Patent ID: 8172969

Claim:
An apparatus for ultrasonically processing a laminate, comprising: an ultrasonic horn; an actuator operably associated with the ultrasonic horn, the actuator being adapted to move the ultrasonic horn into a laminate; a positioner operably associated with the ultrasonic horn, the positioner being adapted to move the ultrasonic horn relative to the laminate and adapted to move the laminate relative to the ultrasonic horn; a temperature sensor adapted to sense a temperature of a surface of the laminate; a controller operably associated with at least one of the ultrasonic device, the actuator, the positioner, and the temperature sensor to control, based upon a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, at least one of: an amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration transmitted into the laminate; a force at which the ultrasonic horn is contacted with the laminate; a feed rate at which the ultrasonic horn is moved relative to the laminate and the laminate is moved relative to the ultrasonic horn; and an interval at which plies of the laminate are processed; and an orientation positioner for positioning the ultrasonic horn at an orientation relative to the laminate, such that the controller is operably associated with the orientation positioner to control, based upon a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, an orientation of the ultrasonic horn relative to the laminate.