If you’re an engineer, you may wonder what the difference is between plastic welding and plastic staking. Both of these methods join plastic together, but they use different techniques. Here, we’ll look at the differences between these methods so you can decide which is right for your project.
If you’re familiar with plastic welding, you’ve probably encountered ultrasonic welding. It’s the most well-known plastic welding technology. But just because it’s popular, doesn’t mean it is the best choice for every application. It has many benefits, but also some drawbacks. What do you do if ultrasonic welding isn’t your best option? And how do you know?
Design engineers often ask us, “How strong will my staked joint be?” Usually, they’re designing a plastic assembly that needs to be staked, and they need to know how to design the part.
Mark recalled seeing a demo of Extol’s InfraStake technology a few months prior and was drawn to InfraStake’s built-in clamping feature that ensures tight stakes. Mark was hopeful that InfraStake would be a good fit for the door panel line, but wanted confirmation that the technology could meet the cycle time, strength, and assembly tightness requirements. That’s when our Applications Lab, the first of Extol’s wide array of customer-supporting service groups, stepped in to help.
The moment is here, the process is set, the machine has cycled. How does it look? “GASP!” My staked part has FLASH!!! If you are not familiar with flash, I’m referring to the displaced plastic material from a staking or welding process that extrudes outwards and does not contribute to the strength of the joint. Flash may be observed as fine dust surrounding the joint, thin strands of plastic material in a disorganized clump, or even smooth rounded material adjacent to the weld joint. So why does flash occur in plastic staking and how can you optimize stake appearance?
Why does Extol have an Integration Support division? To support integrators of innovative, Extol technology. Integration Support is a separate division of Extol that is devoted to supporting integrators. This dedicated team works with machine builders to create an integration package that will meet the end‑user’s specific needs.
