Fast bonding cuts auto costs: An important development speeds assembly through “welding” of plastic to metal

A new inductive heating technique for fast bonding of relatively thin metallic — mainly ferromagnetic — parts to nonmetallic components is making inroads in automobile manufacturing. Primarily developed for the very demanding time constraints of the automobile industry´s assembly-line environment, this method is characterized by a uniform heat distribution within sharply defined boundaries and by unique, precisely controlled temperature sequences. The present uses of the heating technique — the fastening of plastic retainer clips, the bonding of the manufacturer´s identifying “logo” to the car´s body, and the bonding of metallic fastening clips to the curved surfaces of glass windows and to the automobile´s plastic grill — are just the forerunners of a great many applications.