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Title of the project

WELDING TECHNOLOGIES FOR TEXTILES

Envisaged Program for funding / other sources for funding

Bilateral or other research projects.

Domain of interest

Welding of textile materials, seamless manufacturing of textile products, new technologies

Abstract

(up to 500 words)

Today, the textiles involve almost all areas of products.  From textile products we require special features and high functional utility, which include: water permeability, resistance to pressure, wear and tear or seams, air permeability and aesthetic appearance. For products, such as inflatable boats, protective and sports clothing, tents, truck awnings, bag filters, inflatable toys, etc., traditional sewing methods no longer meet the technical requirements for joining the garment parts nor the aesthetic appearance of the products.

The welding technology is increasingly used in textile applications; therefore the merged parts in textile end-products should completely meet the user expectations.

Welding of textiles represents today a significant competition to traditional sewing, because the technological processes of welding techniques are quick. Furthermore, the quality of welded joints meets the requirements of the seam joints. Also, the welding techniques are energy efficient. The most commonly used new joining techniques are: laser, ultrasound, warm air and high-frequency welding, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Selection of welding technique depends on the function of the final product, the type of material used and the desired quality of welded joints.

Welding of textile products is still much unexplored territory. However, it is expected to become one of the most important technologies in the production of various functional and non-conventional textiles in the future. From that reason in the proposed project, we can be focused on analysis on welded seam types with their properties, such as air permeability, waterproofness, breaking strength, breaking elongation, bending properties, friction and puckering. The functionality of welded seams can be tested after maintenance or dry cleaning.

The welding technology can be successfully implemented in production of outdoor garments as well as other garments for everyday occasions. The garment manufacturing of garments for everyday occasions using the welding technology presents a big challenge because it has not been investigated enough yet. The next challenge is also production of the seams for inner part of sport shoes.

Keywords (up to 5)

Welding technologies, welded seams, textiles, garments, sport shoes.

Envisaged partners sought

Research institutes, Faculties, Companies producing garments

Contact data

(Name/Surname, Organization, email)

Simona Jevšnik

University of Maribor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Textile Materials and Design, Slovenia

Email: simonajevsnik@gmail.com