Vibration welding air intake manifolds from reinforced nylon 66, nylon 6 and polypropylene

Vibration welding is a common method for creating complex hollow parts from simpler injection molded components. This work studied the vibration welding of an industrial air intake manifold (AIM) made from nylon 66, nylon 6 and polypropylene all reinforced with 30% glass fibres. The meltdown-time profiles were measured and compared to those of simple lab-scale butt-weld assemblies. The experimental results indicated that the meltdown rate of the manifold was controlled by the slower rate of transverse welding. The burst strengths of these AIM at various welding conditions were also investigated. Results of finite element analysis indicated that the highest von Mises stresses and the maximum normal principle stresses at the weld region of the AIM were comparable to the weld strength of corresponding lab-scale coupons, confirming that the initial failure occurred in the weld region.

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