Assembly in Action: Speakers Are Assembled With Sound
Industrias Nishiba (Tijuana, Mexico)a subsidiary of Nishiba Co. Ltd. (Kiryu, Japan)specializes in custom injection molding and metal stamping. Many of the parts manufactured in the facility are components for speakers.
The company faced a challenge in mounting the electronic components to the speaker housing. "We experienced two major problems using adhesives in the manufacturing process. First of all, they were not strong enough, and secondly, they took too long to dry," says Asad Uzzaman Khan, quality manager.
The company turned to Sonobond Ultrasonics (West Chester, PA) for a solution. Sonobond Ultrasonics provided the company with the SureWeld ultrasonic plastic welder. "Switching to the ultrasonic plastic welder provides the strong bond we require and reduces production time as well," says Khan.
Ultrasonic technology works by transmitting high-frequency vibrations to the interface of the plastic parts being joined. This causes the plastic material to quickly soften. When the material resolidifies, the bond is made. The entire process is complete in less than a second, and it works without glue or solvents.
To meet Nishiba’s specific bonding requirements, Sonobond engineers developed custom tooling for the SureWeld equipment. Nishiba uses an 800-watt power supply, with an electronic amplitude selection control that eliminates the need for booster changes.
The SureWeld unit is simple to understand and easy to operate. It has user-friendly controls that prevent mishandling. Pressure and tool speed are easily regulated to achieve maximum and cost-effective production output.
"The Sonobond equipment cut production time and eliminated the cost of the adhesives. In addition, we are also producing more reliable and accurate bonds with the SureWeld machines," says Khan.
For more information on ultrasonic welding, call 610-696-4710 or visit www.sonobondultrasonic.com.
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