# US 11,027,498 B2 · Ultrasonic welding of dissimilar sheet materials

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- Number: US 11,027,498 B2
- Document ID: US11027498B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/991,367
- Filed: 2018-05-29
- Published: 2018-09-27
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-16
- Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
- Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
- Inventors: Yongqiang Li; Shixin Hu; Daniel Shriver; Kaifeng Wang; Mihaela Banu; Jorge F. Arinez
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027498B2

## CPC

- B29C 65/606: {the rivets being integral with one of the parts to be joined, i.e. staking}
- B23K 20/10: making use of vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic welding
- B23K 20/22: taking account of the properties of the materials to be welded
- B29C 65/08: using ultrasonic vibrations {(non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645)}
- B29C 65/561: {using screw-threads being integral at least to one of the parts to be joined}
- B29C 65/607: {the integral rivets being hollow}
- B29C 65/608: {the integral rivets being pushed in blind holes}
- B29C 65/64: Joining a non-plastics element to a plastics element, e.g. by force (B29C65/44 takes precedence)
- B29C 65/8215: {Tensile tests}
- B29C 66/02241: {Cutting, e.g. by using waterjets, or sawing (using heat B29C66/0246; cutting-off or cutting-out a part of a strip-like or sheet-like material, transferring that part and fixing it to an article B29C69/005)}
- B29C 66/1122: {Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints (B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence)}
- B29C 66/21: {said joint lines being formed by a single dot or dash or by several dots or dashes, i.e. spot joining or spot welding}
- B29C 66/3032: {making use of protrusions or cavities belonging to at least one of the parts to be joined (B29C66/3034 takes precedence)}
- B29C 66/30325: {making use of cavities belonging to at least one of the parts to be joined}
- B29C 66/304: {Joining through openings in an intermediate part of the article (B29C66/3034 takes precedence)}
- B29C 66/43: {Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles (B29C66/45 takes precedence)}
- B29C 66/712: {the composition of one of the parts to be joined being different from the composition of the other part}
- B29C 66/7212: {characterised by the composition of the fibres}
- B29C 66/72143: {Fibres of discontinuous lengths}
- B29C 66/73116: {of different melting point, i.e. the melting point of one of the parts to be joined being different from the melting point of the other part}
- B29C 66/7392: {characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic}
- B29C 66/73921: {characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics}
- B29C 66/7394: {characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoset}
- B29C 66/742: {to metals or their alloys}
- B29C 66/7422: {Aluminium or alloys of aluminium}
- B29C 66/81425: {being stepped, e.g. comprising a shoulder}
- B29C 66/81431: {comprising a single cavity, e.g. a groove}
- B29C 66/8322: {Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis}
- B23K 2103/05: {Stainless steel}
- B23K 2103/10: Aluminium or alloys thereof
- B23K 2103/18: Dissimilar materials
- B23K 2103/42: {Plastics other than composite materials}
- B29C 65/02: by heating, with or without pressure
- B29C 65/48: using adhesives {, i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding}
- B29C 65/4895: {Solvent bonding, i.e. the surfaces of the parts to be joined being treated with solvents, swelling or softening agents, without adhesives}
- B29C 65/562: {using extra joining elements, i.e. which are not integral with the parts to be joined (using plastic snap elements B29C65/58; using plastic rivets B29C65/601)}
- B29C 65/72: by combined operations {or combined techniques}, e.g. welding and stitching
- B29C 66/71: {characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined (welding bar compositions B29C65/125)}
- B29C 66/73755: {the to-be-joined area of at least one of the parts to be joined being fully cured, i.e. fully cross-linked, fully vulcanized}
- B29C 66/74283: {Iron or alloys of iron, e.g. steel}
- B29C 66/81423: {being concave}
- B29C 66/929: {characterized by specific pressure, force, mechanical power or displacement values or ranges}
- B29C 66/939: {characterised by specific speed values or ranges}
- B29C 66/949: {characterised by specific time values or ranges}
- B29C 66/9513: {characterised by specific vibration frequency values or ranges}
- B29C 66/9517: {characterised by specific vibration amplitude values or ranges}
- B29K 2023/12: {PP, i.e. polypropylene}
- B29K 2067/046: {PLA, i.e. polylactic acid or polylactide}
- B29K 2071/00: Use of polyethers {, e.g. PEEK, i.e. polyether-etherketone or PEK, i.e. polyetherketone or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material
- B29K 2079/08: {PI, i.e. polyimides or derivatives thereof}
- B29K 2081/04: {Polysulfides, e.g. PPS, i.e. polyphenylene sulfide or derivatives thereof}
- B29K 2101/12: Thermoplastic materials
- B29K 2277/10: {Aromatic polyamides [Polyaramides] or derivatives thereof }
- B29K 2705/00: Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS

## Abstract

A ultrasonic welding method of joining dissimilar-material workpieces, such as sheet materials, and the joined components formed thereby. The method includes applying ultrasonic energy to a thermoplastic piece to fill a hole of a dissimilar piece to form a weld point that is made up with polymer from the thermoplastic piece. In general, the geometry of the thermoplastic piece is not altered during the process. The dissimilar piece generally has a higher melting temperate and can be metal, thermoset polymers, or other thermoplastic material. The welded pieces can be arranged in a lap, laminate, or double lap configuration. In some embodiments, the hole of the dissimilar sheet material includes undercut features that improve the mechanical interlock between the dissimilar pieces. In some embodiments, the weld point has a mushroom cap to improve mechanical interlock.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, of forming a welded component of dissimilar-material pieces by ultrasonic welding, comprising,
placing a first thermoplastic piece atop a top surface of a higher melting temperate (HMT) piece, wherein the top surface of the HMT piece comprises a first set of holes each having an opening in the top surface, to cover the first set of holes in the HMT piece, and wherein the HMT piece further comprises a second set of holes, each having an opening at a bottom surface of the HMT piece;
placing a second thermoplastic piece adjacent the bottom surface of the HMT piece, covering the second set of holes in the HMT piece, sandwiching the HMT piece with the first thermoplastic piece;
applying ultrasonic energy to the thermoplastic piece above the first set of holes of the HMT piece using an ultrasonic horn to melt material of the first thermoplastic piece so that material melted fills the first set of holes of the HMT piece to create a weld point joining the first thermoplastic piece and the HMT piece to form the welded component; and
applying ultrasonic energy to the second thermoplastic piece below the second set of holes of the HMT piece, so that material of the second thermoplastic piece melts and flows into the second set of holes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of holes and the second set of holes has at least one undercut feature and some of the material melted from the first and second thermoplastic pieces fills the undercut feature.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one undercut feature comprises a step, internal threads, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed to form a double lap joint to join the first and second thermoplastic pieces and HMT piece of the welded component, wherein:
the ultrasonic horn is a first ultrasonic horn; and
applying the ultrasonic energy to the second thermoplastic piece is performed using a second ultrasonic horn having a larger diameter than the first ultrasonic horn.

### Claim 5

A method, of forming a welded component of dissimilar-material pieces by ultrasonic welding, comprising,
placing a thermoplastic piece atop a first higher melting temperate (HMT) piece, wherein the HMT piece comprises a first set of holes, to cover the first set of holes in the first HMT piece;
stacking a second HMT piece comprising a second set of holes with the first HMT piece and aligning the first set of holes with the second set of holes; and
applying ultrasonic energy to the thermoplastic piece above the first and second set of holes of the first and second HMT pieces to fill all of the holes with material melted from the thermoplastic piece to join the first and second HMT pieces to the thermoplastic piece to create a weld point joining the thermoplastic piece and the first and second HMT pieces to form the welded component.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of holes are through holes and the melted material of the first thermoplastic piece fills the through holes of the HMT piece to create the weld point joining the first thermoplastic piece and the HMT piece to form the welded component.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of holes are blind holes and the melted material of the first thermoplastic piece fills the blind holes of the HMT piece to create the weld point joining the first thermoplastic piece and the HMT piece to form the welded component.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the blind hole comprises at least one undercut feature includes a step, an internal thread, or a combination thereof and the melted material of the thermoplastic piece fills the undercut feature(s) of the blind hole of the HMT piece to create the weld point joining the thermoplastic piece and the HMT piece to form the welded component.

### Claim 9

A method, for joining dissimilar-material workpieces, comprising:
positioning a higher melting temperature (HMT) piece adjacent an anvil-cutting apparatus;
moving a cutter of the apparatus into a hole of the HMT piece;
extending a cutting insert of the cutter and rotating the cutting insert to form a void in a side wall of the hole;
retracting the cutting insert;
retracting the cutter from the hole;
positioning a thermoplastic piece atop the HMT piece; and
applying ultrasonic energy to the thermoplastic piece causing material of the thermoplastic piece to melt and move into the hole until the material melted contacts a top of the cutter of the anvil-cutter apparatus, thereby filling the hole and the void formed.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein:
the anvil-cutter apparatus has a slot in which the cutter is slidably positioned;
the slot is wider than the hole of the HMT piece;
retracting the cutter includes retracting the cutter into a body of the cutter-anvil arrangement so that a top surface of the cutter is lower than an adjacent top surface of the body, so that a lower surface of the HMT piece exposed can act as an under-piece feature for receiving material melted from the thermoplastic piece; and
applying ultrasonic energy to melt the thermoplastic piece to fill a space between sides of the slot, atop the top surface of the cutter, and beneath the under-piece feature formed by the exposed surface of the HMT piece.