But a new all-in-one welding system from US supplier Urethane Supply Company seems to change that by consolidating a number of applications into one single device.
Urethane, which is based in Rainsville, Alabama, has unveiled its Nitrogen Plastic Welding System, which combines its Airless Plastic Welder with the Hot Air Welder and its Nitrogen Control Box – integrating all these devices in one convenient welding cart.
As reported by autosphere.ca, the plastic welding package features a number of welding rods and ribbon, and is the only device of its kind available on the market.
"The complete package contains everything a shop needs in order to produce the high-quality plastic welds. The technician simply plugs in the unit, connects a nitrogen tank and shop air, and begins working," the website said.
The nitrogen tank acts as a shield that prevents the plastic from melting during hot air plastic welding, creating stronger, more permanent welds.
The ribbon repair roofs are designed for use on mounting holes, slots, tabs, and grill bars that, apparently, no other process can.
The package can also be used on headlight tabs, washer bottles, inner fender liners, splash shields and almost all vehicle plastics.
New research
Is there confusion surrounding the process of plastic forming? Mayfield Plastics, a US firm, thinks there might be and has launched a white paper to aid designers and engineers.
The paper, Introduction to Thermoforming and Vacuum Forming, is designed to give industry professionals greater clarity over what plastic forming actually constitutes.
Often confused with injection moulding and rotational-moulding, thermoforming processes in fact have distinct differences for a Air Hose Reels Manufacturers variety of applications.
"We hope to educate engineers and designers on the finer points of thermoforming," said Harrison Greene, vice-president of growth and development at Mayfield.
"We feel it is important to educate and inform since we are the experts in this field and engineers and designers today are often faced with sourcing a huge variety of products."