High quality and robust hot air tools & welders for plastic welding, plastic fabrication, heat-shrinking, and more.
Hot air and plastic welding tools from Leister® are powerful and reliable. Generally light and compact, hot air hand tools are made for welding and fabricating plastic and are compatible with a wide range of shoes, tips, and nozzles to tailor their use to the task at hand.
Properties
Quality tools from Leister®
Generally compact hand welders & tools
Many compatible tips, nozzles, & extensions
Applications
Plastic welding
Boat repair
Plastic tank repair
Pipe welding
Industries
Construction
Welding
Boats
Piping
Plastic Welding Overview
What is plastic welding?
Plastic welding is a process that involves the use of a plastic welding tool to join two pieces of plastic together. Hot air tools are used to heat the plastic until it is malleable and then apply pressure to weld the pieces together. Types of plastics that are easy to weld include polyethylene (PE, HDPE, LDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinylchloride (PVC). Virtually all thermoplastics can be welded with hot air tools.
What is the best way to weld plastic?
The best way to weld plastic is to use a plastic welding machine or hot air tool. These machines use hot air and high pressure to melt the plastic and then fuse it together, creating a strong, watertight seal. Plastic welders usually come with a variety of nozzles and other attachments, allowing you to customize the process to suit the type of plastic you are welding.
What type of plastic cannot be welded?
Thermosets cannot be welded because they are thermosetting plastics, meaning that their chemical structure is permanently set after curing. Thermoplastics, however, can be welded because their chemical structure can be reshaped with heat and pressure.
Plastic welders work, but the material's durability after the welding process is dependent on many other factors such as the material, the cleanliness of the area being welded, the welding procedure, and the welder's experience. Poor welding procedures, the wrong material selection, and improper area preparation can all play a part in the durability of the finished product.
Can you use a heat gun to weld plastic?
A heat gun can be used to weld plastic depending on the base material's weldability. In general, thermoplastics are weldable, but thermoset materials are not. Thermoplastics can be successfully reheated and shaped using heat and pressure.
How hot does a Leister heat gun get?
How hot Leister heat guns can get depends on the model - newer Leister models are capable of reaching temperatures upwards of 650°C to 700°C for welding purposes. Generally, heat guns may operate at temperatures ranging from 200°F to 1000°F.
What plastics can be heat welded?
Plastics can be separated into two different types depending on their ability to be melted and molded into something else: thermoplastics and thermosets. Thermoplastics such as polypropylene, HDPE, CPVC, and ABS can be heat welded. Thermosets such as phenolic, PTFE, and polyurethane cannot.
A high-powered welding tool with an external air supply. The tool's rotary temperature controls help to produce consistent, quality welds with every use.