Andor Bauernhuber

Adhesion of Steel and PMMA by Means of Laser Radiation

As the utilization of plastics is growing in our devices, their joining with other structural materials, like metals is more and more necessary. A novel method for joining polymeric materials and metals is the laser assisted metal plastic joining. The method is in focus of several researches. However, the mechanism of joint formation is not described sufficiently yet. In this study, the adhesion between structural steel and PMMA plastic and the phenomena of bubble formation is investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetry and mass spectrometry (TG-MS) were used to analyze joining interfaces and changes in the plastic material. Results show good adhesion between the mentioned materials and the important role of bubbles in the evolution of joining force.

Hybrid joining of steel and plastic materials by laser beam

Hybrid joining of metals and plastics in order to produce lightweight parts is of growing interest in the manufacturing processes of vehicles, electrical devices and biomedical applications. In this study, the joining of PMMA plastic (poly methyl metacrylate) and unalloyed steel were investigated by the authors. The authors successfully joined PMMA and steel by means of Nd:YAG laser and carried out tensile tests to measure the joining strength. Experimental results showed that the joint strength is influenced by the heating time, the penetration depth of the steel workpieces in the plastic, by the surface roughness of steel and by the time elapsed between bonding and tearing of the samples.