Seams & Joints
Please visit our parent company, Toolless for more information on custom plastic enclosures.
When properly designed, the mechanical strength of enclosures produced with our process can be as tough as any other plastic. From drop testing to moisture proofing, over the years we have successfully supplied enclosures that have met customers' functional specifications in just about every type of environment imaginable.
One of the keys to the strength of our enclosures is our 'Tab Lock' welding process that ensures both sheer and tensile integrity are maintained. By interlocking all permanent joints, we are able to transfer sheer and tensile loads directly to the substrate material, thereby reducing the reliance on a separate bonding medium or filler material.
Additionally, we have developed our own specialized chemical welding method for all joints and seams, which greatly increases the mechanical integrity of every enclosure we build. This process involves welding of similar materials by chemically melting adjoining surfaces and then applying pressure to enhance the fusion. The end result is joints that are stronger than what could be achieved with standard gluing or heat staking.
As a final note on this subject, our experience has been that our joints are so strong that the substrate material is as likely to fail as the seam. For that reason, we are confident that if plastic is the right material for a customer's application, then the PEI process can be a very attractive alternative to injection molding or thermoforming.
For questions on a particular application, please contact our customer service department for additional information.