Computational modeling and experimental studies of the dynamic performance of ultrasonic horn profiles used in plastic welding

► The modeled temperature correlated with the recorded for Cylindrical, Gaussian and Catenoidal horns. ► The Stepped and Bezier horns have high displacement amplitude and a corresponding higher temperature during welding. ► The high amplitude of these two horns resulted in the hysteresis heating of the entire specimen. ► A higher interface temperature leads to stronger welded joints. ► Stepped and Bezier profile horn are suitable for welding semi-crystalline polymers and welding in the far field region. Ultrasonic horns are tuned components designed to vibrate in a longitudinal mode at ultrasonic frequencies. Reliable performance of such horns is normally decided by the uniformity of vibration amplitude at the working surface and the stress developed during loading condition. The horn design engineer must pay particular attention to designing a tool that will produce the desired amplitude without fracturing. The present work discusses horn configurations which satisfy these criteria and investigates the design requirements of horns in ultrasonic system. Different horn profiles for ultrasonic welding of thermoplastics have been characterized in terms of displacement amplitude and von-Mises stresses using modal and harmonic analysis. To validate the simulated results, five different horns are fabricated from Aluminum, tested and tuned to the operating frequency. Standard ABS plastic parts are welded using these horns. Temperature developed during the welding of ABS test parts using different horns is recorded using sensors and National Instruments (NIs) data acquisition system. The recorded values are compared with the predicted values. Experimental results show that welding using a Bezier horn has a high interface temperature and the welded joints had higher strength as compared to the other horn profiles.