At MD&M West, Machine Design took a tour of Emerson’s booth where Tom Hoover explained Branson’s plastic welding technology. In the first demo, Hoover explained the Laser IRAM used laser diode energy and put it around the part perimeter, allowing the customer to take contoured parts. With a cycle time of about three seconds, the IRAM is best used in non-flexible, high-speed automation parts.
If the part needs to be changed, Branson’s GL-300 Laser Welder, a Galvo welder that uses photons to weld plastics, can be used. Predominantly used in microfluidics or in product development, the machine is best used for parts that have many fluid pathways through it. Since photons (not vibrations) are used to join parts, it doesn’t leave particulates behind, making it suited for applications that demand clean, contaminant-free parts.