Plastic Welding & Hot Air Tools

Plastic welding is a process that involves the use of a plastic welding tool to join two pieces of plastic together. Hot air tools are used to heat the plastic until it is malleable and then apply pressure to weld the pieces together. Types of plastics that are easy to weld include polyethylene (PE, HDPE, LDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinylchloride (PVC). Virtually all thermoplastics can be welded with hot air tools.

The best way to weld plastic is to use a plastic welding machine or hot air tool. These machines use hot air and high pressure to melt the plastic and then fuse it together, creating a strong, watertight seal. Plastic welders usually come with a variety of nozzles and other attachments, allowing you to customize the process to suit the type of plastic you are welding.

Thermosets cannot be welded because they are thermosetting plastics, meaning that their chemical structure is permanently set after curing. Thermoplastics, however, can be welded because their chemical structure can be reshaped with heat and pressure.

• [Leister^® Catalog]

Plastic welders work, but the material's durability after the welding process is dependent on many other factors such as the material, the cleanliness of the area being welded, the welding procedure, and the welder's experience. Poor welding procedures, the wrong material selection, and improper area preparation can all play a part in the durability of the finished product.

A heat gun can be used to weld plastic depending on the base material's weldability. In general, thermoplastics are weldable, but thermoset materials are not. Thermoplastics can be successfully reheated and shaped using heat and pressure.

How hot Leister heat guns can get depends on the model - newer Leister models are capable of reaching temperatures upwards of 650°C to 700°C for welding purposes. Generally, heat guns may operate at temperatures ranging from 200°F to 1000°F.

Plastics can be separated into two different types depending on their ability to be melted and molded into something else: thermoplastics and thermosets. Thermoplastics such as polypropylene, HDPE, CPVC, and ABS can be heat welded. Thermosets such as phenolic, PTFE, and polyurethane cannot.

• 100.303 3/16 inch tubular, push-fit
• 106.992 5/32 inch Triangular
• 106.989 7/64 inch Round
• 106.993 1/4 inch Triangular
• 106.990 5/32 inch Round
• 106.991 3/16 inch Round
• 107.132 1 1/2 inch
• 107.123 3/4 inch wide, angled
• 106.996 Tacking Nozzle
• 106.982 Extension Nozzle (5mm)

• 100.303 3/16 inch tubular, push-fit
• 106.992 5/32 inch Triangular
• 106.989 7/64 inch Round
• 106.993 1/4 inch Triangular
• 106.990 5/32 inch Round
• 106.991 3/16 inch Round
• 107.132 1 1/2 inch
• 107.123 3/4 inch wide, angled

• 106.992 5/32 inch Triangular
• 106.989 7/64 inch Round
• 106.993 1/4 inch Triangular
• 106.990 5/32 inch Round
• 106.991 3/16 inch Round
• 106.998 0.8 inch (dia. 1.45 inch)
• 106.999 1.6 inch (dia. 1.45 inch)

• 106.992 5/32 inch Triangular
• 106.993 1/4 inch Triangular
• 106.990 5/32 inch Round
• 106.991 3/16 inch Round

• 107.144 (dia. 0.85 inch) dia. 0.2 inch