Thermal Assembly: An Overview
Thermal assembly is achieved through different techniques and specialized equipment, such as thermal presses, which are designed to satisfy the unique bonding requirements of each thermal application. Proper bonds prevent costly failures and repairs in cars and other complex assemblies that can have over 30,000 components! Depending on your application, various methods may be used to ensure proper bonding.
Thermal Assembly Presses and Techniques
Our heat assembly H-Series and C-Series presses use heat sealing and heat staking assembly techniques to bond heat-sensitive materials including film, foil, plastics, and other bondable materials.
Thermal Heat Staking
Heat staking, or thermoplastic staking, can be used on plastic materials such as ABS and propylene. Pressure is used to drive a metal insert into the material, then pulsed heat deforms and reforms material connection points, producing high-strength bonding points.
Heat staking is the preferred method for sensitive electronics that don’t manufacture well due to the vibrations and mechanical stress of ultrasonic heat-sealing methods. Sensitive electronics in medical components have especially strict FDA guidelines, and bonding failure is unacceptable in life-saving medical monitors and insulin pumps.
Thermal Heat Sealing
Heat sealing, also called heat welding, bonds thermosensitive plastics, such as PVC and vinyl. The material is melted at high temperatures, forming a liquid bond. Heat sealing may also use hot bar, impulsive heat, induction, and ultrasonic manufacturing methods.
Heat sealing can be used for anything as simple as a potato chip bag, to complex LCD displays, or medical strips that require strong seals. In fact, anything needing seals that can withstand high pressures and vacuums is an ideal candidate for heat sealing.
Different Machines for Different Applications
Heat staking and heat sealing work better with machines designed to handle the size, shape, and pressure your components may need to withstand their environment and usage.
- C-Series: Our most popular heat assembly machine can be tooled for a wide range of part sizes and shapes
- H-Series: Has an H-Frame design that is built for higher force applications and even fits on a standard workbench
- Manual thermal press: For lower volume production runs and prototyping
- MicroLAB: Has all the features of our larger thermal assembly systems in a smaller form factor
Get Reliable Thermal Assembly Equipment Today
Thermal Press has been leading the industry in thermal assembly machinery since 1976. Our compliant, top grade machinery is built and designed in the USA, in our Livermore, CA facility.
Contact our local sales and support representatives today for your thermal application needs.