Induction welding of thermoplastic composites - An overview

This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the process of induction welding of thermoplastic composites. The main objective is to provide a deeper insight into the nature of the induction welding process and to summarise the investigative effort that was put into it by a large group of researchers. The main focus is put on the types of heat generation mechanisms during the induction heating process and the parameters that govern the welding process (frequency, power, pressure, residence time), as well as on the secondary phenomena that can influence the quality of the weld. An over-view of the experimental procedure is also presented, with an emphasis on the experimental set-up. Finally, a brief overview of the modelling of the heat generation mechanisms and the induction welding process is presented. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.