Patent ID: 8197624

Claim:
A method of joining a functional component to a thermosetting polymer composite component, the thermosetting composite component comprising a thermosetting polymer composite material, with a thermoplastic polymer layer on at least the part of the surface to be joined, the method including the steps of: forming the thermoplastic layer on the thermosetting polymer composite component by selecting uncured thermosetting polymer composite resin constituents and a first thermoplastic polymer, that have Hansen solubility parameters indicative of the ability of the thermoplastic polymer and uncured thermosetting polymer resin constituents to interpenetrate; locating said thermoplastic polymer in contact with the uncured thermosetting polymer composite component, so that at least a part of one surface of the composite component when cured consists of said thermoplastic polymer; heating the thermoplastic polymer and uncured thermosetting polymer composite component to the curing temperature of the thermosetting polymer, the uncured thermosetting polymer resin constituents and the thermoplastic polymer being able to at least partly interpenetrate before the thermosetting polymer cures; and cooling the thermoplastic polymer and cured thermosetting polymer component such that the thermoplastic polymer is very strongly bonded to the cured thermosetting polymer component; the method further including the steps of selecting a functional component that has a second thermoplastic polymer at least on the surface to be joined, the second thermoplastic polymer being selected such that it can form high strength joints with the thermoplastic surface of said thermosetting polymer composite component in high-frequency oscillating relative displacement welding operations; locating the thermoplastic surface of said composite component in intimate contact with the thermoplastic surface of said functional component; applying a high-frequency oscillating relative displacement between said thermosetting polymer composite component and said functional component, such that at least a portion of the respective thermoplastic surfaces of the components at least partly melt and fuse; halting the high-frequency oscillating relative displacement and holding said thermosetting polymer composite component and said functional component together in a fixed relationship, such that the molten thermoplastic or thermoplastics resolidifies and the components are welded together.