Thermoplastic Welding

Udo Wagner
Wegener GmbH, Aachen/Germany
Thermoplastic Materials in
Industrial Applications

Storage and processing tanks

Dual laminate construction
Concrete protective liners
Ventilation Systems
Wastewater treatment
Secondary containment
Piping systems
Thermoplastic Welding Terminology
Thermoplastic Welding - the connection
of thermoplastic materials by means of heat,
time and pressure

Thermoplastic state - the heated temperature

range in which molecular flow permits
interconnection
Common Characteristics
Use a filler material (welding rod) to
perform the connection between two parts

Require gas (air) as heat transfer medium

to heat up parent and filler material

Manual processes

Compatibility between parent and filler material

Material preparation

Require proper CORRELATION between

TEMPERATURE, TIME and PRESSURE
Primary Welding Processes utilized
in thermoplastic Fabrication

Hot Air Hand Welding

Hot Air Extrusion Welding
Butt Welding
Bending
Hot Gas Welding System

The three main components:

Hot gas hand welder
Welding tip
Clean air supply
Hot Gas Welding Equipment
Hot gas hand welder (torch, gun) – requires
temperature control, preferably temperature
setting capability
Hot Gas Welding Equipment
Welding tip (nozzle) – needs to suit task
Hot Gas Welding Equipment
Air Supply – clean, oil and water free
air – volume gauge
 Hot Gas Welding Process

1. Tack welding – primary process

only intended to keep materials in
place

2. Free hand welding – generally used

in areas where high speed welding
is not possible

3. High speed welding – most common

hot gas welding process

SCRAPE PRIOR TO EACH

PROCESS
High Speed Welding

1. Weld bead
2. Wash
3. Welding direction
4. Hot air stream
5. Welding gun
6. Welding rod
7. Rod in preheat chamber
8. Pressure
 Weld Geometries

single V-butt weld

corner weld with

counter root
double V-butt weld
with counter root

full penetration full penetration

T-joint – accessible T-joint – accessible
double V-butt weld one side only both sides
 Hot Gas Welding of Thermoplastic Direction
Sheet and Pipe DVS 2207-3

Welding Parameters (I) Supplement 1

(Draft 11/00)

This supplement contains parameter guidelines for hot gas free hand and hot gas high speed welding. The parameters published by the
material manufacturers should also be observed.

By correlating the parameters air temperature, air volume and welding speed, it needs to be assured that the material in the weld zone is
plasticized 0 .2 - 0.3 mm in depth and adjacent to the weld bead.

Welding Materials Hot Gas (1) Air volume Welding Welding Welding
Process Temperature (2) Speed Pressure Pressure
ºC l/min cm/min (N) (N)
Rod ø 3mm Rod ø 4 mm

Free HDPE 300 - 320

Hand 6 - 10
Welding 15 - 20
WF PP-H, PPB, 305 - 315 40 - 50
PP-R

PVC-U 330 - 350 5 - 10

PVC-C 340 - 360 10 - 15

10 - 15

PVDF 350 - 370 15 - 20

1) Measured 5 mm (3/16”) inside main opening of nozzle

2) Standard cubic liters/minute
 Hot Gas Welding of Thermoplastic Direction
Sheet and Pipe DVS 2207-3

Welding Parameters (II) Supplement 1

(Draft 11/00)

High HDPE 320 - 340

Speed 25 - 35
Welding 10 - 16
WZ PP-H, PPB, 320 - 340 45 - 55
PP-R

PVC-U 350 - 370 15 - 25

PVC-C 370 - 390 15 - 20 25 - 30

PVDF 365 - 385 12 - 17 25 -35

E/CTFE 350 - 380 50 - 60

Inert gas N2

10 - 15 No
FEP 380 - 390
information
50 - 60
MFA 395 - 405

PFA 400 - 410 7

PTFE/PFA 580 5 No infor-

(1) mation

1) Welding rod PFA

Temperature Measurement

Most accurate reading performed 3/16”

inside main outlet of welding tip with
needle style probe.
 Hot Gas Extrusion Welding

Designed to replace multiple pass hand welds

no physical constraints
material is extrusion weldable
Hot Gas Extrusion Welder

EXWELD alpha
 Hand Held Extrusion Welders

EXWELD alpha F
small / medium size unit
with self contained air source

EXWELD beta
high output model with
external air requirement
 Equiqment Set-Up

1. Adjustment of Extrudate Temperature

2. Shoe Design

3. Adjustment of Preheat Temperature

(Air Temperature / Preheat Extension)
Extruder Shoe Design

T- or K- Joint
Extruder Shoe Design
MATERIAL PREPARATION
SHOE DESIGN
Material Preheat - Key to Quality

External air supply - higher air volume

Self contained - lower air volume

Influence of preheat air nozzle design on

plastification of parent material
Fracture Behaviour at
different Velocities
Verification of Preheat
 The Key Factor – The Operator

Welding
Parameters
Material
Equipment
Preparation

Environmental External
Conditions Influences

Execution of Weld

Temperature
Pressure
Welding speed
Welding Without Filler Material

Butt Welding
Bending

Machine performed processes

higher weld quality

repetitive weld quality
faster
 Butt Welding

No transfer medium / air required

Direct contact of material against heated surface
Material / surface specific temperatures
Material / surface specific pressures
Material / surface specific cycle times
Butt Welding Process

Three Cycle Process

1. High pressure melting cycle
2. Low pressure heating cycle
3. High pressure welding cycle
Butt Welding Machine

90° welding device

 Sheet Bending

No transfer medium / air required

Direct contact of material against heated surface
Material specific temperatures
Material / thickness specific cycle times
 Sheet Bending Process
Bending of Thermoplastics

Top Heating Bar

PVC/CPVC
Polyolefins
Two Stage Process
Lower Heating Bar
1. Heating
2. Bending

V-Groove & Radius Bend

Butt Weld
 Material Types
Common Processes
Hot Air Welding Hot Air Extrusion Butt Welding Bending
Welding

PP X X X X
PE X X X X
UHMWPE / /

PVC X O X X
CPVC X O X X
PVDF X O X X
FEP X O

ECTFE X O

MFA X

ETFE X O

X common process
/ common process with limited weld strength
O newly developed
References

DVS 2201-2
DVS 2202-1
DVS 2205
DVS 2207
DVS 2209
DVS 2211
DVS 2212

AWS G1.10
Thank you for your attention!

Wegener GmbH, Aachen/Germany