is developing new capabilities in-house. Craig Jones, Tooling and Process Development Manager, says: “This is a demanding project but one that could significantly reduce the risks associated with in-process adhe- sive application and inspection. As technical, precision moulders, this will be a cornerstone for our continuous improvement strategy and global ambitions.” LPKF is a leading company in the use of laser technology in plastics manufacturing. The company has brought together its expertise in laser welding of plastics with another growth area: moulded interconnect devices (MIDs). As electronic devices have become ever smaller, manufacturers have responded by generating conductive traces on the surfaces of three-dimensional injection moulded parts. LPKF offers its laser direct structuring (LDS) technology for this purpose, in which both mechan-
Main image: Ultrasonic welding is increasingly being used by injection moulders
May 2022 | INJECTION WORLD 57
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