In January 2017, students from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands unveiled the world’s first car made almost entirely from bio-based materials.

Ideally, every component in a plastic assembly would be made from the same material. However, cost, functional and aesthetic requirements often dictate that a mix of materials be used.

No matter which method you use to assemble plastic parts, you would have found the latest technologies at The ASSEMBLY Show. There were at least 10 suppliers of plastics joining equipment on the show floor, including first-time exhibitors Rinco Ultrasonics and Thermal Press International Inc.

Both hot-plate welding and infrared welding are used to join plastic parts. One method contacts the parts; the other does not.

There are quite a few options for welding plastic parts, including ultrasonics, laser, hot plate and radio frequency. Additionally, parts can be mechanically joined via fasteners, snap fits or adhesives. Each of these processes has certain advantages and disadvantages for production, and each requires vastly different part and joint designs.

Hot-plate welding can produce strong, leak-tight plastic assemblies with complex geometries.