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.