Webinars
24 April 2024
There are 16 different welding techniques for plastics. The choice of which one to use for any particular application depends on a number of factors, including material, wall thickness, component size and complexity, and required production rate.
Plastics are widely used in a range of different industries, including aerospace, automotive, medical, oil and gas and power, where their various properties provide benefits related to durability, weight and more.
Welding is typically the preferred method for joining thermoplastics as it creates a strong bond by fusing the parts together by introducing heat to the weld through mechanical movement, an external heat source or through electromagnetism.
This presentation will describe each of the 16 welding techniques, together with its advantages/disadvantages and examples of applications.
TWI Technology Fellow, Mike Troughton will present at the event alongside Principal Project Leader, Scott Andrews.
Who Should Attend?
The FREE online event is open to both TWI Industrial Members and non-Members, and is ideal for anyone who is using, or thinking of using, thermoplastic materials.
Why You Should Attend
Get an overview of the different techniques used for welding thermoplastic materials, including an insight into their advantages and disadvantages, from our world-leading experts.
Speakers
Mike Troughton
Technology Fellow
Mike has been carrying out research for the plastics industry for over 30 years, and at TWI, he is responsible for co-ordinating all R&D, consultancy and training activities in the area of plastics. Mike’s main areas of expertise include the welding, inspection and mechanical testing of polyethylene (PE) pipes, on which he has written over 30 technical papers, and he is also the editor of the Handbook of Plastics Joining – A Practical Guide. Mike has managed over 150 research and consultancy projects for clients around the world, he is Chairman of the British Standards Committee on plastics welding, and is also a member of various ISO, CEN, ASTM, IIW, AWS and ASME committees on the welding of plastics and plastics pipes.
Scott Andrews
Principal Project Leader, Polymer and Composite Services
Scott is currently working as a principal project leader in the novel polymer technologies section at TWI. Scott has been involved in plastics welding research for over 20 years. His primary role is to lead and deliver research projects relating to plastics welding, typically providing plastics welding consultancy for medical and automotive products (in particular joint design for welding), proof of welding feasibility, plastics welding troubleshooting, welding machine specification and validation for entering production.
In addition, Scott manages the day-to-day running of TWI’s Plastics Welder Training and Examinations business, and is currently a CSWIP approved Plastics Welding Examiner.
Scott’s areas of expertise covers all plastics welding processes - in particular ultrasonic welding, plastics welding equipment, analysis of plastic welds, plastic materials - including high-temperature thermoplastics as well as wood welding and wood polymer composite welding. Scott has successfully led many small to large polymer welding projects for a variety of applications, across a number of industry sectors (medical, automotive, power, aerospace, oil and gas, construction).
Dr Amir Khamsehnezhad
Section Manager, Polymer and Composite Services
Dr Khamsehnezhad joined TWI Ltd in 2013 and currently manages the activities in the Polymer and Composite Services Section within Material, Performance and Integrity Management group at TWI. Amir is a polymer technologist/scientist with a chemical engineering background and significant knowledge on industrial development and application of thermoplastic polymers and thermoplastic reinforced composites in various industry sectors. Amir’s key area of expertise covers almost the whole range of polymer science starting from the crude oil wellhead, distillation/refining processes, petrochemical processes, polymer processing, material selection and characterization, process optimization, welding of thermoplastics, lifetime assessment, assembly of plastic components and ultimately recycling of them.
He has expertise and experience in welding of thermoplastics, processing and characterisation, material selection and life time assessment and acceptance criteria. In addition to his daily job, he is also involved in review activities for number of journals on polymer related topics and is member of the reviewer panel for public funded research proposals in the UK. Amir is a Chartered Engineer in the UK and a member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), the Welding Institute (TWI) and Chartered Management Institute (CMI).