User:Smith.11893/sandbox
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NOTES: This article is already published. Anything I added is in [bold and bracketed]. Anything I am deleting is lined out. I tried to avoid minor style changes. Most deletions are because information is uncited and contradicts something else in one of my references.
Radio-frequency welding, also known as dielectric welding and high-frequency welding, is a plastic welding [added plastic welding link] process that utilizes high-frequency [electric fields to induce heating and melting of thermoplastic base materials.[1]]radio waves to heat plastic parts to the point they form a melt layer. After the development of the melt layer, the parts are pressed together and then allowed to cool causing fusion. This process is capable of producing high quality joints in a range of plastics. [The electric field is applied by a pair of electrodes after the parts being joined are clamped together. The clamping force is maintained until the joint solidifies.] Advantages of this process are fast cycle times [(on the order of a few seconds), automation, repeatability] easily automated, repeatable, and good weld appearance. While this process has some great advantages, there are some limitations. Only plastics which have dipoles can be heated using radio waves and therefore not all plastics are able to be welded using this process. Also, this process is not well suited for thick or overly complex joints. The most common use of this process is lap joints or seals on thin plastic sheets or parts.