Heat Staking
Heat staking technology and solutions for complex and delicate plastic parts.
Heat staking technology and solutions for complex and delicate plastic parts.
Branson’s heat staking technology allows for the joining of components to a plastic moulding. The staking process joins materials without the need for vibration. This results in no cosmetic damage to class A surfaces. Branson heat staking is an ideal solution for industries that require sensitive plastic parts to be joined, such as Automotive, Electronics and Medical.
Heat staking also known as thermoplastic staking is the process of joining two dissimilar materials together. In heat staking we use local heating and cooling to raise the temperature of plastic components and allow plastic reforming to be carried out. This reforming can be used in a wide variety of applications.
Applications range from staking plastic boss’s for assembly of car door panels to joining PCB’s to plastic housings. Benefits of this technique include; no vibration damage, no particulates, the ability to stake metalized coated applications and the capability to stake in difficult to access or restricted areas.
When an electrical current flows through the heating tip, the electrical resistance creates heating effect. The heat staking tip is brought into contact with the thermoplastic part to be reformed.The heating tip is then heated by direct electrical heating within the tip for a short period of time. The heated tip softens the plastic material and forms the melted plastic into the shape of the tip.
Compressed air is then applied to cool the tip and the formed plastic. Multiple points including multiple polymers can be staked simultaneously. Cycle time is influenced by the volume of polymer to be reformed. Heat staking technology can be implemented in varying levels of sophistication according to customer requirements. From simple time controlled open loop systems to sophisticated closed loop systems with temperature feedback.
Applications for heat staking included:
