New heat staking technology aids product assembly

Emerson has introduced new heat staking technology designed to “give manufacturers greater design freedom by enabling them to join more complex, delicate and sensitive components to plastic mouldings”. Using pulse staking technology that optimises the heat staking process, Branson says its GPX platform produces high-quality joins, superior product aesthetics and energy savings.

With electronics, automotive and medical device manufacturers driven to produce more creative designs to meet rapidly changing market demands, Emerson has seen an increase in challenging heat staking applications. Many of these involve parts with more complex 3D geometries, closely aligned features and fragile or heat-sensitive components, such as soldered components or sensors, and using a greater number of blended, glass-reinforced, chromed and metallicized plastics.

The Branson GPX platform uses PulseStaker technology to provide instantaneous heating and cooling, with adjustable cycle times for optimised, low energy heat staking. The process is stated to create no particulates or burn marks, and it also enables delicate and sensitive parts, such as those with embedded electronics, to be joined with consistently high-performance finishes. The technology is suitable for all heat staking applications, says the company, including those with thermoplastic materials and metalised coated parts. A wide range of heat staking tip designs, which can be adapted to meet any stake welding requirement, and the ability to stake multiple points simultaneously provide manufacturers with greater design freedom.