Increase of the efficiency in hot gas welding by optimization of the gas flow

Authors

  • Johannes Schmid Polymer Technologies, Esslingen University of Applied Sciences
  • Dennis Weißer Polymer Technologies, Esslingen University of Applied Sciences
  • Dennis Mayer Polymer Technologies, Esslingen University of Applied Sciences
  • Lothar Kroll Department of Lightweight Structures and Polymer Technology , Chemnitz University of Technology
  • Matthias Deckert Polymer Technologies, Esslingen University of Applied Sciences

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21935/tls.v5i1.154

Abstract

The standard hot gas welding process uses a nozzle system consisting of multiple round tubes. With the top nozzle system, the weld seam is encapsulated to minimize heat loss and allow better control of the hot gas flow. This significantly reduces the required heating time of the polymer. Temperature measurements and welding tests with plates of various thicknesses and burst pressure specimens are performed to verify the improvements of the top nozzle. For polyamides with different base polymers and different glass fiber contents, an average reduction in heating time of up to 50 % is possible on average. The achieved weld strengths or burst pressures for the tested materials are comparable or higher with the top nozzle system. The top nozzle makes the process more economical due to a short cycle time and lower gas consumption. It can be added to existing hot gas tools. In addition, a larger process window, shorter heating time and higher achievable temperatures with the top nozzle lead to a higher acceptance of hot gas welding in industries. New weld able materials in turn open up new application areas and markets.

Published

2022-03-11