Heathcoat Fabrics, based in Tiverton in Devon, manufactures critical fabric applications for the Aerospace, Automotive, Defence and Healthcare industires. Part of the finishing process requires slitting efficiently at speed and cutting and sealing the edges of various thermoplastic-based fabrics to prevent fraying, making them ready for post processing by the customer.
Telsonic
Telsonic Cut’n’Seal confirmed fit for Heathcoat Fabrics
The ultrasonic Cut’n’Seal process from Telsonic has proven fit just right for this type of application. The ultrasonic head works in conjunction with a rotary anvil wheel to trap the continuously moving fabric at a pinch point, aiding the wheel slitting edge to achieve faster cut speeds. Heathcoat takes advantage of this technology when processing a number of challenging woven and knitted technical materials such as woven Meta Aramid, and in the case of more standard thermoplastic woven and knitted polymers, to seal the edge either side of the cut by a local melt of the fabric thermoplastic content.
The technique, although well-established at Heathcoat, has required improvement upgrades on older existing slitting installations and has now been explored further with Telsonic in the evaluation of additional applications. This has culminated in a further four new Telsonic slitting head systems within a new stenter machine delivered from Germany-based textile machinery specialist Brückner, bringing the total number of Telsonic slitting head systems in use at Heathcoat to 11.
Telsonic UK conducted extensive continuous Cut’n’Seal trials at the company’s laboratory. These trials included various fabrics ranging from specialist woven Meta Aramid nylons and a range of specialist materials involving standard nylons, polypropylene and polyesters at various densities (40-120gsm). The objective was to establish material-dependent cutting speeds and sealed edges, ranging from 20-80m/min for core products and also challenge the technology with extremely fast slitting speeds of over 200m/min for parachute material. The trials proved Telsonic’s technology and capabilities in both the delivery of the process and its robustness over the full range of applications.
Telsonic UK’s Cut’n’Seal solutions, in full production at Heathcoat, utilise Telsonic’s MAGW02012E fully housed generators for continuous run application, with analogue inputs controlled from the machine HMI for speed dependant amplitude output. These power the SE2012S converter with cooling cap, titanium booster and Zapp hardened steel round sonotrode with chilled air cooling of the sonotrodes. The sonotrodes are tuned to low frequency and the boosters are the round type indexable to provide extended wear life at the sonotrode face, allowing re-grinds.
Telsonic UK offers a range of ultrasonic modules and systems for a variety of food cutting, plastic welding, cutting, sealing, cut’n’seal, metal welding, packaging, sieving, and cleaning applications.