Extrusion welding of plastics

Extrusion welding is an established technique for the fabrication of

assemblies made from thermoplastics. The process is typically used in
the manufacture of large fabrications, such as chemical storage
vessels. In these applications, where walls are thick, it is more
economical than hot gas welding. Extrusion welding is a manual
process. Weld quality is dependent upon the skill of the person
operating the welding gun. Training and Certification are generally
recommended in order to maintain high standards of fabrication.
Extrusion welding is generally only used for polyethylene and
polypropylene. Some applications of the process have used nylon, but
care must be taken to dry the welding rod to prevent voids occurring in
the weld. Other applications include the fabrication and repair of liners
for refuse tips and lakes.

The process involves continuously extruding molten thermoplastic material into a weld preparation on the
plastic component or structure which is being joined. The equipment is based upon an electric drill with a
mini extrusion barrel attached to the front. The extrusion barrel is heated along its length, either by cartridge
heaters or hot air. A thermoplastic rod or granule feedstock is fed into the rear of the extrusion barrel and
the material is heated as it is drawn through the barrel by the rotating extruder screw. Molten thermoplastic
is continuously ejected through a PTFE shoe attached to the front of the extrusion barrel. The PTFE shoe is
shaped to match the profile being welded, and defines the shape and size of the final weld. At the leading
edge of the PTFE shoe, hot gas is used to heat the substrate material in front of the area where the molten
bead is to be laid. This ensures that there is sufficient heat in the substrate material to form the weld.
Typical welding speeds are 0.5-1.0 m/min.

To apply extrusion welding successfully, operators need a practical understanding of fabricating

thermoplastic assemblies using the hot gas welding process. Typically, the welding procedure consists of
assembling the sheets of material being welded and tacking them together using a hot gas welding tacking
nozzle. A single run of hot gas weld (using the same thermoplastic material as the substrate) is placed at
the base of the weld preparation to ensure that there is adequate root penetration. An extrusion weld is
then used to fill the remainder of the joint, again using the same thermoplastic material as the substrate.
Generally, no further work is required to complete the joint unless a flush finish is required, for example, in
a butt weld.

Further information on extrusion welding of plastics can be found via the Weldasearch literature database.

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