Patent ID: 8016964

Claim:
A system for performing an ultrasonic staking operation in order to join a first part having a post protruding therefrom and a second part having a hole through which the post is passed, said system comprising: a horn having an end vibrating at a frequency in the ultrasonic range; a motion system operatively connected to said horn, said motion system being capable of selectively moving said horn toward and away from the first and second parts; wherein said motion system moves said horn, with the end of said horn in contact with the post, toward the first and second parts at a first speed such that the ultrasonic vibrations of the end of said horn cause melting of the post; and wherein, once a determination is made that the end of said horn has contacted a surface of the second part surrounding the hole, said motion system moves said horn toward the first and second parts at a second speed, the second speed being slower than the first speed.