Patent ID: 8444039

Claim:
A welding assembly for forming a weld along a welding interface of a work piece using vibrations, the assembly comprising: an anvil assembly having an anvil body and an anvil head; a sonotrode assembly that clamps against the anvil, vibrates at a calibrated amplitude and frequency, and generates friction and heat at the welding interface, thereby forming the weld; and a thermal barrier positioned between the anvil body and the anvil head, wherein the thermal barrier includes a thermal insulating layer constructed essentially of at least one of: Yittra-stabilized zirconia, alumina, lanthanum aluminate, zircon, and metal-glass composite and having a thickness of approximately 5 microns to approximately 25 microns; wherein the thermal barrier is configured to minimize a rate of dissipation into the anvil assembly from the welding interface of heat that is generated by the vibrations of the sonotrode assembly, such that heat builds at the welding interface faster than the heat can dissipate from the welding interface.