Will Laser-Welded Plastics Catch-on?

As long as they do not try to do this with packaging. I have a hard enough time opening all those damn plastic packaging that has been ultrasonically welded.

Enough with that! If laser will be the same, we do not need it. Waste of T&M.

Without a doubt laser plastic welding will have large scale impact on many industries. The early adopters of this newer plastic joining method will the automotive, medical and consumer electronics industries. Here is a breakdown of why:

Automotive: Currently, electronic components (e.g. sensors) are responsible for between 22 an 35% of the total vehicle cost...and 20% of a cars materials are comprised of plastic. Plastic joining will inevitably grow as auto manufacturers use more and more plastics in cars. But, more specifically manufacturers will be in search of plastic joining that can be done cost effectively*, with minimal stress to parts, quick cycle times and super low reject rates. Laser plastic welding provides all of these, where many other joining methods fall short in at least one of these factors.

Also, laser plastic welding opens up doors for design innovation, check out this YouTube video of a laser welding robot joining the complex curve of a car tail.

*Although laser plastic welding typically has a initial up-front capital, total lifetime costs are low due to minimal machine maintenance, no need for added materials and excellent quality control.

Medical: Many uses come to mind in the medical field, but most of all the characteristics needed here will be precision (e.g. ultra-tiny channels for microfluidic devices) and cleanliness...laser welding leaves clean weld seams with little to no particulates or weld flash.

Other plastic joining methods (ultrasonic, hot plate, etc.) will always have their place, but laser plastic welding will pick up the slack where those methods fall short.

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Jbrown, I stand corrected as I see a much bigger picture. Although I'd really like to see this practice eliminated in consumer packaging. Maybe this was the start for it to catch on as to how well it does work. Now they can move on industrially and medically. a great point of view. One other issue is oil, plastic needs oil to be mfg'd, as we run out of oil, can this same welding be used on soy or other biodegradable materials.

Jimh77, I am unsure of its potential uses in "green" materials, what a great thought. However, I imagine that as this technology is still early in it's diffusion life-cycle that it will get applied to plastics before a lot of resources are put it researching its use on materials other than plastic. [br]

However, laser welding does not make use of any extra materials (adhesives, added plastic) so in that sense it would use less resources then some current plastic joining methods.

If you are interested in finding out more about LPW here is a great resources:

• http://www.box.net/shared/a94usy3949

In 1970 I have seen pvc pipes for HVAC being welded by hot air similar to oxy-acetylene welding.

It's already catching on. Study up: http://web.hotairtools.com/blog/bid/46895/Laser-plastic-welding-it-s-not-science-fiction-it-s-Leister

My friend who was a gemologist showed me his German-made hydrogen torch. He said that he used it because it left no residue that would need further processing of the jewelry to undo. I see the usefulness of laser welding of plastics and other materials for similar reasons - due to the chemically clean process. Research just has to be done to make sure that the process doesn't depolymerize the compounds at the joints. No one wants a parrafin joint on polyethlene. Perhaps a micro matrix at the joints similar to laying hardware fabric before pouring cement on a foundation, would give the required holding power like a billion ball/socket joints - resulting in a mechanical, rather than strictly chemical, bonding.

@Gary V.

I may have missed your point entirely...apologies if this is the case, but if you are referring to the strength of the joint that results from this process, I can assure you laser plastic welding produces very strong welds.

In fact, in most cases the joint will actually have greater strength than the parent material (if proper joint design is followed). If part failure happens it will likely occur outside of the weld.

~Josh Brown