Impulse sealing is a thermoplastic heat sealing method that uses a blast of heat followed by a blast of cold to create a lasting bond. Heat is the preferred bonding method for most plastics, and there are three common types of heat sealers: continuous, spot, and impulse. Impulse sealing is often used as part of a final production to fuse multiple sheets of thermoplastic material together.
Impulse sealing is a thermoplastic heat sealing method. This process is just one of many ways to heat seal plastic. Impulse sealing gets its name from the method used to create heat. A large stationary coil has a layer of plastic placed over it – it generates a blast of heat followed by a blast of cold. This will seal the thermoplastic and immediately cool it to create a lasting bond.
Gluing plastic is often easier than gluing other substances. Plastics have a high degree of uniformity, which means that one area of a plastic is nearly indistinguishable from another area of the same plastic. As a result, when plastic is glued together, it basically melts into itself. Because the fused area bonds to itself, it often behaves as if it were a solid piece, rather than a glued joint.
With most plastics, the preferred bonding method is heat. Chemical bonding agents often create toxic fumes and rarely work as well. The heat is simple to create and produces no waste. Because heat is such a common agent, there are several methods of using it to bond plastic.
When used as part of an assembly process, there are three common types of heat sealers. A continuous heat sealer is an area of the assembly process that is always very hot. Plastics move through this area and bond as they move. This is a “no-nonsense” sealing method, as there is little oversight and no guarantee that the process worked properly.
Another common method for production-level heat sealing is called spot sealing. This uses a continuously hot metal rod. When the part moves, the rod touches it at a specific point. This is generally much more accurate than continuous sealing, but only covers small areas at a time.
Impulse sealing is often used as part of a final production. This sealing process is often used to fuse multiple sheets of thermoplastic material together. Sometimes plastic sheets contain other substances that need to be sealed within the layers. Either way, impulse sealing will seal an entire area at once, no matter what it ends up sealing.
A common impulse sealer looks similar to a press. Plastic sheets enter the machine, placed over an inactive heating coil. The top of the machine, which also contains a heating coil, drops over the plastic. The coils go from idle to fully heated in seconds, instantly bonding the layers of plastic. Many impulse sealers then pump cold water through the coils, lowering their temperature and hardening the plastic.
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