WIXOM, Mich., April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- FRIMO, one of the leading developers and providers of system solutions for the manufacture of high quality plastic components, has announced it will be hosting a North American Welding Conference and Exposition for its customer and supplier partners on May 15 at the Lyon Oaks Center and at the company's TechCenter, both located in Wixom, Mich.

The event will offer attendees the unique opportunity to meet representatives from companies along the plastics joining process chain, visit display booths, see technology demos, tour FRIMO's TechCenter plant, receive a market overview, and learn more about the growing infrared (IR) welding trend. The first portion of the conference, held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., will be held at the Lyon Oaks Center and will feature presentations on:

• The overall market and comparison of welding processes;
• Trends in material development and weldability of high-performance plastics;
• Use of different emitter technologies;
• Tooling & machinery: references and future potentials;
• Control systems for high-quality welding results;
• IR thermal imaging presented by the market leader for welding applications; and
• Research and development news.

Company representatives from FRIMO, Magna, Chemnitz University of Germany, Heraeus Noblelight, LANXESS, Trexel, Inc., Zwick, Automation Technology GmbH and more will be on hand as exhibitors and speakers. The second portion of the event, held from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., will consist of tours and product demonstrations at FRIMO's TechCenter.

"We've seen a consistent increase in customer requests for welding technology solutions, especially IR welding, in North America," said Jeff Daily, President, FRIMO, Inc. "Our goal in hosting this event is to help bring the plastics industry together to inform, provide know-how, present tooling concepts and exchange experiences so we can provide the best industry solutions in this fast-growing market."

IR welding technology is a main focus of the conference, as the process has quickly been gaining importance in the industry versus established processes such as vibration and hot plate welding. This non-contact joining method for high quality thermoplastics offers many advantages and is equally well suited for manufacturing both small and large components.

The process results in reduced cycle times, superior energy efficiency, satisfies the ever-increasing demand for particle-free operation, allows for design flexibility – even for complex 3D geometries – and is exceptionally well-suited for welding high performance reinforced plastics such as glass fiber-reinforced plastics and polyamides, which are becoming increasingly commonplace in structural components used in lightweight vehicle applications. IR welding also enables extraordinary weld strength durability, making it appealing for safety related applications.

One way FRIMO is meeting the growing demand for IR welding is by expanding its capabilities. The company recently installed a JoinLine IR-H-Highspeed infrared welding machine at its TechCenter. The machine is part of FRIMO's range of JoinLine IR welding machines that allow for precise and controlled welding processes. The Highspeed makes it possible to attain processing speeds – for both large and small components – that were previously unachievable in the market and allows for processing without gas, high temperature or debris.

For more information about the FRIMO North American Welding Conference and Exposition, please visit here or email at [email protected]

About FRIMO
The FRIMO Group includes global production and sales locations with more than 1,200 employees in Europe, Asia and America, and numerous representatives around the world. FRIMO is one of the worldwide leading developers and providers of system solutions for the manufacture of high quality fiber-reinforced plastics and supplies tooling and machinery, as well as the respective automation and finishing, e.g. with flexible trimming, joining and assembling. FRIMO's portfolio for the plastics processing industries also covers an extremely wide range of technologies: PU processing along with flexible trimming, punching, pressing and forming, as well as thermoforming, laminating, edgefolding, joining and gluing. FRIMO offers its customers tailor-made tools, machinery and systems as separate or turnkey solutions from a single source. FRIMO North America is headquartered in Wixom, Mich.

SOURCE FRIMO