Patent ID: 8652290

Claim:
A method for bonding together two or more layers of oriented semi-crystalline thermoplastic to form a rigid unitary member, comprising the steps of: restraining the two or more layers of oriented semi-crystalline thermoplastic along at least one orientation axis of the layers of oriented semi-crystalline thermoplastic to prevent shrinkage of the material during processing; heating only each respective contact surface of the two or more restrained layers of oriented semi-crystalline thermoplastic to a temperature greater than the melting point of the oriented semi-crystalline thermoplastic, wherein the heating is accomplished via a localized heat source that is in immediate proximity to a merge point at which the two or more restrained layers of oriented semi-crystalline thermoplastic are merged together, wherein the heating via the localized heat source heats only each respective contact surface of the two or more layers; merging together the heated contact surfaces of the two or more layers of oriented semi-crystalline thermoplastic at the merge point; and applying pressure to the merged contact surfaces of the two or more layers of oriented semi-crystalline thermoplastic using at least two flat contact surfaces to combine the two or more layers of oriented semi-crystalline thermoplastic to form the rigid unitary member wherein the flat contact surfaces exert a pressure that is greater than a pressure applied at the point of merging together the heated contact surfaces.