Fast direct joining of metal and thermoplastic materials

Bonding without adhesive

Press release (No. 3) - Fraunhofer IWS /

The Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoff- und Strahltechnik IWS Dresden has developed a new process for joining materials with different properties. Thermal direct joining presses laser-structured metal with thermoplastic components and heats them locally. This causes the thermoplastic to melt, to penetrate into the structures and to adhere to the surface. A specially developed joining gun generates robust connections within seconds. The "HeatPressCool-Integrative" (HPCI) process is highly suitable for replacing complex adhesive processes.