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What is Hot Plate Welding?

The process of hot plate welding uses a heated platen to melt the joining surfaces of the two halves of a thermoplastic part. The part halves are brought into contact with a precisely heated platen for a predetermined period. After the plastic interfaces have melted, the parts are brought together to form a molecular, permanent, and often hermetic bond. A properly designed joint welded under precise process control often equals or exceeds the strength of any other part area.

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Hot Plate Welding Process & Tool Designs

After the parts’ joint interfaces are plasticized, the nests move back allowing the heated platen to retract.

Parts are pressed together so that a molecular bond forms. The nests move apart and the finished assembly is unloaded.

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Hot Plate Tooling Nest CAD Design

Hot Plate Tooling Nest CAD Design

Material Considerations

Hot plate welding is suitable for almost any thermoplastic material, but is most often used for softer, semi-crystalline thermoplastics such as PP and PE. Weld strengths approaching that of the parent materials can usually be obtained if correct welding procedures are followed.

Dissimilar materials having similar melting points and melt viscosities can be hot plate welded provided they are chemically compatible.

Joint Design Considerations

Typical total material displacement is 0.060″. The 0.030″ material displacement per side includes 0.015″ for material and 0.015″ for seal. This may vary depending on part material, geometry, and molded part flatness. We strongly recommend discussing your joint design with one of our application engineers before arriving at your final part design.

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