EFFECT OF ULTRASONIC WELDING PARAMETERS ON WELD STRENGTH OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALS USING TAGUCHI METHOD

The ultrasonicwelding process is not only a well-known industrial joining process but it has also been a dynamicresearch area. Wide range of materials can be welded using this technique. Some research has a been carried out but more extensive analysisis needed on welding process. Ultrasonic welding is a important joining process for thermoplastic materials dependent on the lowamplitude and high-frequencyvibrations transversally applied to surfaces to be welded. Its main features are the high speed of the process (welding times ranging from a fraction of a second to a few seconds) and the fact that no foreign material is needed at the welding interface. In this investigation, experimental data of the weldstrength of Polypropylene(PP) is studied. The study has been carried out for understanding the significant effects of welding parameters such as Pressure, Amplitude, Thickness ratio and Weld time on weld strength of Polypropylene. In order to optimize the welding parameters,the Taguchimethod is implemented and the significantly affecting process parameters are identified and ranked using analysis of variance (ANOVA) method. Also, a mathematicalmodel is developed using Linear Regression Method. The outcome of this study helps us to identify the significant parameters affecting the weld strength of Polypropylen