EFFECTS OF METALLIZATION COATING ON ULTRASONIC WELDING OF ABS

摘要

Thin metal coating of plastic parts for increased optical reflectivity, improved EMI/RFI shielding, decreased permeability, or for decoration has gained more importance in recent years in automotive, electronics, medical and toy industries. This coating is often found in the weld area and there are concerns regarding its effect on weldability. Therefore, in this work ultrasonic welding of ABS components with metallic coatings was studied to evaluate their effect on weld strength. Two types of coatings were studied: an aluminium coating with hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) as its topcoat and a stainless steel coating. The coated ABS was ultrasonically welded to uncoated ABS. Three factors, weld time, weld pressure, and amplitude of vibration were varied to find near optimum welding conditions. It was found that the aluminum or stainless steel coating had a very small effect on the ultrasonic weld strength for ABS. The maximum weld strength obtained was 28.5 MPa, 28.2 MPa and 26.9 MPa for uncoated, and for aluminum, and stainless steel coated ABS, respectively.