Most people are familiar with the concept of welding as a procedure to join two metallic pieces. The image that people have of the said procedure is of an electric arc producing intense light and spatter.
However, welding is not exclusive to metals. Welding can be used to join two or more plastic pieces together. Not just any plastic, though.
And not the traditional welding methods used for joining metallic pieces are used for welding of plastic. Let’s elaborate.
In different industries, joining plastic pieces permanently is sometimes necessary. Examples abound, including some toys, car parts, outdoor furniture, and more. The welding process involves the fusing of the plastic material.
Welding is done with thermoplastics only. This type of plastic has the property of melting with heat. This property facilitates the welding process.
The principle is simple. The plastic pieces are heated until they melt. These parts must be of compatible thermoplastic materials.
Then, a filler material is added as in some metal welding techniques such as MIG and stick welding. In some cases, however, no filler material is needed.