Thermoplastic welding tool - GIF

[Jon]

Thermoplastic welding tool.




Previously:

Plastic bottle blow molding process - video
Rotational plastic molding a large tank - GIF
Plastic cup manufacturing GIF

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

That is a clever device to trim the weld. I have always used a wood chisel sharpened to a very narrow angle, and I flush the weld in a single pass.

[Ralphxyz]

Is the heat source a soldering iron?

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

It is like a solder iron, except that it is hollow so that compressed air at around 3 to 4 psi can be blown through to heat the rod and the main material. On very important welds you would use nitrogen gas instead of compressed air.

[NeiljohnUK]

Hot air tool, I have one sat under my work desk at the moment as I have some plastic welding to do for a chemical wet deck modification project. Good prep is essential, mitre the edges, final scrape to remove oxidation just before welding etc. The clean up cutting off the bead isn't something we do if ultimate strength is important though.