At Genesis Plastics Welding, we’re frequently asked about the differences in types of welds, specifically radio frequency (RF) welding and ultrasonic welding. Both methods of plastics welding have a quick turnaround time and create a strong, quality bond. They also both use heat and pressure to create these bonds, but achieve them in slightly different ways. Do you know which method is right for your project?

Ultrasonic Welding

With this technology, high-frequency ultrasonic acoustic vibrations are applied through a horn to plastics materials being held together under pressure to create a solid weld. The friction created by the vibrations causes heat that fuses the materials together. This technology is best suited for many rigid plastic components and is a popular due to its speed and ease of use. However, part size is a limiting factor.

RF Welding

Like with ultrasonic welding, pressure is applied to the plastics materials, but instead of heat created through friction, a high frequency electromagnetic energy (radio waves) is used to fuse the materials together. The energy generated by this process causes the molecules in the material to vibrate, which creates heat and allows the plastics to fuse together.

RF welding is a fast process, does not require any special joint designs and produces cosmetically appealing welds. With this method of welding, the heating can be localized and the process can be continuous. RF welding creates a consistent weld, and is used in industries such as medical device manufacturing where a strong, leak-proof seal may be required. At Genesis, our RF welding services can weld very thin gauge (down to 0.001 inch) polymers from a tiny weld spot up to 82” by 42” in size.

A good quality weld not only depends on the method used, but also on the chosen materials. Our diverse heat sealing solutions allow you to consider both polar and non-polar materials in your production process. You can find out more about our services on our website or by contacting ustoday.