There are quite a lot of plastic parts in the car. The vulnerability of this material often leads to their failure. The strength of the plastic does not correspond to the high price of such products; buying them, even to order, is quite problematic. But it is possible to repair the part and completely restore it in our K2 technical center.
You should know that repairs plastic parts in warm weather it should be carried out immediately. Due to the fact that when high temperatures Oh initial form It will be much more difficult to impart to the products.
Methods for repairing plastic products
Used in the manufacture of plastic parts different kinds plastics: polypropylene, polyurethane, thermosets, thermoplastics, polycarbonate, fiberglass, etc. Various products plastic can receive the following types of damage:
- cracks;
- dents;
- breaches;
- scratches.
The repair method is determined by the type of damage and the material of the product. An accurate determination of the type of material of a product is the key to quality repairs plastic. There are the following methods for repairing plastic products:
1. Heating. Designed for repairing thermoplastics, namely, for eliminating dents on parts. Bumpers, headlights and various body parts are mainly made of thermoplastic.
2. Gluing. This method is used to repair thermoplastic and thermoplastic parts. Thermosetting (rheaktoplastic) are repaired exclusively by gluing and cannot be welded, because they suffer irreparable changes during manufacturing.
3. Welding. A more common method due to its time-tested reliability. Thermoplastic parts can be glued together, but welding will provide them with higher strength and stability.
Some plastic elements can be repaired using only one method, but there are some that can be repaired using several repair methods at once. For example, repairing a bumper can only be done by welding.
Plastic repair equipment
Compliance precision technology and application specialized tools are important in achieving high-quality repair of plastic and in the further restoration of the functionality of the part. Therefore, having determined the type of plastic and the method of repairing it, you should familiarize yourself with the nuances of the repair technology and follow all the rules when repairing it.
Not every type of plastic can be welded with a hairdryer, because different types plastics require their own heating temperature for soldering. To weld some, a high temperature of 500 o C is required; a soldering iron is suitable for these. In case of improper heating, when exceeded permissible norm temperatures, the area of the repaired defect becomes fragile, and the seams are very noticeable and may soon come apart. Therefore, for some plastics it is better to use a hair dryer; its temperature is lower (about 350 o C), but this is enough.
To ensure the strength of the seams, you should use only high-quality products: various fillers and adhesives, welding electrodes and other equipment.
Buying a new bumper is not a complicated matter, but repairing a damaged bumper will save money and even time. Repairing plastic does not take much time, and this is even taking into account all the jewelry of the work. Therefore, it is better to postpone visiting auto markets. Give perfect view and restoration of all functions of products is possible thanks to high-quality and prompt repairs.
Step-by-step technology for repairing a bumper:
1. Using a specialized soldering iron, soldering is done on both sides of the area with the defect.
3. Attached mesh to inside soldered.
4. A special liquid plastic is applied to the defective area located outside.
5. After the applied plastic has hardened, the craftsmen thoroughly sand the treated area.
6. The last steps are to prime and paint the bumper.
To reproduce texture and ornament on plastic products, a plasticizer gel is used. After all defects have been eliminated, the parts begin to be painted. Quality work specialists guarantee the absence of any traces of damage and roughness.
We can restore the original shape of a bumper or other plastic part of a car by soldering, reinforcing and applying a special material intended for plastic repair. However, you should always understand that not every plastic part can be repaired after destruction. In this case, our specialists can offer you a new spare part at a reasonable price.
You will need
- - soldering iron or glue;
- - acetone;
- - sponge;
- - emery;
- - fiberglass;
- - solder wire;
- - clamp or masking tape;
- - fittings;
- - primer for plastic;
- - dye;
- - varnish
Instructions
Find out the composition of the plastic - its marking should be indicated on the back of the product (for example, PA - polyamide or PP -). It is important to study the properties of this material, since the type - gluing or welding - will depend on this. Thermoplastic polymers (plexiglass, polyethylene, polypropylene and others) are easy to recycle. But you won’t be able to melt the so-called thermosets (they contain phenol-formaldehyde, epoxy and other resins and fillers). You will need special glue.
Pick up at building material adhesive composition, epoxy for this type of plastic and consult with a competent seller. Follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly. Sand the surfaces to be glued, clean them of dirt and degrease with acetone. You can glue the crack directly along the seam, or pre-reinforce it with fiberglass.
To solder a leaky plastic part, use a solder wire of identical chemical composition. Process working parts sandpaper a centimeter from the edge, since the welded part will have to step onto the left allowance for the strength of the seam. Collect the broken plastic into pieces and secure them with a clamp (fixing tool) or masking tape.
Start the thin plastic from the “face” so that visible surface the ugly bump did not appear. Plastic of a denser composition can be repaired immediately from the reverse side. Run the soldering iron along the crack; apply solder and fuse it into the thickness of the softened material. On the reverse side of the work, you can use thicker wire.
Some craftsmen combine plastic soldering with reinforcement (strengthening the structure). To do this, it is recommended to purchase a special brass or bronze mesh (about 0.2 mm in thickness). Cut the reinforcing material into strips the right size. Your task is to apply the amplifier to inner surface chip and (heating the plastic with a soldering iron) drown it in the molten material.
Prepare for cosmetic repairs plastic. The glued or sealed surface must be washed, sanded with 1000 sandpaper and wiped with acetone.
Shake the can of plastic primer, shake it for 10 minutes and apply to the damaged part from a distance of 20 cm. If the packaging has other instructions, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Cover the plastic with 2-3 layers of primer (depending on the depth of the damage), let it dry and again go over the product with sandpaper and acetone.
The final stage plastic repair will become spraying special dye. Make sure it is designed specifically for the material. Apply required amount decorative layers; Before each new coating, let the previous one dry for 15-20 minutes. If necessary, coat the product with varnish an hour after painting. You managed to repair the plastic, but until it dries completely it must be protected from dust and other contaminants.
Plastic has many advantages, but it also has one significant drawback - fragility. Plastic products can crack, break, pieces can break off, etc. If the damage is significant, then it is easier to throw away the item and buy a new one than to repair it, but minor damage can be repaired with your own hands. Plastic recovery can be carried out different methods, the choice of which largely depends on the type of plastic itself. On many plastic products you can find markings with the composition of the plastic and this will help in choosing a restoration technology. So, thermosets are glued using a special glue, and thermoplastics are sealed. Also repair method plastic products It also depends on the nature of the damage - crack, scratch, chip, etc.
When repairing plastic items, you may need the following materials and tools: solvents (such as acetone), 1000-grit sandpaper, soldering iron or plastic glue, clamps, abrasive paste, brushes or syringe, solder, plastic cleaner, brass mesh, primer and paint for plastic, Sander, varnish
Repairing plastic with glue
- Before restoration begins, the plastic is treated with sanding paper to remove dirt. It is also necessary to degrease the gluing area.
- Glue is applied to the crack or seam using a brush or syringe. If necessary, parts of the plastic for gluing can be reinforced with fiberglass.
- Next, combine the parts so that they do not move and at the same time press tightly against each other. For best result you can use a clamp.
Repairing plastic using soldering
Repairing plastic with epoxy resin
For this method you will need epoxy resin and hardener, fiberglass or sickle tape (sold in construction stores), acetone, Castor oil, file and sanding paper, electrical tape or tape, plastic dishes and wooden sticks, primer for plastic, polyester putty, auto enamel.
October 8, 2018Specialization: master in construction plasterboard structures, finishing works and styling floor coverings. Installation of door and window units, finishing of facades, installation of electrical, plumbing and heating - I can give detailed advice on all types of work.
My victories
Look at the number of things that could have simply been thrown away that I saved from that fate by giving them a second chance:
- glasses;
- chairs;
- buckets;
- kitchen containers;
- toys;
- cabinet and refrigerator handles;
- hair brushes;
- hangers;
- sandals;
- automobile parts;
- electronic cabinets;
- badges and many other items.
The list is endless. So, let's find out how they can be welded, and for this I need to tell you about the soldering technique, which is suitable for most cases.
Soldering technique
In most cases you will only need:
- Soldering iron. A simple flat tip used in electronics with tin solder.
- Respirator. To protect the respiratory system from plastic gases (a fume hood is the best solution).
If your plastic is thin, missing a piece, or needs to be made liquid-tight or make electrical appliances safe, you may also need to:
- Disposable plastic strips.
- Paperclip or wire.
- Superglue, solder clamps, or some other way to hold the parts in place as you weld them.
Important! Some plastics under the influence sun rays They break quite easily and collapse on their own. In these cases, welding will not help.
Preparing the soldering iron
- Models with temperature controller. There are many types of soldering irons and soldering stations. In addition to the usual classic ones, there are a number of models in which you can set the desired temperature. If plastic is heated too much, it can lose its original properties, weaken and break. Exposure to high temperatures also causes the formation of toxic smoke.
- Flat tip models. For soldering plastic, it is best to use a flat tip. But if you don’t have one, you can flatten the existing one. This can be done by first tapping it with a hammer and then squeezing it in a vice.
I am preparing additional material
Is your plastic too thin or has holes? Then it is necessary to use plastic parts to add material to the original plastic. The best option is to use strips of plastic of the same type that you are welding.
But if this is not possible, the photographs above show simple solutions of this task:
- cut from thin plastic parts such as shampoo bottles, pet bottles, etc.;
- use plastic zippers or plastic cable ties;
- remove the rim from PET bottles.
Enhancing details
Although the repair process will create very strong plastic welds, in some cases even a small amount of constant stress can break the repaired item again.
To avoid this:
- I fasten the most loaded areas using metal staples from a construction stapler.
- I solder perpendicular plastic amplifiers.
- I reinforce the seams with thick wire.
- I apply amplifiers from aluminum foil from beer cans.
Fixing the details
If there are difficulties during soldering, then it is necessary to securely fix the parts to be welded. To do this, you can use special solder clamps or superglue to temporarily hold them in place before soldering.
Protecting the respiratory system
Here are some tips to avoid the harmful effects of smoke:
- Use a respirator.
- Carry out soldering at head level and above (smoke will go upward, bypassing the respiratory organs).
- Use any fan as an exhaust fan.
- Using a soldering iron with a heat regulator, when smoke appears, reduce the temperature.
- As an alternative to a soldering iron with a regulator, you can connect the plug to a voltage regulator to reduce the power and tip temperature.
Gloves and glasses:
- Gloves can protect you from getting burned - some soldering irons reach temperatures of around 600°C.
- Be sure to protect the lenses of your plastic glasses from accidental heat with a heat-resistant clear coating. It is best to use glasses with glass lenses.
I'm starting to solder
The secret to a successful repair is to melt the plastic where it is broken so that both melted parts fuse together, literally welding themselves together. Here's how I do it:
- I place the tip of the soldering iron at the break point.
- I push it forward a little to create a melted mass of plastic along the crack.
- I repeat this again for the last formed piece to make another mass next to the previous one.
- The result is a good weld, reminiscent of the seams formed when welding metals.
When the fixed parts are too thin or to make up for any missing part I usually add more plastic:
- I place a plastic strip over the part that will be secured.
- I heat it with a soldering iron until the parts to be soldered and the strip begin to melt.
- I press the strip into the crack and move the soldering iron further along the welding site.
- If necessary, I add metal reinforcements to make the soldering stronger. This should be done at the moment when the plastic is melted - press the metal until it enters the plastic.
Important! Be sure to check the other side to make sure the metal hasn't gone all the way through the plastic. If this happens, you will have to cover the other side with plastic.
Finishing. After making a weld, sometimes you want to refine it to make it less noticeable. To do this, I go over the top with a soldering iron, smoothing out the sagging.
Testing. First, I let the product cool, and then I start testing the welds. Good way checks - use in extreme situations, for example, sit on a chair, and maybe jump a little.
Here is a list of my tests recently:
- The plastic box that was in some of the pictures above seemed to be quite weak. A simple fall from a low height broke it, so I had to redo the job 4 times, adding 8 metal reinforcements until the box was strong enough.
- Lid for kitchen container made of PET. This damage was fixed in one go - I couldn't break it with my hands.
- The PVC pipe also became very strong after it was fixed, even doing harsh tests on it.
Advice! What should I do if the seam bursts again during the test? Do the job again, but adding more metal and plastic, melt it deeper.
Cartola from instructables.com shared his experience
October 8, 2018If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, or ask the author something - add a comment or say thank you!
Plastic repair professionally in Moscow, repair time from 15 minutes.
We repair plastics of almost any brands, plastic products different shapes and configurations.
Breakage of plastic products is a fairly common problem these days. Many plastic products crack, break and become unusable during use. Plastic welding, or as this process is also called, plastic soldering, will help restore broken parts.
Soldering plastic is a process that requires careful preparation, specialist experience and a correct assessment of the repairability of the product. If you do not follow all the features of the technology, the seam will become brittle and will not withstand even minor loads.
How to repair a plastic part? There are several methods for welding. One of them is hot air rod welding. For each item being repaired, a certain welding temperature is selected, otherwise the surfaces simply will not adhere to each other. Correctly selected temperature is not the main thing in repair; you need to carefully prepare the surfaces, cut the edges in a special way and clean the surface.
There are several ways to repair a crack in plastic. To determine the technology for welding plastic, you need to know the nature of the damage and the material of the plastic. Soldering a crack in plastic can take from 1 to several hours. The process of welding a plastic product must take place in strict accordance with temperature and other factors; repairing the plastic yourself is quite problematic, there is a possibility of overheating the plastic part and making it beyond repair.
Another repair method is the extrusion method. This is the most effective technique, allowing products to continue to work hermetically and under loads. Not all products can be repaired using extrusion welding; sometimes the thickness of the material or its properties allow repairs to be carried out only using the rod method. To begin work, it is necessary to determine the material from which the part is made, then select a method of production and begin restoring the broken product. Each polymer (and there are many varieties) has its own melting point, so for repair you need to select temperature regime individually for each product.
If the question arises: how to repair a crack in plastic? - Contact us, we will be happy to help carry out repairs.
Restoration of plastic parts is carried out only professional specialists, which guarantees full compliance with the technology. In our work we use certified material for the restoration of plastic products and parts.
