Radio frequency welding system for flexible work pieces and apparatuses for same

A radio frequency welding system for progressively producing varied welds on a series of subassemblies of thermoplastic layers having a topside and a underside to produce a single complex welded product, comprising;

• (a) a fixed weld platform;
• (b) a mobile radio frequency welder having an upper platen smaller than the fixed weld platform and a grounding apparatus mounted to the mobile radio frequency welder, wherein the mobile radio frequency welder and upper platen are adapted to move across the surface area of the fixed weld platform;
• (c) movable welding electrodes of varying number, size and shape configured across the surface area of the fixed weld platform and adapted to engage the underside of the thermoplastic layers;
• and
• (d) movable grounding apparatus adapted to engage the fixed weld platform and the grounding apparatus of the mobile radio frequency welder so as to provide a radio frequency electrical return circuit;
• (e) a template system adapted to engage the fixed weld platform and having a positioning system to identify, position and retain the movable welding electrodes which retain the thermoplastic layers, the template system is changeable without tools and has cut-outs that correspond to the movable welding electrodes and the movable grounding apparatus so that the movable welding electrodes and the movable grounding apparatus sit within the cut-outs;
• wherein a series of subassemblies of the thermoplastic layers are positioned over the fixed weld platform and movable welding electrodes and the mobile radio frequency welder moves over the topside of the thermoplastic layers and fixed weld platform, and engages the movable welding electrodes through the thermoplastic layers in automatic progressive process to produce a series of varied welds to create the single complex welded product.