TECHNOLOGY | JOINING
Right: Vibration welding
machine on the Cemas Elettra stand at Brazil’s Interplast 2022 exhibition
use fewer materials,” says Patamia. Rinco is also investing in emerging markets, for
example Morocco, where it established a presence in November 2021. The automotive and textile industries are particularly strong in Morocco, and the food industry also “offers all kinds of exciting projects”, the company says. Italy-based Cemas Elettra supplies different plastics joining technologies, including laser, ultrasonic and vibration welding, in markets around the world. In April, the company exhibited at Interplast 2022, in Joinville, Brazil. It demonstrated three welding technologies and methods: an MF120 ultrasonic welding machine, an integrated machine with InfraStake technology for the construction of a mini door panel and a NanoStake welding machine with which they were welded. Cemas is the sole European and South American distributor of InfraStake, an infrared heat staking technology developed by Extol in the US. Explain- ing the process, Cemas says: “InfraStake is a technology that uses specially designed bosses (which act as references) to join two components posed one on the other. Once in the right position, the InfraStake modules heat the bosses with infrared light until they are melted. At this point, an unheated punch, driven by a low-force pneumatic cylinder, presses the boss creating the joint.” It continues: “NanoStake is the new staking technology that uses a proprietary Smart Respond heating technology to rapidly heat and cool a
punch to stake plastic. The low-current, high-per- formance heater heats the punch to a programmed melt temperature in seconds and forms the boss into a stake. Once the punch reaches the correct height, it rapidly cools to a programmed release temperature and retracts with no sticking. Na-
noStake uses low current (1.5 A) which allows for quick and easy connections.” Even with the large number of established plastics joining methods, some companies are focusing R&D on developing new solutions. Japan-based engineering thermoplastics producer Polyplastics has developed an innovative bonding technology which it says is unlike traditional joining methods such as welding or adhesion. Its AKI-Lock technology uses the glass fibres in reinforced ETPs as a physical anchor for bonding. The company says AKI-Lock forms strong,
airtight bonds with combinations of different materials for which bonding has previously been difficult. The technology has few restrictions on the materials that can be used Polyplastics says: “AKI-Lock opens the door to a
broad range of new product development possi- bilities. The bonding technology meets the increased market demand for weight reduction to address sustainable development goals, reduces the number of parts, and provides stable adhesive strength and longevity.” In the Polyplastics process, the ETP’s glass fibres
Above: Polyplastics’ AKI-Lock technology uses the glass fibres in reinforced ETPs as a physical anchor for bonding. This SEM image shows the surface of the primary material after laser treatment
60 INJECTION WORLD | May 2022
are made bare by laser irradiation which is com- pleted in a grid pattern. It says strong bonds can then be achieved by pouring the resin to be bonded onto these anchors. Since the bond is formed by physical anchors, there is no time limitation from laser treatment until bonding. AKI-Lock has other advantageous features: masking is unnecessary as specific treatment areas can be identified; and there is no need for etching solution to roughen the surface and no waste liquids or materials are produced.
www.injectionworld.com
IMAGE: POLYPLASTICS
IMAGE: CEMAS ELETTRA
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