Staking (manufacturing)

Staking, referred less often than thermal caulking, one of the manufacturing processes that create lasting positive, non-positive and partially beyond material connections. In practical application, it represents an alternative to gluing, nailing, riveting and bolting

Process theory and application

To connect plastic support with, for example, printed circuit boards or metal components, including rivet heads using force and heat plastic domes, called, melted and reshaped. It can thermoplastics such as PA, PBT, PC, PE, POM and PP are heißverstemmt. In addition to the fixing of the components to each other, this connection technology also allows the transmission of forces and / or torque between the individual parts.

Staking is used among other things in the automotive industry, electrical industry and in medical technology.

Process alternatives

There are two alternative procedures:

• On one hand, the classic staking a stamp, which is heated either before or during contact with the product. In addition to the heat input and the force is applied to the workpiece on the tool die. Depending on the nature and shape of the die can be heated in less than 0.5 s. So that no molten plastic material is adhered to the stamp, an anti-adhesive coating surface is applied.

• On the other hand the contactless Laserheißverstemmen, wherein the laser radiation is absorbed at the surface of the plastic dome, where they are heated up to the local Plasitifizierung. Under the effect of a contact force a permanent positive connection is created. This method is thus comparable to the laser plastic welding and combines its properties with those of the riveting. It is particularly suitable for automated production.