Plastic Repairs
PLASTIC WELDING.
Most car bumpers and bike plastics can be plastic welded, although some types of bumper are made from un-weldable plastic which is presumably so you have to buy a new OEM part at great cost. In these cases, a cold-fusion repair paste may be used instead.
Plastic welding techniques can save a fortune compared to the cost of replacing expensive motorcycle fairings. Most types of damage can be repaired from a minor crack to large areas of splitting with pieces broken away - any large missing pieces must be kept in order to weld them back in place.
The only requirement is that pieces of donor plastic exactly matching the original are available during repair - usually taken from a spare damaged fairing, which can be sliced into strips and used as a filler rod during the welding process.
Sometimes strips of donor plastic can be shaved from hidden areas avoiding the need to source separate donor pieces. Some samples of plastics are kept in stock for this purpose from fairings which were beyond economical repair, but it is always worth hanging onto damaged parts incase a the same plastic type is unavailable.
Different types of plastic can NOT be fused together hence the need for a donor sample for bridging cracks and splits, ideally taken from the original item or from a similar make/model. Only Thermoplastics are repairable in this way.
Thermosetting plastics cannot be welded - the application of heat burns the plastic rather than melting it, making fusion impossible. Luckily the majority of plastics used on cars and bikes are thermoplastic and therefore repairable.
Once properly repaired, a plastic welded panel is very strong compared to other repair methods such as glue, adhesive, or bonding.
Repairs of this kind aren't just limited to automotive components. Plastic welding can often be successfully carried out on many items. Some of the more diverse items enquiried about have included a children's slide, plastic toys, agricultural items, plastic pipework, water tanks, caravan fittings, garden furniture etc.
Plastic welding and repair methods are becoming the environmentally preferred option instead of replacement and avoids any associated waste disposal costs.
MERCEDES BUMPER REPAIR - This C Class needed a small repair to the lower corner of the bumper. The area was heated up to relieve any stresses before being re-shaped using specialist plastic filler, fine finishing filler, 2-pack primer, silver metallic colour, and 2-pack clearcoat.