7 Extrusion Welding
7.1 Process Description
Extrusion welding is an established plastics-
joining technique that was developed in the early
1960s for the fabrication of thermoplastic structures.
It is used commercially to weld PP and HDPE,
although special- ized equipment is available for
welding PVC and PVDF. Extrusion welding is usually
performed manu- ally, although it can be automated
for continuous weld- ing applications. The technique
involves continuously extruding molten thermoplastic
(extrudate) of the same material (and ideally of the
same grade) as the parts being welded, into a prepared
joint between the parts, using an extrusion welding
gun (Fig. 7.1).
The joint (weld preparation) is preheated to its
soft- ening temperature by a stream of hot air before
the extrudate is forced into the joint under pressure.
This ensures that the extrudate and the parts fuse
together and produce a weld (Fig. 7.2).
As for hot gas welding, the parts to be joined
should be cleaned, scraped, and machined to produce
a V-groove joint preparation. Using a hot gas gun
fitted with a tacking nozzle, the two parts to be
welded are initially tacked together. In addition, a
hot gas weld
Figure 7.1. Extrusion welding of thermoplastic sheet
(Source: TWI Ltd).
should also be applied to the root of the weld prepara-
tion. This will ensure a full root penetration weld and
restricts any movement of the parts during the extru-
sion welding process. Alternatively, a clamping
system can be used to hold the two parts during
welding.
Before welding, it is important to check the tem-
perature of the extrudate and preheat air to ensure that
the actual temperatures are the same as those set on
the temperature controller of the extrusion welding
machine. The extruder should also be purged, so that
any over- heated or degraded material left in the barrel
from the previous welding operation is cleared.
At the start of a weld run, the operator preheats the
parts by gently moving the extrusion welding gun back-
ward and forward along the joint. If this is not done, the
extrudate will be deposited onto cold material, resulting
in a poor-quality weld. The extrusion welding gun
should be held at the correct angle both longitudinally
and later- ally to ensure that an even preheat is
maintained and a smooth surface finish is produced.
The forward motion is achieved by manually pushing
downward and forward on the extruder, with the
welding speed governed by the output rate of the
extrudate.
7.2 Advantages and Disadvantages
The most significant advantage of using the
extrusion welding process, when compared to hot gas
welding, is that a continuous weld bead is formed in a
single pass, compared to multiple passes for hot gas
welding and, due to the increased volume of material
dispensed, the fabrication times are significantly
shorter than for hot gas welding. In addition, the
maximum weld strength is higher than for hot gas
welding, as closer control of the welding parameters is
achievable.
The most significant disadvantage of the extrusion
welding process, compared to hot gas welding, is the
weight and size of the equipment; some extrusion weld-
ing guns can weigh in excess of 12 kg (26 lb). Vertical
welding can therefore become very uncomfortable for
the operator. Also, welding internal corners and weld-
ing in confined spaces is difficult, due to the size of
the equipment. In addition, as with hot gas welding,
since the quality of the weld is dependent on the skill
of the operator, it is important that extrusion welding
is car- ried out by properly trained and certificated
operators.
73
7: EXTRUSION 74
WELDING

Extrudate

Hot air

Nozzle
Welding shoe

Nozzle
Welding shoe

Figure 7.2. Schematic of extrusion

Welding direction welding process.

7.3 Applications
Extrusion welding is used in the manufacture of
large thermoplastic fabrications, such as tanks and
pipe sections, where it is necessary to produce large
volume, homogeneous welds in a single pass
(Fig.7.3).
Extrusion welding is also used in environmental
applications, such as the joining of lining material for
the construction of landfill waste sites, lagoons, and
roof coverings (Fig. 7.4). The technique is
increasingly used in agriculture and water engineering
applications such as the fabrication of land drainage
systems, sump tanks, and man ways (Fig. 7.5).
7.4 Materials
Extrusion welding is used primarily for welding
PP and PE, although some extruders have been
designed
specifically for welding PVC and PVDF. In the case
of PVC, due to its narrow processing temperature
range, the extruder should be purged after each weld
run with PP or PE to ensure that no PVC material is
left in the barrel to overheat and degrade.
7.5 Equipment
The main components of an extrusion welding gun
are shown in Fig. 7.6. The drive motor (1) is an
electric drill with improved gearing, which drives a
screw shaft in a heated barrel. This also feeds the
welding rod
(2) into the rod input point via a pair of pinch rollers
(3), and then into the extruder (4). Modern extruders
have a special welding rod feed, which prevents the
welding rod from becoming twisted, and ensures
constant rod input. This improves the uniformity of
the welding
Figure 7.3. Extrusion welding of a large pipe section
(Source: Leister Process Technologies).
Figure 7.4. Extrusion welding a HDPE liner on a landfill
site (Source: TWI Ltd).
seam, since variations in input due to kinks and twists
in the weld rod will lead to variations in output. The
extruder screw grinds the welding rod into granules,
which are then fed into the melting chamber (5) where
Figure 7.5. An extrusion welded storm water storage
vessel (Source: TWI Ltd).
they gradually melt. The material then continues
through the heated barrel until it leaves the extruder
through a PTFE shoe (6), which forms the shape of
the seam required. The parts to be welded are heated
by the heat- ing nozzle (7) with air supplied (on this
particular design) via an integral air heater unit (8).
Certain machines also have the facility to be fed
with granulate directly, rather than welding rod. These
extruders are mainly used in landfill applications
where very long seams are often required. The
hoppers can be covered to reduce the possibility of
moisture and particulate contamination getting into the
feedstock. Typical extrusion welding speeds of 0.5–1.0
m/minute (1.6–3.3 ft/minute) are achievable.
There are many variations of welding shoe, each
made for specific weld geometries and applications.
Examples of different welding shoes are shown in
Fig. 7.7.
7.6 Joint Design
As for hot gas welding, the butt joint weld
prepara- tions for extrusion welding can be in the
form of a single V or double V (Fig. 7.8). The joint
designs for a T-joint and an overlap joint are given in
Figs. 7.9 and 7.10, respectively.
 3
6 5 4 2

Figure 7.6. Schematic of extrusion

welding gun (Source: TWI Ltd).

7.7 Welding Parameters

a b c
The main parameters in extrusion welding are:

e •
d f
Figure 7.7. Examples of extrusion welding shoes: (a) for
a butt weld in thick section sheet; (b) a blank, to enable
the welder to shape a shoe for a specific joint; (c) for butt
welds in sheet up to 15 mm (0.6 inches) thick; (d) for
welding lining material, geomembranes, pond liners,
lagoons, etc;
(e) for a fillet weld; and (f) for producing a corner weld
profile (Source: TWI Ltd).
(a)
45–90°
0–1 mm
0–2 mm
(b)
2 mm
Figure 7.8. Typical extrusion welding butt joint designs:
(a) single V; (b) double V (Source: TWI Ltd).
• Extrusion rate.
• Temperature of the extrudate.
• Preheat air flow rate.
Preheat air temperature.
• Welding speed.
• Position of the welding gun.
The maximum welding speed that can be achieved
is dependent on the extrusion rate, the material thick-
ness, the cross-sectional area of the seam, and the size
and design of the PTFE welding shoe.
Typical extrusion welding temperatures for PP
should be in the region of 230°C (446°F) for the
extrudate and 250°C (482°F) for the preheat gas. For
HDPE, the extru- date temperature should be around
240°C (464°F) and the preheat gas temperature
should be around 260°C (500°F). These temperatures
will vary, subject to the ambient conditions and type
of extrusion weld- ing machine used. Prior to
commencing the welding operation, it is
recommended that trial welds are made and tested, in
order to optimize welding conditions. Figure 7.11
shows a fillet weld where the correct weld- ing
parameters have been used; Figure 7.12 shows an
extrusion weld where incorrect welding parameters
have been used.
The weld cooling rate will also have an effect on
the joint strength; where possible, the weld should be
allowed to cool naturally. Forced cooling will result in
a crystalline structure that is more likely to generate
failure when exposed to chemicals or stress.
 45–60º
2 mm
2 mm
t
t
Figure 7.10. An overlap joint for extrusion welding lining
membranes (Source: TWI Ltd).
Figure 7.11. Extrusion fillet weld using the correct
welding parameters (Source: TWI Ltd).
7.8 Variants of Extrusion Welding
7.8.1 Discontinuous Extrusion Welding
This method involves the manual transfer of an
extrudate rod to the joint (Fig. 7.13). In this process a
length of extrudate rod is collected from a high-output
extruder in a flexible PTFE tube (Fig. 7.13a) and is
then laid into the joint, which has been preheated
using a hot gas torch (Fig. 7.13b), and is then forced
into the joint using a pressing tool or roller (Fig.
7.13c).
45–
60º
Figure 7.9. Examples of T-joints for
extrusion welding (Source: TWI Ltd).
Figure 7.12. Extrusion fillet weld using incorrect welding
parameters (Source: TWI Ltd).
7.8.2 Stationary Extruder/Movable
Welding Head
In this method (Fig. 7.14), the extrudate is trans-
ferred from the extruder to a welding head via a
heated flexible tube. A hot gas torch, which is also
located on the welding head, provides the preheat.
7.8.3 Sheet Extrusion Welding
This system, which produces a lap weld between
two thermoplastic sheets, consists of a motor-driven
trolley, which carries the extruder and also provides
the welding pressure via a set of rollers. Also attached
to the trolley is a hot gas torch, which is inserted into
the overlap to preheat the sheets in front of the
extrusion die, which extrudes filler material between
the sheets (Fig. 7.15).
(a)

Extrusion welder

Extrudate rod in insulated tube

(b) Hot gas torch

(c)

Pressing tool

Figure 7.13. Discontinuous extrusion

welding process (Source: TWI Ltd).

Extrusion welder

Heated tube

Hot gas torch

Welding shoe

Figure 7.14. Stationary extruder

with movable welding head
(Source: TWI Ltd).

7.8.4 Injection Welding

In injection (Injectiweld) welding, a hand-held
gun is used to inject molten thermoplastic under
pressure into the joint area to form a weld, without the
use of hot
air or gas; the parts to be welded are heated by direct
contact with the heated tip of the gun, which is sub-
merged into the surface of the parent material. To
ensure that a good weld strength is achieved, the tip
 Figure 7.15. Sheet extrusion
welding process (Source: TWI
Roll pressure system Ltd).

Figure 7.16. Interchangeable tips for injection welding

(Source: Drader Injectiweld Inc.). Figure 7.17. Injection welding (Source: Drader Injectiweld
Inc.)
should maintain contact with the parent material at all times. Various interchangeable welding tips are avail- able, depending on the
application (Fig. 7.16).
The Injectiweld gun has an automatic feed system, enabling an operator to use the machine with one hand (Fig. 7.17). Typical
applications for injection weld- ing include: the repair of thermoplastic components,
fabricating plastic parts, and welding lining materials. One significant advantage of injection welding is that the welding
gun is small enough to reach internal cor- ners and other areas that are difficult to weld using the extrusion welding process.
Another advantage is that with this process, the removal of surface oxidation is normally not necessary.

Extrusion

Extrusion Welding
welder Hot gas
torch

PROCESS
Extrusion welding is a reliable technique
developed from hot gas welding, in which a
thermoplastic filler identical to the material being
welded is extruded into a groove in the preheated
weld area. The filler material fills the groove and
forms a weld after cooling. Extrusion welding is
usually performed manually, although it can be
automated.
The extrusion welding process is depicted
in Figure 10.1 for a V-type seam. Cleaned,
ground, and scraped parts are positioned in a
specified geometry, and the welding area is
preheated by hot air from a nozzle that moves
along the joint line just before the welding shoe.
Both the hot air nozzle and the welding shoe are

Figure 10.2 Extrusion welding a lap-type seam. Pressure is

applied to the flat seam, and a hot air nozzle moves along the weld
line ahead of the extruder. The hot air melts the thermoplastic in the
weld area, and extruded material flows into the seam, forming a weld
upon cooling.

attached to a weld head, which moves along the

joint line at a particular welding velocity. Molten
extruded thermoplastic material is applied under
pressure by the welding shoe and flows out of the
welding shoe, filling the joint area. [569, 617]
The process is similar for a lap seam
(Figure 10.2), used in joining waterproofing
membranes, except that joining pressure is applied
to the flat membranes during welding. [561]

Figure 10.1 Extrusion welding a V-type seam. A hot air nozzle PROCESSING PARAMETERS
dispenses hot air along the weld line, melting the surface of the parts
being welded. It moves ahead of the welding shoe, which holds the Welding parameters important in
extruder. Extruded material flows out into the V-shaped groove and determining the quality of the weld include the hot
fills the weld area, forming a weld after cooling. air temperature, hot air flow velocity and volume,
© Plastics Design Library Extrusion Welding
88
Figure 10.3 A welding shoe geometry yielding excellent weld
mechanical properties in experiments.  is the angle between the
parts being joined, at the top of the “V”; it varies according to part
thickness.  is the angle shown.  should be less than 30o for
optimum filling of the groove. At the bottom of the “V”, the root gap is
the gap between the parts being joined and ranges from 0 - 0.5 mm
(0 - 0.002 in.).
welding velocity, geometry of the weld shoe, and
temperature, flow rate, and pressure of the
extruded material. Weld velocity is dependent on
the flow velocity of the extrudate, which is
constant during welding, the weld geometry, and
the thickness of the parts being welded. The flow
rate of the extruded material is controlled by
revolutions of the barrel extruder and is adjusted to
match the welding velocity and the geometry of
the weld. Maximum pressure of the extrudate
depends on the extrudate temperature and on the
width of the root gap, the gap between the parts
being joined at the bottom of the “V” (Figure
10.3). Since extrusion welders are usually
manually operated, the effects of parameters on
weld quality have not been extensively
investigated. [569, 617]
In extrusion welding polypropylene,
extruded material crept under the surface of the
welding shoe when the angle  (in Figure 10.3)
was greater than 30o, and material accumulated
under the surface where the heated polypropylene
contacted the unheated bulk material, forming a
notch. [617]
Preheating of the joining surfaces, in order
to form a surface melt layer, is essential for
obtaining a good quality weld and is the most
important determinant of the mechanical
properties of the weld. Parameters that influence
Extrusion Welding
the preheating process include hot air temperature,
welding velocity, geometry of the air nozzle, and
thickness of the parts being welded. Greater melt
thicknesses produce welds of greater strength; with
polypropylene welds, high strength in tensile creep
tests were obtained at a weld thickness of 0.25 mm
(0.0098 in.). Melt thickness increases with
increasing hot air temperature and decreases with
increases in welding velocity. Welding velocity
should be adjusted to match the flow volume of
extruded material. In preheating experiments,
conducted under welding conditions without using
extruded material, weld velocities higher than 5
mm/s (0.20 in./s) resulted in thin molten layers; air
flow volume was 200 L/min. In 20 mm (0.78 in.)
thick parts, almost no molten region was present at
welding velocities of greater than 5 mm/s (0.20
in.) A tubular air nozzle (Figure 10.4) produced a
thick molten layer, with variations in thickness
across the joint line. A V-shaped air nozzle
produced a thin molten layer of constant thickness;
best results were obtained using the first nozzle
design shown in Figure 10.4. A minimum melt
layer thickness of 0.8 mm (0.03 in.) was necessary
for formation of a multilayer microstructure in
polypropylene welds that was correlated with high
weld strength in bending tests. With optimum
parameters (4.5 mm/s or 0.18 in./s welding
velocity, 360oC hot air temperature, 200 L/min.
volume flow), a welding factor of 0.7 was
achieved; welding factor is a ratio of weld strength
over bulk strength. [569, 617]
WELD MICROSTRUCTURE
The microstructure of a polypropylene
weld with high weld strength in bending tests
consists of five layers. Bulk material that is
unaffected by the welding process is at the outer
region of the weld zone. The next layer consists of
deformed spherulites that did not completely melt
during preheating and welding. Recrystallized
bulk material in the next layer is the innermost
layer of bulk material and is thinner than the
molten melt produced during preheating. A
transcrystalline layer separates bulk from extruded
material. Spherulites in this layer show a
preferential growth direction and a crystal
modification (- modification) that often occurs in
shear zones. Extruded or filler material is found in
© Plastics Design Library
 89

instrumented with load cells to measure vertical

and horizontal loads, and the parts being welded
are affixed to a cradle moved by an adjustable
speed motor in order to maintain a constant
welding velocity. Parameters can be monitored
throughout the welding process, and computerized
data storage and analysis can be performed. [617]

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

Extrusion welding is a cost effective
process that can be used to weld parts of varying
geometries, and thick polyolefin parts can be
welded in one step. [617]

APPLICATIONS
Extrusion welding is commonly used in
apparatus engineering and in laying waterproofing
membranes for ground water protection
applications, using extruded sheet and profiles
made of polyolefins. It has also been used to join
corrosion-resistant steel pipe lined by a
thermoplastic layer, either in the shop or in the
field, for use in the oil, gas, chemical, marine, and
mining industries. [564, 569]

Figure 10.4 Air flow nozzle designs. Use of Nozzle 1 produced the
optimum molten layer. Nozzle 2 produced a thin molten layer of
constant thickness, while Nozzle 3 produced a very thick molten
layer that varied in thickness along the weld line.
the innermost layer. In
bending tests, cracks
begin adjacent to the
filler layer and propagate
through the
recrystallized layer and
the bulk material. Welds
with this microstructure
exhibited a welding
factor of 0.7 [617]

EQUIPMENT
Extrusion
welding is usually
performed manually;
however, for
reproducible weld
quality, equipment
should be automated.
For automated extrusion
welders, the welding
head is

© Plastics Design Library

Extrusion Welding