ABS Welding Rod - Features and Applications
ABS welding rod is a versatile filler material. It is widely used in industry, construction and other industries for bonding plastic elements, creating various structures and repairing them.
Types of welding rods
The range of modern filler materials is extensive. ABS welding rod is available in various modifications. This must be taken into account when choosing. Bars are differentiated by:
- section. They are round, triangular, oval, flat. The features of welding largely depend on the type of section. So, triangular rods are used for fastening at an angle. The flat bar is designed for soldering joints. Round section - universal option;
- thickness. The optimal diameter is determined based on the characteristics of the structure: the thickness of the parts to be welded, the required quality of the weld and the strength of the joint. It is also necessary to take into account the parameters of the soldering machine. The diameter of the bar must not exceed the width of its hole, otherwise the plastic will get stuck;
- color. ABS lends itself well to painting, so there is a wide range of colors of filler materials. The shade is selected for a specific product. This allows you to make the junction as invisible as possible, gives the finished structure integrity and aesthetic appearance;
Features of use
The main requirement for welding plastics is the identical composition of the part itself and the welding material. That is, a bar made of ABS can only be used with structures made of the same ABS. It is not recommended to take an additive from other types of plastic. With such heterogeneity, the quality of the weld will suffer.
Welding extruders (manual, industrial, screw) are used for work, as well as hair dryers and hot air guns for hot air welding.
Before welding, the plastic surface must be cleaned of dust and dirt. To prepare a seam at an angle of 90 o , a V-shaped groove is made. You can use a grinder. The bar should fit almost completely into the groove, only 1–2 mm of length remains above the surface. Thick sheets may require several rods, in which case they are installed one at a time.
For round bars, the outer edge is sharpened. Further work depends on the type of device.
When soldering with hot air, it is enough to attach the bar to the place of soldering and process from a short distance.
Take your time while working. The joint zone warms up gradually, the seam should be uniform. The remains of the bar, if any, can be removed: first warm up the seam, then cut off the excess. If these conditions are met, an even and strong connection is obtained.