Every year, PPT donates a portion of its profits to City of Hope to help fund cancer research and the latest treatment efforts.
Our motto is “Contributing to better lives” and PPT strives to have a positive impact on the lives of our customers, employees and the community in which we live.
We have all probably seen the terrible images of the immense amount of plastic pollution found in our oceans. The Houston Chronicle wrote an Interesting article on how some of the worlds largest plastics manufacturers are joining forces to commit 1 billion dollars to help curb pollution. They have formed a non-profit called “Alliance to End Plastic waste.” It is good to see that the industry is trying to curb pollution.
PPT employees volunteered for a day at the Inland Empire United Way. Our employees worked together to pack over 500 sack lunches for needy children throughout the area. Nutrition has been recognized as an important contributor to how well children learn in school. Many Children in the area recieve their only meals while attending school, this means that they have nothing to eat over the weekend. How well do you think you would perform at work on Monday morning having not eaten over the weekend?
The United Way works directly with School districts and their school counselors to identify children who may be at the highest risk for hunger in the area. Every Friday, the Kids Pack Program provides over 2000 sack lunches to schools throughout the area.
PPT Volunteered for the Kids Pack Program and together we were able to pack over 500 lunches. These pack lunches looked delicious and included: cup ‘o’ noodles, peaches, pudding, granola bars, Cheese and Crackers, Cheez-its, water and utensils. Our employees made quick work of the assembly line, quickly applying their knowledge of lean tools and conducting on the fly Kaizen improvements to maximize productivity. If there is one, we may have set a world record for how quickly lunches can be packed while achieving stellar levels of quality.
In all seriousness though, We will be looking forward to more opportunities to work with the United Way. There are many areas in which they help the local community and this aligns with our social responsibility program. Thanks to the United Way and to our employees for helping us to Contribute to Better lives.
Thermoplastics are used in the vast majority of products manufactured today. Many of these products utilize screws, pins, and threaded inserts for fastening and joining; while these methods might be the best choice for assemblies requiring serviceability, there may be more cost-effective methods of assembly for those that don’t. In some cases, we can replace or eliminate fasteners by welding components together leading to reduced cost and less complexity. One common process that Plastics Plus Technology, Inc. can utilize to weld plastic components is called Ultrasonic Welding.
Ultrasonic welding is a process that utilizes high-frequency mechanical vibrations to generate frictional heat between two components. The heat generated causes the thermoplastic to melt at the mating surfaces and once cooled, creates a strong mechanical bond.
This process works well for many different types of thermoplastic polymers but all plastics are not good candidates for ultrasonic welding. The broad softening temperature of Amorphous thermoplastics makes them good candidates for welding. These materials include PC or ABS. Semi-crystalline materials like nylon can be welded but they are much less forgiving since they don’t have a broad softening point. It takes a lot more energy to make these materials melt since they have natural properties that will absorb the vibrations produced by the ultrasonic welding equipment. Material choice is very important when considering the option of ultrasonic welding.
On occasion, different types of materials may need to be welded together. In this case, an analysis of their mechanical properties, melt temperatures, and chemical compatibility should be completed to evaluate the effectiveness of the weld. Many materials will not weld together properly. PPT can offer guidance on what materials will work best.
How Does an Ultrasonic Welder Work?
Ultrasonic welders consist of several components: a piezoelectric transducer, a booster, and a sonotrode (horn). These parts are tuned to resonate at a specific ultrasonic frequency. The piezoelectric transducer (also known as a converter) changes electrical energy into mechanical vibrations. These vibrations are transmitted through a booster which modifies the amplitude of the vibration and transmits it into the sonotrode. The sonitrode is a tuned metal rod that focuses the ultrasonic vibrations into the parts. These vibrations cause friction that melts the parts together.
In this example, we will weld a lid onto a small box-like component. The operator places the component into the nesting fixture and places the lid on top. When the machine is cycled a ram moves the ultrasonically vibrating sonotrode or horn up against the parts. The nest securely holds the part in place while the lid is vibrated with the horn. After a short period of time, the weld is completed and the ram retracts moving the horn up where the cycle can be started again.
Plastics Plus Technology is a woman-owned, USA contract manufacturer based in sunny Southern California. Our custom injection molding and value-added services can provide you with a one-stop job shop for all your plastic manufacturing needs.
ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485:2016 QMS certified and compliant. FDA compliant. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). WBENC.