Hot bar bonding systems can be used for a variety of applications including hot bar reflow soldering, heat seal bonding, conductive adhesive bonding and heat staking. Hot Bar Reflow Soldering is a selective soldering process where two solder or adhesive coated, or pre-fluxed parts are heated to a high enough temperature to cause the anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) or solder to melt, flow, and re-solidify, forming a permanent bond between the parts. Hot bar bonding is different from traditional soldering in that the solder reflow is done using a 'thermode' which is rapidly heated and cooled for each connection.

Conductive adhesive bonding is a similar technique used for attaching displays to PCBs with anisotropic conductive adhesive and flex foils. Anisotropic conductive adhesive has conductive particles, which are commonly used for electrical contact. Before connection, an insulating anisotropic conductive adhesive separates the conductive particles. When a heating element (the hot bar) compresses the parts together, the anisotropic conductive adhesive flows and the conductive particles are trapped, resulting in an electrical connection.

Heat Staking is an assembly process utilized in many high tech fields; it is also used in the manufacture of a variety of everyday consumer products. With a quick and inexpensive tooling and thermode retrofit, Miyachi Unitek customers are able to use their existing hot bar bonding sytems to do heat staking. In the staking process, a piece protruding from one part is fit into a hole in a second part. The piece is then deformed through the application of heat and force (the thermode), forming a head which locks the two pieces together.