Joining Technology
The Joining Technology competence area deals with the design and manufacture of innovative products and structures, where bonding and welding technology play a key role.
Here, the focus is on the bonding of many different material combinations and the welding of thermoplastics. The design and development of complex and innovative lightweight products are made possible in multi-material construction by selecting the right joining technology.
With the aid of finite element methods, the mechanical behavior of bonded and welded joints can be calibrated and simulated from their undamaged state to complete failure.
A modern laboratory infrastructure as well as innovative identification and numerical methods are available for this interdisciplinary approach.
Core competencies
- Selection of joining processes for multi-material combinations
- Welding of plastic components
- Material selection and design of joints
- Mechanical material and component testing of bonded and welded test specimens, products and structures
- Surface preparation, pre- and post-treatment and their inspection
- Dimensioning of bonded and welded joints with analytical and finite element (FE) analysis
- Testing and simulation of the reological behavior of adhesives during the application process
- Material data determination: direct and inverse identification of material parameters for analytical calculations and FE analysis
- Microstructure and failure analysis
- Feasibility study of the implementation of bonding methods in industrial and automatable manufacturing processes
- Complex non-linear FE simulation of welded and bonded products and structures (elasto-plasticity, hyperelasticity, damage and fracture, etc...)
Selected project examples
Equipment
Welding equipment for plastic components:
- Laser welding machine - Leister, Novolas WS-AT
- Ultrasonic welding equipment:
Rinco Ultrasonic, Rinco Standard 3000
Hermann Ultrasonic, HiQ Dialog - Hot plate welding machine - self-built machine with independently heatable plates, 300x300mm, up to 300°C
- Induction welding machine - Self-built machine with generator EW050T from IFF GmbH and different coil geometries
- Socket fusion machine - Aquatherm, AQ 63 TF
Adhesive preparation:
- SpeedMixer DAC 150.1 FVZ
- Preheater for adhesive cartridges
- Various glue guns for 1K and 2K adhesives
- Industrial air pressure hot gun for hotmelt
Surface wetting/adhesion analysis:
- MSA (Mobile Surface Analyser)
Surface preparation
- Cleaning agents and activators
- Sandblasting
- Grinding machine
Surface Pre- and Post-treatment:
- Plasma unit - Piezobrush® PZ2-i
- Low pressure plasma chamber - Diener electronics, ATTO
- Hand flamer SurA FB 07 Pyrosil
- Various primers
Curing of adhesives:
- Various ovens up to 300°C
- UV curing chamber
Welding fixtures, bonding and testing fixtures:
- Tensile tests
- Lapshear tests
- Thick Adherend Shear Test (TAST)
- Butt bonded tensile test (SZ)
- Multi-axial Arcan-type test
- Double Cantilever Beam (DCB)
- End-Notched Flexure Test (ENF)
- MMB Test (Mixed Mode Bending)
- Wedge impact test (Wedge impact method according to ISO 11343)
- Planar Test (for elastomers)
- Biaxial test (for elastomers)
- Volumetric pressure-restrained test for elastic adhesives (for elastomers)
- Test fixtures for T-joint case study tests
Strain and strain field measurements
- Digital Image Correlation System (DIC) Aramis 3D GOM
Thermal expansion coefficient measurements:
- Self-built system, temperature range from -10°C to +120°C.
Mechanical testing of joints:
- Tensile testing equipment Shimadzu AGX 500N, 10kN, 50kN, 250kN (temp. range: -60°C - 250°C).
- Pneumatic fatigue testing machine Dynamess
- Sincotec fatigue testing machine
- IPT, time stand testing machine (creep, relaxation)
- Salt spray system
- Climatic chamber (temp. plus humidity), CTS C40/200 (temp. range: -40°C - 180°C)
- Crash towers (up to 300 J) with highspeed camera
- Accoustic Emission device for the damage detection
Calculations and FE simulation
- Analytical calculations with safety factor for fast design of joining zone
- FE simulation using complex non-linear models up to the fracture of the joining zone:
- TAPO Model (LS-Dyna)
- Cohesive zones model (LS-Dyna, Ansys, MSC Marc Mentat)
- Simulation of the flow behavior of adhesives (e.g. Carrau Model)
- Inverse identification method of material parameters with LS-OPT
Videos
Production of floorballs with hot plate welding equipment
Floorballs were welded using the heating element welding system developed in-house at the IWK.
Automation of primer application to metal and plastic cores
As part of a bachelor's thesis, an automated system for applying primers to metal and plastic cores was manufactured. The resulting automated process is faster and more accurate than manual work.
Awards
Swiss Technology Award 2019
Rewarding a common project of Sika, 3A and HSR, Plastics Innovation 2019
Download media release, Linth-Zeitung 01/2020, page 6 (German)
Prix de Thèse Guy-Daniélou 2011
Rewarding one of the three best Ph-D work among the 61 Ph-D defended at the UTC in 2010: Industry award
Young Scientist Award 2010
At the ACE-X 2010 conference in Paris for the best paper/presentation: P. Jousset and M.Rachik, Identification and Evaluation of an Elasto-Plastic Damage Model for the Finite Element Simulation of Sructural Bonded Joints, ACE-X 2010, Paris
Technical papers
Reference books
2011
JY. Cognard, L. Sohier, P. Jousset, R. Créac'Hcadec, M. Rachik: Experimental analysis of the mechanical behaviour of a ductile adhesive in a bonded joint under proportional tensile-shear loads, Adhesives: Types, Mechanics and Applications (on invitation only), Chapter 1, pp 1-45
Journals
2024
Download Bestimmung der relevanten Parameter beim Laserdurchstrahlschweissen
Jousset, P., Sadeghian, B., Vollenweider, J., Franke, A., Csati, D., Wenzlau, C., KunststoffXtra 06/2024, p. 30-33
2023
Download Überwachung von Windturbinen neu gedacht
Jousset, P., Rutzer, S., Deparday, J., Barber, S., KunststoffXtra 05-06/2023, p. 8-10
2022
Optimale Verstärkung von leichten Metallträgern
Jousset, P., Rutzer, S., Di Fratta, C., KunststoffXtra 09/2022, p. 28-31
2021
Neue Verbindungstechnik am IWK – Reibrührschweissen von Kunststoffen
Rutzer S., Jousset P., KunststoffXtra 07/2021, S. 26-29
Das Laserschweissen zeigt sein Potenzial
Stephan Deola¹, Jennifer Schmid¹, Stefan Popovi?¹, Stefan Rutzer¹, Prof. Dr. Pierre Jousset¹ (¹IWK Institut für Werkstofftechnik und Kunststoffverarbeitung, OST Ostschweizer Fachhochschule, Rapperswil-Jona): Das Laserschweissen zeigt sein Potenzial, KunststoffXtra 04/2021, Seite 25-27
The glass transition of amorphous polymers: About a continuous equation of state and its derivatives
Corbisieri C., Jousset P., Roos. M, Journal of Applied Polymer Science 03/2021 Volume 138, Issue 28/ 50662
Automatisierung der Primerauftragung
Peter Georg Florin¹, Pascal Kundert², Stefan Rutzer¹, Prof. Dr. Pierre Jousset¹ (¹IWK Institut für Werkstofftechnik und Kunststoffverarbeitung, OST Ostschweizer Fachhochschule, Rapperswil-Jona, ²Kundert AG Kunststofftechnik, Jona): Automatisierung der Primerauftragung, KunststoffXtra 1-2/2021, Seite 6-8
Verbindung von thermoplastischen Kunststoffen und Textilien – Das Laserschweissen zeigt sein Potenzial
Deola S., Schmid J., Popovic S., Rutzer S., Jousset P., KunststoffXtra 1-2/2021, S. 25-27
2020
Auslegung von Multi-Material-Bauteilen
Prof. Dr. Pierre Jousset¹, Stefan Rutzer¹ (¹ IWK, Institut für Werkstofftechnik und Kunststoffverarbeitung Rapperswil): Auslegung von Multi-Material-Bauteilen, KunststoffXtra 10/2020, Seite 52-54
Ein Leitfaden für die Praxis
Prof. Dr. Pierre Jousset¹, Prof. Dr. Markus Henne², Prof. Dr. Niedermeier³ (¹ Fachbereichsleiter Verbindungstechnik, IWK, HSR Rapperswil, ² Fachbereichsleiter Mechanische Systeme, IWK, HSR Rapperswil, ³ Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Niedermeier, Leiter Steinbeis-Innovationszentrum Werkstoff- und Oberflächentechnologie Friedrichshafen und Leiter Werkstoffprüflabor der Hochschule Ravensburg-Weingarten RWU), KunsstoffXtra 4/2020, Seite 34-37
2019
Dynamisch-mechanische Analyse am Glasübergang
Claudio Corbisieri ¹, Prof. Dr. Pierre Jousset ¹ (¹ IWK, Institut für Werkstofftechnik und Kunststoffverarbeitung Rapperswil): Dynamisch-mechanische Analyse am Glasübergang, KunststoffXtra 10/2019, S. 46-47
Grosse Kunststoffteile additiv hergestellt, Ultraschallschweissen macht’s möglich
Prof. Dr. Pierre Jousset ¹,Pascal Schiesser ¹, Mauritius Mazenauer ² (¹ IWK, HSR Rapperswil, ² Prodartis AG): Grosse Kunststoffteile additiv hergestellt, Ultraschallschweissen macht’s möglich, KunststsoffXtra 5/2019, S. 10-11
Induktionsschweissen von PE-Rohren
Prof. Dr. Pierre Jousset ¹, Lukas Grab ¹, Nico Lipp ¹, Dirk Petry ², Stefan Schöller ², Oliver Trefz ² (¹ IWK, Institut für Werkstofftechnik und Kunststoffverarbeitung, ² Co-Autoren Dirk Petry, GF Piping Systems, Schaffhausen): Induktionsschweissen von PE-Rohren, KunststoffXtra 3/2019, S. 14-15
2018
Innovative Verbindungstechnik – Erfolgreiches 1. Bonding Forum
S. Popovic (MA des Teams von P. Jousset), KunststoffXtra, 7-8/2018
Adhesive Bonding in High Temperature Applications
C. Corbisieri, D. Stapf, P. Jousset, G.A. Barandun, O. Mathews, S. Feldhaus, Performance increase in continuous casting of steel by adhesive bonding, 3/18
Characterisation and FE simulation of polyurethane elastic bonded joints under multiaxial loading conditions
C. Amstutz, M. Bürgi, P. Jousset, International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives 83, 2018, 103-115
Lectures
2023
Jousset, P.: Lecture, Auslegung eines selbstklebenden und abnehmbaren Gehäuses für aerodynamische Messungen an einer Windkraftanlage, Swiss Plastics Expo, Luzern, 19 January 2023
Link to the video of the lecture (German)
Jousset, P.: Lecture, Nouvelle technique de soudage des matières thermoplastiques par friction-malaxage, Swiss Plastics Expo, Luzern, 19 January 2023
Link to the video of the lecture (French)
2021
Jousset, P.: Webinar, Techniques de souage des matières thermoplastiques, Swiss Plastics Cluster, 15.06.2021
2020
Jousset, P.: Webinar, Partie 2: Caluls et dimensionnement de joints collés – Principes et exemples issus de l' industrie, Swiss Plastics Cluster, 19.06.2020
Jousset, P.: Webinar, Partie 1: Le collage et ses applications, Swiss Plastics Cluster, 18.06.2020
2019
Jousset, P.: Experimental testing and finite element simulation of adhesively bonded joints: application to the automobile and transportation industry, 7th China International Bonding Conference, Hangzhou, 3.-5. 11.2019
Jousset, P., Corbisieri, C., Stapf, D., Popović, S., Mathews, O., Feldhaus, S., Barandun, G. A.: Performance increase in continuous casting of steel using adhesive bonding, 1st International Conference on Advanced Joining Processes 2019, Ponta Delgada. 24. – 25.10.2019
Rutzer, S., Lipp, N., Grab, L., Petry, D., Scholler, S., Jousset, P.: Induction welding of polyethylene pipes, 1st International Conference on Advanced Joining Processes 2019, Ponta Delgada. 24. – 25.10.2019
Popović, S., Schiesser, P., Mazenauer, M., Jousset, P.: Ultrasonic welding of additively manufactured polyamide 12 components, 1st International Conference on Advanced Joining Processes 2019, Ponta Delgada. 24. – 25.10.2019
Popović, S.: Induktionsschweissen von Kunststoffrohren, 14. Rapperswiler Kunststoff-Forum, HSR Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil. 05.09.2019
Jousset, P., Rutzer, S., Häusler, M.: Einfluss der Niederdruckplasmavorbehandlung auf die mechanischen Eigenschaften verklebter Kunststoffbauteile, Winterthurer Klebstofftagung, Winterthur, 20.08.2019
Jousset, P.: Auslegung und Berechnung von Klebverbindungen – Theorie und Beispiele aus der Industrie, Klebtechnisches Kolloquium 2019, Übach-Palenberg. 03.07.2019
Jousset, P.: Digital twins for the design of adhesively bonded products and structures, CC Schweiz – Gemeinsame Sitzung der 3er-CCev-AG, Basel. 25.06.2019
Jousset, P.: Nichtlineare Finite-Elemente Simulation von elastischen Klebverbindungen, CADFEM ANSYSY Simulation Conference, HSR Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil. 19.06.2019
Jousset, P.: Lifetime prediction and wind energy, Swiss Energy Forum, HSR University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil. 15.05.2019
Jousset, P.: Welcome to IWK, Showcasing Swiss expertise in motorsports and excellence in innovation, Hinwil. 29.04.2019
2018
Jousset, P.: FE Simulation von strukturellen Epoxy Verklebungen anhand des TAPO Modells, CADFEM ANSYS Simulation Conference, Rapperswil, 2018
Updates
Save the Date:
20. Rapperswiler Plastics Forum
Thursday, 4 September 2025
Contact
Prof. Dr. Pierre Jousset
Head of Joining Technology
+41 58 257 40 53
pierre.jousset(at)ost.ch