Glass fiber in short term is GF, and primarily adding glass fiber in plastic materials is enhance the material’s properties. In short: to make the plastic stronger, harder, more heat-resistant and more stable.
Why adding fiberglass in plastic? (Core reason)
Enhance strength and rigidity (the main reason)
Pure material is too soft, may be deformed or cracked under stress, while adding glass fiber, the tensile strength, flexural strength, and rigidity of the plastic material have been significantly enhanced. For example: the strength of PA66-GF30 can be 2-3 times higher than pure PA66.
Typical automotive components:
- Electronic water pump housing
Improve heat-resistant
Fiber glass can significantly improve the heat deformation temperature(HDT) of plastic materials.
For example the normal PP is soft under 90℃, while PP+GF30 can withstand temperatures up to 140°C.
Application:
Engine compartment components, high-temperature working assemblies.
Reduce shrinkage rate and enhance the size stability
Pure plastic material shrinkage rate is large, and easier to be deformed, after adding fiber glass, the shrinkage rate is reduced, size is more stable, which is more suitable for automotive structural components.
If you face the below situation:
Having trouble for welding jig criterion?
Welding ribs are not aligned due to the wrapped injection-molded parts?
→ GF plastics normally offer better dimensional stability.
Improve fatigue resistance and service life
Fiber glass materials are more suitable for environments under long time stress and vibration.
Typical Situation
- Pump impeller
- Enhance flame retardancy (indirect)
Fiber glass itself is non-combustible, helping plastic materials achieve higher flame-retardant ratings (such as UL94 V0).
Reduce cost(compare with metal material)
The combined properties of plastic and fiberglass can partially replace aluminum and zinc alloys, also offer lower costs and are suitable for higher amount injection molding.
Adding fiber glass has many advantage, especially used in automotive industry, but there is a difficulty for welding:
Higher GF content → Poorer energy transfer → More difficult for welding.
But Jfortune has developed a new welding method: hot gas welding(Nitrogen welding) for this fiber glass in plastic materials. This welding technology can weld up to 60% fiber glass. What do you think of it?
What is hot gas welding machine?
The welded strength of hot gas welding machine is highest during all the plastic welding technology.
HG welding adopts non-touch heating method to connect both plastic parts together. Hot air device is distributed by many tiny tubes, eject the heated nitrogen to both parts welding ribs, heat and soften the plastic material. Once the hot air device is stopped and return, upper and lower parts cool pressed until they bond together. HG welding didn’t happen particulate, also doesn’t degrade plastic materials. This hot gas welding technology is suitable for all types of plastic materials, include the difficult for welding plastic materials: PC, PA6, PA66, PBT, POM, PPO, PPS…
For many high-quality thermoplastics, hot gas welding technology is the only method to achieve high-strength, uniform, and particle-free hot-melt bonding.
The advantage of hot gas welding machine:
- No particulate happens during welding, ensuring a very clean welding process.
- Suitable for all kinds of products outlines and sizes, heating the nitrogen by different height’s tiny metal tubes, can make the complex 3d welding ribs uniformly.
- Adopt inert gas: nitrogen gas to heat the welding rib, the welding rib area is not oxidized. Consequently, it is widely used for various harsh welding environments, such as high temperatures, pressure, pressure pulsations, and conditions involving corrosive media like ethylene glycol.
- The weld seam has no residual stress.
- Also good for warped parts or shrunk parts.
- Can weld almost all the thermo plastic materials, can weld fiber glass up to 60%. Capable of welding different types of thermoplastic plastics.
- Compared with other welding technologies, hot gas welding strength is the highest.
- Can be achieved with multiple cavities, which can be welded by 1 time.