Ultrasonic welding of short carbon fiber reinforced PEEK with spherical surface anvils. (15th February 2022) - Yang, Yuanduo
Abstract: Ultrasonic welding of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) has attracted increased attentions from researchers in the automotive and aerospace industries. This paper proposes a novel ultrasonic welding method for focusing the welding energy at the desired location without using the energy director (ED). An anvil with a spherical surface is used in the welding system instead of a conventional flat anvil. Short carbon fiber reinforced polyether ether ketone (CF/PEEK) is employed as the research material. The effects of spherical radius and welding energy on the weld formation are investigated. The microstructure, tensile-shear property, and fracture characteristics of the joints are also analyzed. The results show that the using of a spherical surface anvil can effectively concentrates the welding energy and therefore, reduces the scattered welds.