Open Access

Johannes Käsbauer, Anton Schmailzl, Jens Prehm, Tobias Loose, Stefan Hierl

• Thermo-mechanical simulation offers great opportunities to optimize welding processes of plastics. For realistic simulation, the temperature dependent mechanical properties need to be implemented from ambient temperature to temperatures above the flow temperature. Standard test methods are insufficient for characterization in the entire temperature range because close to the flow temperature theThermo-mechanical simulation offers great opportunities to optimize welding processes of plastics. For realistic simulation, the temperature dependent mechanical properties need to be implemented from ambient temperature to temperatures above the flow temperature. Standard test methods are insufficient for characterization in the entire temperature range because close to the flow temperature the material is too soft for tensile tests and too stiff for rheometry. Therefore, an optimization strategy is developed, that determines unknown material parameters by testing in welding simulations. The unknown parameters are iteratively adjusted to minimize the mismatch between computed and measured set-paths. Thus, important process characteristics are calculated realistically, enabling the computer aided assessment of the weld quality.…