Vibration joining of fiber‐reinforced thermosets

Abstract Adhesive bonding is known to be particularly suitable for thermoset composites with continuous fiber reinforcement as it does not interrupt the fibers because of drilled holes. The frequently used two‐part adhesives often require long curing times for the chemical reaction. At the Institute of Polymer Technology (LKT), a vibration‐assisted hot melt bonding technique (vibration joining) was developed, which offers short cycle times and represents a modification of hot melt bonding, using the machine technology from vibration welding. It is suitable to join thermoplastics with thermoset materials or thermosets using a thermoplastic interlayer, by taking advantage of short cycle time and good lap shear strength, compared to bonding with reactive adhesives. Polym Compos 2009 POLYM. COMPOS., 31:1205–1212, 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers