Manufacturers Praise Sonobond Ultrasonics' Spot Welding Technology as Fast, Energy-Efficient, and Ultra-Reliable


Lake Cable, LLC reports "outstanding results" from their specially modified SonoWeld® 1600 Digital Metal Spot Welder used for encapsulating cables in metal sheathing.

WEST CHESTER, Pennsylvania, February 19, 2008-Sonobond Ultrasonics announced today that increasing numbers of companies are relying on its microprocessor-controlled spot welding technology. According to Janet Devine, president of Sonobond Ultrasonics, manufacturers are reporting that the SonoWeld® 1600 Digital Metal Spot Welder Series is proving to be very dependable, efficient, and easy-to-operate. She cited Lake Cable, LLC as an example of a company that is getting impressive results from this Sonobond technology. The company encapsulates cables in metal sheathing and extrudes overall jackets over its control, instrumentation, and power cable product line.

Customized Sonobond Unit
Lake Cable, LLC needed to update its spot welding machine at its
100,000-square-foot Prairie Cable facility in Valparaiso, Indiana. According to that facility's maintenance manager, Chris McLaughlin, they were already familiar with many of the advantages of Sonobond technology. He says, "We had been using a 20-year-old Sonobond machine and were very pleased. We knew there were other assembly methods. But, unlike ultrasonics, these other methods were less efficient and used consumables. We didn't want that. When we contacted Sonobond to replace a manual we'd lost, they recognized that a newer, customized unit could help us improve our existing processes."

Sonobond responded promptly by providing free, sample welds and a recommendation that Lake Cable, LLC replace the current unit with a specially modified version of the 2500-watt SonoWeld® 1600 Digital Metal Spot Welder. This new unit featured a custom anvil slide assembly, as well as a modified frame to accommodate material up to 4.5 inches in width. It also enabled the unit to weld on an angle so that the stress would be spread out to make a stronger joint. As a result, they found that the weld strengths of the new joint equaled 90% of parent material strength. They were also pleased to find that a ¾-inch weld took only ½ second.

Recalls Over 250 Weld Protocols
Sonobond's SonoWeld® 1600 Digital Metal Spot Welder has other important features that make it popular with manufacturers such as Lake Cable, LLC. For example, its power supply has a built-in microprocessor to permit storage and recall of over 250 weld protocols. In addition, this easy-to-operate unit features automatic frequency control, overload protection, and automatic quality monitoring. This highly efficient metal spot welder has heat-treated, tool steel Taper Lock Tips that can perform up to 300,000 welds before being easily removed and replaced. There is a digital display that allows selection of welding modes by time, energy or final weld thickness.

"Outstanding Results"
McLaughlin reports that Lake Cable is very pleased with their updated ultrasonic technology and the way that Sonobond worked with them. He summarizes it this way, "We've gotten outstanding results from our customized SonoWeld® 1600. We were also very pleased with Sonobond's personalized service and fast turnaround. All of our questions were answered, the training was excellent, and the requested spare-parts quote was sent out immediately. It just doesn't get much better than that."
Ultrasonic Welding

In ultrasonic welding, high frequency ultrasonic energy is directed via a welding tip to the surfaces for the metals to be welded. The energy disperses the oxides and surface films between the work pieces to create a true metallurgical bond without melting the materials. Ultrasonic welding is environmentally friendly, produces no waste, and is economical to use. The patented Wedge-Reed coupling system assures precise, dependable welds and can be mounted in a variety of orientations for special applications.

A Leader in Ultrasonic Welding Technology

Sonobond is a worldwide leader in the application of ultrasonic welding and bonding technology. In 1960, Sonobond-then known as Aeroprojects-received the first patent ever awarded for ultrasonic metal welding. During the intervening 47 years, Sonobond has earned an outstanding reputation for its pioneering work and quality-engineered products. Today Sonobond manufactures a complete line of ultrasonic bonding and welding equipment for a wide variety of customers in the automotive, appliance, electrical, HVAC, aerospace, filtration, medical, and apparel industries.
Additional Information

Additional information about Sonobond's products and its free, no-obligation Ultrasonic Welding Viability Test is available by visiting the company's website at www.sonobondultrasonic.com or by calling 800-323-1269.

All Topics