Lecture 1

ULTRASONIC WELDING

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Definitions and General Description

Ultrasonic Welding or USW is a solid

state welding.
Weld produced by high-frequency of
vibratory energy while the work
piece is under pressure.
No melting material; solid state
process.

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Definitions and General Description

Typical component of USW system

comprises of;
Transducer
Sonotrode
Clamp
Anvil

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Definitions and General Description

Application of USW
Monometallic joints
Bimetallic joints
Trimetalic joint
Metal sheets
Metal foils
Wires
Ribbons

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 PROCESS VARIATION
Spot welding
Ring welding
Line welding
Continuous seam welding

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 US-Spot Welding
Produced by momentary
introduction of vibratory energy
The work pieces are held together
under the Sonotrode and anvil
The tip vibrates in a plane
essentially parallel to the plane of
the weld interface, perpendicular to
the axis of static force application.
Figure 1

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 US-Spot Welding
CLAMP FORCE

SONOTRODE TIP
WORK PIECES
HIGH FREQUENCY
VIBRATION

ANVIL

FIGURE 1

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 US-Ring Welding

In the forms of circular, square,

rectangular or oval
Hollow-type of Sonotrode tip
applied which id suitable to the
shape of the component
The tips vibrates torsionally in plane
of parallel to the weld interface;
Figure 2

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 US-ring Welding
CLAMP FORCE

SONOTRODE TIP
WORK PIECES
HIGH FREQUENCY
VIBRATION

ANVIL

FIGURE 2

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 US-Line Welding

The sonotrode tip is oscillated

parallel to the plane of the weld
interface and perpendicular to to
both weld line and the direction of
applied static force. Figure 3.
Produce narrow linear weld; up to
180mm length in a single weld
cycle.

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 US-Line Welding

OSCILLATED
HIGHFREQUENCY
VIBRATION

FIGURE 3

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 US-Continuous Seam Welding

Used disc-shape sonotrode tip and

roller-type/flat of anvil
The tip traverse or the work pieces
move between the tip and anvil

Disc-shaped
sonotrode tip

Work-piees

Anvil
12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW
 Micro miniature Welding and Micro
Miniature Thermo sonic Welding

Micro electronic wire bonding;

diameter 25 -500nanometer
Solid-state bonding with interface
temperature range from 100 200
Celsius.
Aluminium wire bonding,
aluminium-clad, gold plated leads.
Electronics and Semiconductor
devices.

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Mechanism of the process

Stress Pattern

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Mechanism of the process

Temperature Development in Weld

Zone

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Mechanism of the process

Energy Delivered to the weld zone

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Mechanism of the process

Power Requirement and Weldability

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Process Advantages

Little heat applied during the

process as compared to resistance
sport welding
No melting of the materials
No cast nuggets
No brittle intermetallics formed
No arc

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Process Advantages

Applicable to thin sections

Suitable to weld dissimilar materials
Applicable to certain types of
surface coating and plating
Requires less energy on high
thermal conductivity materials
Less pressure applied
Shorter weld time

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Process Advantages

Thickness deformation lower than

for cold welding

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Process Disadvantages

The thickness of the materials

adjacent to the Sonotrode tips are
limited to the properties of the
materials.
Limited to lap joint
Butt weld can be made only to
polymer systems.

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Weldable Metal.
Most Metal and their alloys can be
welded; Refer Figure 25.6 page 790
AWS Handbook
The weldability of the materials
depend on their composition and
properties
Materials that require high power
and longer weld time considered as
difficult to weld.

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Weldable Metal.
Alluminium Alloys
Cast
Extruded
Rolled
Forged
Heat-treated
o Cladding surface may gives advantages to the
process
o Aluminium can be welded to most materials

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Weldable Metal.

Copper Alloys
Easy to weld
High thermal conductivity is not deterrent
factor to USW
Need to prepare surface condition

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Weldable Metal.

Iron and Steel

Ingot iron
LCS

Tools Steel

Die Steels

Austenitic SS

Precipitation Hardening Steel

Required higher power than aluminium and

copper.

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Weldable Metal.

Precious Metals
Gold
Silver

Platinum

Palladium

And their alloys

Can be welded to other metals including

germanium and silicon.

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Weldable Metal.

Other Metals
Nickel
Titanium
Zirconium
Beryllium
Magnesium
Can be welded in thin gage to
themselves

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Multiple Layer Welding

Possible
20layer of 25nanometer Al foil can
be welded simultaneously with
Spot weld
Continuous seam weld

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Limitations

Aluminium 1100 series maximum

thickness up to 2.5mm
Harder materials range of thickness
is between 0.4 to 1.0mm
This limitation is for the member
that contact to the sonotrode tip;
other may have greater thickness

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 APPLICATIONS

Electronic Component
Reliable joints with low electrical
resistance without
contamination/distortion of components
Fine aluminium and gold wire join to
transistors
Wires and ribbons bonding to thin film
and microminiaturized circuits
Diode and transistors connections

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 APPLICATIONS

Electrical connections
Used for various types of connections
Single and standard wires
Aluminium anodized coating
Current-carrying devices; electrical
motors, harnesses, transformed etc.
Automotive starter motors

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 APPLICATIONS
Foil and Sheet Splicing (Joining)
Aluminium and copper foil up to 0.5mm
thick
Broken aluminium foil with random
length continuous seam welding with
foil roll mill.
Foil with size 0.13mm thick and 180mm
wide reliably spliced capable to
withstand annealing operation
The joints almost undetectable

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 APPLICATIONS
Encapsulating and packaging
Wide varieties of packaging
Soft foil to pressurized cans
Leak tight joints used ring seam or line welding
Useful for encapsulating materials that are
sensitive to heat or electrical current
Can be done in a vacuum chemical that react
with moisture/air
Ring weld up to 38mm diameter thin section
of aluminium and copper.

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 APPLICATIONS
Structural Welding
Limit to certain thickness of weldable materials
Aircraft secondary structures; helicopter access
door multiple ultrasonic spot welding
Fabrication cost saving compare to adhesive
bonding strength and load applied is 5 to 10
times greater.
Small clip attach to cylindrical reactor fuel
elements Ultrasonic spot welding

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 APPLICATIONS
Solar Energy System
Reduced the fabrication cost for solar energy
conversion and collection system.
Photovoltaic modules of silicon cells jointed by
aluminum connectors.
Used USW-seam welding; operating speed 10m/min
Solar collector for water heater consists of
copper/aluminium tubes attached to collector plates
Used USW-spot weld spaced on 25mm
A 1m tube can be welded in 2 minute and the energy
cost of about 12sen.
Fabrication costs are lower compared to soldering,
resistance spot welding or roll welding.

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 APPLICATIONS

Other application

READ

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 EQUIPMENT
General Description
The components
1) A Frequency converter to provide
electrical power
2) A transducer Sonotrode System to
convert the electrical power to elastic vibrator
energy and deliver it to weld zone
3) An Anvil to support the work piece

4) A force application system

5) Timing device or rotating mechanism

6) Electrical, electronic and hydraulic or

pneumatic control

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 EQUIPMENT

General Description
The components
1) A Frequency converter to provide
electrical power
2) A transducer Sonotrode System to
convert the electrical power to elastic
vibrator energy and deliver it to weld
zone

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Types of Equipment

Spot Welding Machine

Common basic principle
Deliver single pulses of high frequency
vibration
Used two types of clamping and energy
transmission.
Wedge-Reed System (Fig. 25.1 page 785)
Lateral Drive System (Fig 25.14 page 798)

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Types of Equipment

Line Welding Machine

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 Types of Equipment

Continuous Seam Welding Machine

Roller-Roller System
Traversing Anvil System
Traversing Head system

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW

 Sonotrode Tips and Anvils

Tip and Anvil Geometry

12/8/2017 Lecture 1- USW