Advantages of Ultrasonic Welding

The ultrasonic welding process has advantages over other sheet metal welding and non-welding processes due to its indirect heating technology, which improves aesthetics without compromising functionality. Apart from this, other advantages of the process include:

· Speed
Together with compatible parts, high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations can weld parts quickly. Therefore, ultrasonic welding technology guarantees a fast production process, high output and short turnaround time.

· Highly safe
Due to indirect heating, operating hazards are reduced. Apart from this, the heat generated by the process is localized and dissipated quickly. Therefore, there is no damage to the surroundings of the welded joint and the materials to be welded.

· Trustworthy
The machines used for the welding process are reliable as they have minimal malfunctions and failures. Moreover, through automation, operating and human errors, operating costs and improved welded joint quality can be reduced.

· Suitable for Dissimilar Materials
This is a process suitable for welding dissimilar materials - an important attribute required for plastic welding. In contrast, other plastic welding processes are not suitable for dissimilar plastic materials as no molecular bonds are formed.

· Lowest material cost
The process does not require consumables, unlike other joining processes (see Difference between welding and riveting), which use connecting bolts, solder and other bonding materials. Therefore, it is more cost-effective.

· Joint quality
The welded joint is free of defects such as plastic flash, deformation, faults, etc. Therefore, the welded joint has a high-quality, clean and invisible seam.

Disadvantages of ultrasonic welding
The process also has disadvantages that you need to consider. Here are some:

· Not suitable for hard and water-containing plastics
The welding technology has limitations in terms of material compatibility. For example, it is not suitable for thermoplastics with high moisture content and hard and strong plastic polymers such as polypropylene.

· Part size
The technology is not suitable for welding parts with an expected joint larger than 150 mm. This is due to the 100-150mm range of the transducer. In addition, it is not suitable for thick materials due to the energy required to melt such materials.

· High initial investment
The ultrasonic welding machine has a high cost. Therefore, businesses that want to use this technology must be prepared for a high initial investment. In addition, the cost will increase with automation.

· Restrictions on Joint Types
The process is suitable only for welded parts with lap joints, i.e. joints made by overlapping parts on a flat surface. That being the case, it is not the right welding technique for joints such as corners, butts, tees, and edges.

Applications Ultrasonic Welded Parts
Ultrasonic welding is used in several industries for manufacturing consumer and industrial products. Here are some applications for welded parts.

· Medical Industry
The medical industry uses several ultrasonic welded parts such as masks, blood and gas filters, and arterial and anesthesia filters. The welding technique is well suited for such products due to the welded joints. Moreover, most of these products come from different materials, using medical plastics such as ABS and polyethylene, with which the welding technique is compatible. Therefore, ultrasonic welded joints are low cost and good quality, making them ideal for medical products.

· Automotive Industry
The automotive industry uses the welding process to join plastics and manufacture parts such as door panels, dashboards, and steering wheels. The process is suitable due to indirect heating, which does not affect the workpiece. Moreover, it has low capital cost, automation, low cycle time, and flexibility.

· Aerospace Industry
Ultrasonic welding technology is suitable for manufacturing parts for the aerospace industry. The technology is popular here due to accuracy, speed, quality of welded joints and use of indirect heating.

· Electronics Industry
The ultrasonic welding process is suitable for joining wired connections in the electronics industry. Thus, creating small precision circuits is easier, more accurate and more efficient. Apart from this, it is also suitable for assembling electric motors, capacitors and storage media due to its reliability and welded joint quality.