Abstract
High frequency (HF) welding of polymer materials is increasingly used in modern manufacturing processes. The literature on HF welding process parameters was reviewed and it was found that 3-5 basic welding parameters were considered, which is insufficient for the scientific study of HF welding of polymeric materials. This article presents the mathematical expressions for the evaluation combining 17 influential parameters. For the first time, the specific and latent heat of the welded polymer material were used. The breaking forces of welds made by RF welding are investigated by varying the anode current, the coupling capacitor, and the exposure time of the HF electromagnetic fields. It was found that the amount of HF energy supplied depends on the breaking forces of the weld. A characteristic inflection point was also observed in the graph of the dependence of the breaking forces on the percentage of the coupling capacitor and the anode current. During elongation, it was observed that the weld is separated by peeling before the inflection point and breaks after the inflection point by tearing at the extruded edges of the weld. If the HF energy is applied to the weld for too long, there will be excessive melting of the material in the weld, thinning of the weld, unfavourable appearance of the extruded edges and electrical breakdown, and a drastic drop in the breaking force.