Bonding of polymer substrates by a longitudinal wave of ultrasonic vibration

Abstract

Ultrasonic bonding was attempted by a longitudinal wave perpendicular to a contact surface, stacking a pair of PET, ABS, PC substrates of 1 mm thickness and 50 mm square. Though heating to 30 50 ºC above the glass transition temperature of each polymer was needed for thermal bonding using a heater, ultrasonic bonding of polymers occurred at 20-kHz frequency and ± 5- m amplitude. Furthermore, an ultrasonic horn with a vacuum chuck improved bonding condition uniformity, and the maximum polymer bonding strength at the center of the bonded area was 2.9 kN.