Save Money with Axenics’ Plastic Welding Services

Many industries currently require the use of volatile chemicals, including alternative energy, chemical manufacturing, life science, semiconductor and medical device manufacturers. One of the biggest challenges they face is creating complex components with miniature segments through which liquids and gases can easily pass. For example, plastics welding is used to construct patient-monitoring devices, diagnostic instruments and machinery used in life-saving operations. Plastics welding is a top solution for manufacturing those components for safety purposes and to ensure a longer lifespan of the product.

Plastics Welding Process

There are three main steps to producing plastic weldments:

Surface Preparation

First, a technician will examine each plastic component for defects. The plastic components are cleaned, and/or abraded in order to assist in the welding process. This can be a time-consuming task, though it is highly recommended to ensure the welded plastic is top quality. plastic welding. Performing surface preparation thoroughly will reduce oxidation of the plastic and will also help eliminate potential contaminants like dirt. Any contaminants can have a negative effect on the final quality of the product.

Welding Applications

Plastics welding can be performed in several ways, and at Axenics, we generally do it via the use of heat. Welding can also be completed through use of a chemical solvent, depending on the type of plastics being melded together.

Plastic can be softened by using heat to make it easier to manage. Heat is applied by using steam, hot gas, a welding rod, a laser or a hot plate. We generally use hot gas welding a.k.a heat fusion or butt welding.

While the plastic components are pliable, they are put in a vise, where pressure is applied to the pieces, causing the edges of the plastic to bond together. Consistent pressure must be applied to ensure the quality and integrity of a weld.

Axenics’ thermoplastic welding process uses Nitrogen and heat to join two polymer-based products, resulting in a weldment with stability and strength.

Cooling

Once the heating step is complete, the new weldment is given time to cool. Cooling is a necessary step in the effort to solidify the bond that has been created. How this step is performed can have a significant effect on the strength of your finished weld. For example, pressure can still be applied during the cooling step, to assist in shape retention. If pressure is not applied during cooling, the material may shrink and alter the shape of the product, negatively affecting the results.

Plastics Welding Benefits

Plastics welding can be a faster and simpler fabrication process than welding with metals because plastics are generally lighter in weight than many metals. Plastics are also a wise choice for maintaining the safety and reliability of your end product as they are more chemically-resistant than most metals.

Plastic components are frequently used in applications where metal components could corrode or decay due to the gas or liquids being transported. We see this often in the medical device, chemical manufacturing, semiconductor and life sciences industries. Companies in each of these industries face complex challenges that can be solved by plastic pipe bending and welding.

Our highly skilled and trained welders have the ability to perform ¼-inch pipe-to-pipe welds.  Axenics uses a custom-built machine capable of repeating a simple welding process automatically to save our customers both time and money.

Perhaps even more so than fabricating with metals, plastic manufacturing requires a high level of skill and expertise to ensure the integrity of the bends and welds. Our qualified technicians can weld and bend plastics to fit almost any shape and/or space requirements without the need for adding multiple joints and fixtures.

Other benefits for plastics welding in manufacturing include:

• Plastic weldments also have a strong resistance to acids, alkalis, greases and solvents, hydrogen peroxide, demineralised water and hot steam.
• Plastic welds offer a minimal release of gas under vacuum, which helps maintain a sterile environment.
• Plastic weldments have a strong plasma resistance that reduces the possibility of corrosion.
• Plastic weldments are able to resist thermal degradation and maintain a high operating strength and rigidity in high temperatures.
• Plastic weldments also offer the benefits of good creep and chemical resistance, minimal thermal expansion and good wear resistance.
• Plastics welding can provide you with a simplified system that delivers a consistent, highly-repeatable performance. There is also the flexibility of adding sub-systems that can provide multiple flow rates and pressures.

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Because plastics are generally lighter in weight than many metals, plastics welding can be a faster and simpler fabrication process than welding with metals. Plastics, by nature, are more chemically-resistant than most metals, so plastic welds for your components that will be used to transport caustic materials are recommended to maintain safety and reliability of the end product.

Here are some of the top questions asked about plastics welding, and we’ve included answers that can assist the decision-making process for your next project.

How do you join two pieces of plastic?

At Axenics, we use a hot gas welder for welding plastic. This process is also known as heat fusion or butt welding. We recommend a thermoplastic pipe welding process using heat to join two polymer-based products. The plastic goes through a process where heat is added to soften the plastic and then it is pushed or fused together to bond the two pieces. This results in a viable and stable bond.

What will best bond plastic to plastic?

A bonding agent used to adhere plastic to plastic depends on the types of plastic being utilized. Some plastics react better to a chemical solvent bond, while other plastics have a better result with a heat bond being used.

Is it possible to weld together dissimilar plastics?

Again, this depends on the types of plastics being used and the process used to bond them. Generally, it is not recommended to weld two varying plastics, as they may not create as strong a bond as two similar plastics.

How strong are the welds?

Thermoplastics, while extremely versatile, can be used to create durable, long-lasting welds. Certain plastics will also have a slower deterioration time than metals, so depending on the project and the ultimate use of the components, we can recommend a solution to you that will ensure the welds have staying power.

What are common uses for welded plastics?

Welded plastics have virtually thousands of uses. For example, you can utilize welds in the medical field to transport gases and chemicals through small-to-large life-saving components. Using plastic welds avoids the complications that come with corroding metal components from the materials being transported.

Can you melt plastic together?

Yes, plastic can be melted together as long as the two pieces of plastic are the same type of material. “Melting” plastics together is not necessarily the same as welding plastics together, though.

Can you use a soldering iron to weld plastics together?

Using a soldering iron to weld two plastics together is not recommended, as the bond formed will likely be weak, and not useful for the transport of most liquids, gases or other chemicals. You’re not going to get a permanent bond by using a soldering iron, therefore it’s not a practice we can recommend.

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Here are some reasons why we think plastic tube bending and plastic pipe welding could prove beneficial solutions for you:

• Saving money: If you’re looking to keep costs low, while still achieving high-quality and high-purity results, plastic tube bending is a very cost-efficient solution. Precision tube bending allows original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to cease the need for lots of joints and fixtures that are needed with joint welding. Those costs add up quickly!
• Saving time: By eliminating joints and welds within the complex assembly system, the plastic tube bending process is quick, and there is less opportunity for leaks or cracks. We find that our customers are looking for a combination of high-quality results and short lead times. Quality component manufacturers are in huge demand. OEMs in the biotechnology and medical device industries are consistently creating brand-new automations, and those systems have to go through many steps before seeing a final product, including manufacturing components – and likely altering those components until they are perfect.

There are several reasons why we continue to deliver high-quality components – and fast.

Axenics regularly stocks many common fittings that are used across multiple industries. Having great relationships with our vendors is also key, as parts can be ordered and delivered quickly. We have seen lead time for parts go from one to two weeks to more than two months in some cases, so we believe having common fittings ready-to-go is a smart way to do business.

It is very important to hire and empower the best team for the organization. We cross-train our production team members to ensure we provide top-tier service. Our team understands industry specifications, so Axenics has very few returned parts. Our current quality rating is 99.7%. We guarantee our provided lead times are met because we will deliver precisely what you need the first time.

We’re very proud to declare that component manufacturing is our specialty. With decades of experience, our skills to create components built-to-specification are at the top of the industry. Our technicians are creating components daily utilizing high-purity pipe welding, TIG welding, CNC tube bending and cutting for piping systems. Because you won’t have to ramp up those skills or purchase that machinery, you can focus your energies elsewhere, saving time and money.

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