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Plastic Welding Tools - plastic fabrication & repair welding

Techspan's Tech Tips will help guide you in achieveing a good understanding of the Plastic Welding process. These Tech Tips will provide you with new tips and techniques on how to get your Plastic Fabrication & Repairs right first time. Today we are looking at the "Plastic Welding Tools" available and the various types of equipment.

Hand-held plastic welders:
The hand-held plastic welding tools provide a precisely controlled jet of Hot Air, which can be set to a specific temperature for welding all thermoplastics. These are by far the most commonly used tools for plastics fabrication and repair welding today.

Photo: Techspan 'hand-held' Plastic Welding tool (model BAK 'RION' heay-duty)

Extrusion Welders:
Extruder welders are designed to weld large wall section materials (12mm +), and in general are used in large scale plastics fabrication. If you are a first time buyer, you will find a range of welding tools available to suit a wide range of welding applications.



Photo: Techspan Extruder Welder (model Dohle DX281 'MINI CS')


So what do you need to consider before buying a Plastic Welder ?
Here is a list of things to take on board prior to purchasing your first plastic welder.

1. Quality -
DVS compliant ?
Equipment should be selected that complies with worldwide welding standards, as set by the German/Swiss welding/joining society (DVS). This means the welding equipment is manufactured to meet ideal parameters as required to ensure strong, structual, molecular welding.
CE compliant ?
In general equipment manufactured in Europe (Switzerland / Germany) will carry the CE mark. CE marking is a key indicator that a product complies with EU (European Union) legislation. CE marked products conform to very high standards of manufacture, safety, performance and quality - CE marked products are bought by professional users as they are the most suitable for industrial & commercial use. (Beware of cheap chinese equipment !! In China the CE symbol has been alleged to stand for China Export or China Engineering - because some Chinese manufacturers apply a very similar marking to their products. As Chinese exporters have used the CE logo incorrectly, the matter was raised at the EU parliament in 2008, and the Commission decided they will look into trade-marking the official CE logo - and are in discussion with Chinese authorities to ensure compliance with European standards. So in simple terms - if you pay peanuts, you'll get monkeys)

2. Back up & Support -
Make sure the supplier offers back up and support. Applications advice, spare parts & technical service is usually offered by the quality equipment suppliers. A good supplier will carry a full range of equipment, accessories and even consumables - eg. Plastic Welding Rods. These suppliers have generally been in the business for many years and so will have the knowledge & experience to best support you.

3. Warranty -
High quality welding tools are usually covered with a warranty. In Australia & New Zealand, Techspan brand plastic welders are supplied with a limited 2 year warranty. 

4. Temperature Control -
A critical part of the plastic welding process is ensuring your welding temperature matches the welding temperature of the particular material to be welded. As different plastics weld at different temperatures, a welding tool with precise electronic temperature control is essential. In general temperature control is built-in to the welding tools. Some models even offer LCD displays, where you can set welding tempertures accurately on the screen. These models are commonly referred to as 'Digital' models.

 
Photo: Electronic Temperature Control - Techspan Rion Tool

5. Built-in Blower -
The most common plastic welding tool is fully self contained (Techspan model Rion) - meaning that the blower is built-in to the welder. These tools are by far the most portable and easy to use. Some models dont have built in blowers - compressed air can be used to provide the required airsource to such models, however use of compressed air can be very expensive and must be 'clean & dry'. Pressure must also be be controlled to suit the welding tool airflow specifications. Compressed air flow characteristics are also not as ideal as the fully self contained models with built-in blowers.

6. Accessories & Nozzles for Plastic Welding -
The welding tool will require some specfic accessory nozzles in order to effect correct welding techniques. To ensure you have all the right nozzles for your welding application, we recommend you buy your plastic welding tool in KIT form.

 

Photo: Plastic Welding KITS from Techspan

Techspan have put a great deal of emphasis on providing 'easy to find' equipment specification, training videos and more online. The latest Techspan website is packed with all the information you'll need.

Online Store:  Now you can View, order & purchase our vast range of Plastic Welding Tools online 24/7.
Visit www.plasticweldingtools.co.nz

Youtube channel:
Visit www.youtube.com/user/TECHSPANONLINE

Facebook page:
Visit www.facebook.com/Techspan  

The next Tech Tip will cover "Plastic Welding Applications" and we'll explain the wide range of applications. Look out for this in next months issue.

Need further information? contact us here.