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| Panel Beaters plastic welding |
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Most plastics in todays automobiles are thermoplastics, once heated
they can be softened and in this state they can be reshaped after being
damaged. Most importantly they can be welded without loss of component
strength. Virtually every automobile today has a variety of plastics in the shape of body panels, headlamps, indicators, grills, bumpers, interior trim panels and mouldings. |
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The damaged area is prepared by bringing together the
broken edges evenly, running a soldering iron with a ' v ' shape tip along
the break creating a deep melted groove along the two edges. This has two advantages, fusing together the edges of the break and creating a deep groove for the plastic rod to be welded in. A point to make here is the soldering iron must have the right wattage, about 20-30 watts, different size tips are handy too. |
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Welding rods come in many different recipies, shapes and sizes. The most common shape we use has a V shape with a raised head, this fits snugly into the groove we have prepared making sure of course to pick the right rod for the job. ie the right kind of plastic. In some cases we have to do a match test to make sure the rod we are using is the same kind of plastic as the bumper we are going to weld. |
The welding gun is basically a hot air gun, the hot air is forced out the nozzel at a certain temperature heating the groove in the bumper and the plastic rod which is passed through the guide at the same time, as can be seen in the photo on the right. The two welding rods in the inset don't show the detail very well but the one on the left has the round head which will be used for this repair and the one on the right is a square rod. |
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| Normal welding tempreature is about 350 degrees celsius. The rear of the bumper must be welded in exactly the same way. This will achieve full strength, and not give the repair a chance to break again. |
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The welded area can then be prepared for painting by smoothing,
using files, carving chisels, and sanding. The same factory two pot paints are always used for refinishing, and in some cases where the plastic component is not painted in thier original form, modern paint applicat- ions can be used to make an invisable repair. |
I have found this particular type of welding gun to be very good
after trialing many makes and models. It is called a 'Leister' The hot air flow is controled electronically, which means I can weld the most delicate of jobs by altering the temperature from a high down to zero. It is also a very well ballanced gun. |
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Contact@es.co.nz |
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Plastic Welding |
Factory Paint |
Chassis - Work | | 24 hour Salvage | Wheel alignment | |
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Leisters home page: http://www.leister.com |
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Site developed and designed by: Rex Corson All rights reserved. last modified: April 2010 | |