Q&A
Q. What's so unique about your manufacturing technology?
A. Our approach is to be disruptive and offer breakthrough capabilities in the ultrasonics industry. We have a fundamental understanding of delivering ultrasonic energy into high-performance thermoplastic composites. We develop IP that offers our customers versatility and enables creative freedom of design. For example, we have patented technolgy that enables continuous ultrasonic welding without energy directors or film inserts. It is one option available in a toolbox of capabilities that that allow users to use native format materials such as carbon fiber-reinforced unidirectional tape, braid and preformed multi-ply components of varying width, length and thickness. Based on a phased approach to systems design and development, customers are able to develop solutions that can include reduced tooling, labor and energy consumption.
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Q. What are the main benefits of this technology?
A. Our approach opens the door to: lighter, thinner and less expensive components, less tooling with greater prototyping and iteration potential that allows engineers to rethink component design material options.
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Q. In what ways can your technology be used?
A. Our continuous ultrasonic additive process can be used for a wide variety of applications: joining, welding, shaping, tacking, compacting, sealing, lightening and strengthening.
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Q. Why not just use traditional welding systems with energy directors and films?
A. Energy directors and films aren’t always usable. For example, in commodity joining applications, energy directors are typically molded or milled into the contact point where the weld is intended to occur. Picture two halves of a water pump during ultrasonic plunge welding in an automotive environment where the flange surfaces will have a series of pyramids molded into the flange. These energy director points help the ultrasonic energy get into the material and cause melt which leads to material flow, which then creates a join and, upon cooling, forms a weld. The problem is that if you want to weld two preformed thermoplastic components together, then energy directors and films are often not convenient, not feasible or not acceptable for certification in commercial aviation.
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Q. What industries do you work with?
Agile is engaged in a multitude of system design projects with industry leading component makers in aerospace, automotive and consumer sporting goods. We collaborate with customers to optimize ultrasonic features for specific materials and outcomes.
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Q. How is Agile's welding method superior?
A. Founded on patented technology, Agile's approach to ultrasonic welding enables precisely controlled through-thickness heating that delivers desired consolidation effects in an ambient open-air environment. Heat is generated only at the point of consolidation, fast weld times are measured in milliseconds and weld area is scalable to width, length and thickness.
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