Emerson eyes the future of automated plastic joining with connected, integration-ready welding solutions at K 2022 Düsseldorf, Hall 11 Stand F55

Emerson will showcase automated solutions for plastics joining, highlighting Branson welding equipment and expertise, at K 2022, the international plastics trade fair taking place October 19-26 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

These machines, and the advanced automation systems they enable, make it possible for manufacturers to join challenging materials and complex shapes in sizes from very small to large. Industry 4.0/IIoT (industrial internet of things) capabilities allow users to collect and analyze data that help improve plant performance and ensure weld precision, consistency, quality and aesthetics.

Product highlights:

Product Innovation: Branson™ GLX-1 Laser Welder
Being shown for the first time at K 2022, the new Branson™ GLX-1 laser welder is an efficient, highly automated, connected system that maximizes efficiency and optimizes equipment effectiveness. It addresses demand for welding units that can join small, complex, often delicate plastics components with cycle times, weld strength and aesthetics that are superior to those that are possible using most other welding methods. The new GLX-1 laser welder has a small footprint, integrating seamlessly into automated joining systems. It is Industry 4.0/IIoT-capable, delivering actionable operational data over USB and OPC-UA interfaces. The welder is available with one to three laser banks, each with a maximum of 125W of power. Close-loop-controlled pneumatic actuation delivers 400N, 600N or 1800N of clamp force over maximum stroke lengths of 75 mm in the smaller unit and 152 mm in the two larger models. The 12-inch touch-screen human machine interface (HMI) is mounted on a swiveling pendant arm for easy viewing at convenient angles.


Branson™ GSX-E1

Branson™ GL-300 Laser Welder
The Branson™ GL-300 laser welding platform can be quickly and cost-effectively adapted to changing production demands. This highly flexible, quasi-simultaneous plastic joining solution was designed to deliver efficient high-quality welds in a wide range of applications, while cost-effective and easy-to-change tooling enables faster setup and adjustment for changing product specifications. Manufacturing capabilities are further enhanced by a range of unique features including a high-quality scanning system, easy-to-use HMI, large (300mm x 300mm) weld area, multiple weld modes, variable spot size as low as 0.5 mm and an adjustable laser power source height.


Branson™ GL-300

Branson™ GSX-E1 Ultrasonic Welding Platform
The Elite Precision+ version of the Branson™ GSX-E1 ultrasonic welder is an advanced and intuitive flexible joining solution. It uses Emerson’s patent-pending “dynamic mode” to overcome the limitations of single-parameter weld-mode controls typically found on conventional ultrasonic welders. Ideal for parts that might have been hard to handle in the past, dynamic mode leverages the welder’s advanced electromechanical actuation system and optimizes the welding process through computing power and cutting-edge algorithms. Controls automatically monitor, recalculate and adjust multiple weld parameters in real time (e.g., force, weld energy, velocity, distance) to achieve optimal, user-specified results (e.g., consistent insert depth/position and pull strength). Branson GSX welders help manufacturers get new products to market quickly, while maintaining high levels of quality and delivering a fast return on investment.


Branson™ GSX-E1

Branson™ GPX PulseStaking Series
The unique heat staking process provided by the Branson™ GPX series offers manufacturers a broad range of benefits, including superior product aesthetics and reduced energy use. The GPX series, which comprises three full-sized models and a small handheld unit, gives manufacturers greater design freedom by making it possible to join more complex, delicate and sensitive components to plastic moldings. A unique instantaneous heating and cooling process suits increasingly challenging applications. These include parts made of dissimilar materials with complex 3D geometries, closely aligned features, and fragile or heat-sensitive components, such as soldered components or sensors; and parts that use a greater number of blended, glass-reinforced, chromed and metallicized plastics. The benefits offered by PulseStaking are particularly applicable to medical devices, automotive interiors/exteriors, electronics and PC boards, and a broad assortment of other application types.


Branson™ GPX

Branson™ Ultrasonic Welding Power Supplies
Branson™ DCX Series ultrasonic welding power supplies from Emerson deliver industry-leading performance while providing diagnostic, data collection, and communication capabilities for packaging automation. Features include closed-loop amplitude control, programmable starting ramp-up times and multiple weld modes that have process limits, to optimize seal results. Communication options include both Fieldbus and Ethernet/IP. DCX models are adaptable for operating multiple welders in a single network that communicates with a PLC to enable real-time weld-quality monitoring, weld data collection and distributed weld quality control. Units are available in 20kHz, 30kHz and 40kHz with power options up to 4000W. The DCX Series features space-saving designs with form factors – horizontal, vertical with side mount, rack mount, and rear plane mount – to simplify layout and installation of complex industrial automation systems.


Branson™ DCX

Branson™ GMX-20DP Ultrasonic Metal Welder
The Branson™ GMX-20DP ultrasonic metal welder – a 2021 IDEA! Awards winner – joins thin, fragile nonferrous foils and films (approximately 5–10 μm) in assemblies of 100-plus layers using higher downforce and lower weld energy (weld amplitude). Its unique “direct press” actuator delivers direct vertical downforce on parts (unlike typical cantilever-type actuators) for more consistent, yet gentle, joining of more “energy-dense,” multilayered battery structures, while virtually eliminating the film/foil tearing and cracking that compromises battery assembly quality. Thus, the Branson GMX-20DP welder directly enables the development of lighter, more “energy-dense” battery cells and packs that are capable of delivering more watt-hours of energy per unit of battery weight.


Branson™ GMX-20DP

Branson™ GMX-20MA Ultrasonic Metal Spot Welder
The Branson™ GMX-20MA ultrasonic metal spot welder is an advanced spot welder that bonds nonferrous metals, including bus bars, foils, switches, and wire terminations in automotive electrical systems, electric vehicles, batteries and battery packs, power storage systems, and related applications. It is built around an all-new, rigid pneumatic actuator mechanism that features dual linear bearings for smoother vertical motion and maximum long-term repeatability in tooling alignment. Once tooling/part contact is made, actuator downforce pressure is closely regulated by a digital load cell as the spot weld is completed. Programmable controls enable operators to manage the welding process in several versatile modes, ensuring the added precision required to maintain tight weld process control despite occasional variations in part surface quality or cleanliness.


Branson™ GMX-20MA

For more information, visit Emerson in Hall 11, Stand F55, where company experts will be readily available for on-site interviews and booth walk-throughs during K 2022. Please also visit www.emerson.com.

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