All thermoplastic materials are made from polymers. Various polymers are not necessarily compatible with one another, however, meaning they cannot be welded together. The main difference between ultrasonic welding and ultrasonic riveting is that a melt deformation occurs during riveting and only one of the two joining elements is plasticized. This allows any thermoplastic materials to be connected with one another without polymer compatibility or also with non-plastics. The result is rivet connections with almost no gaps or play, as the cold rivet tool cools the melted rivet head under pressure.
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