Like certain other polymers, Polyethylene Terephthalate isn’t suitable for RF welding by itself, but the addition of heat to the RF process renders the PET RF weldable. Hence, both heat and RF bonding processes are available to create airtight and watertight seals that can resist wear and tear.
This material is used in the construction of many types of products across a wide range of industries. Manufacturers use Polyethylene Terephthalate for plastic bags, bottles, containers, boxes, and more.
With heat sealing or RF welding on Polyethylene Terephthalate, products can benefit from hermetic seams that keep products contained and free of outside contamination.
Benefits of Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic
There are many advantages of Polyethylene Terephthalate in product manufacturing, for both the manufacturer and the end user. One of the main benefits of using Polyethylene Terephthalate is the cost. It is a very economical material.
Mass production of Polyethylene Terephthalate bags, bottles, and other products can be less expensive than manufacturing with other materials. At the same time, manufacturers don’t have to sacrifice material integrity to benefit from lower material expenses.
Polyethylene Terephthalate is durable enough to avoid breaking or cracking, and its lightweight nature makes it ideal for bulk packaging.
Other benefits of Polyethylene Terephthalate plastic include moisture resistance to prevent leaching, lack of toxicity, and good recyclability. These qualities make Polyethylene Terephthalate ideal for food containment products, along with medical products that require effective contamination resistance.
Heat sealing and RF welding can create hermetically sealed seams that keep water and other substances contained while resisting tearing under pressure.
Heat Sealing Polyethylene Terephthalate
Polyethylene Terephthalate tubing and other types of products can use heat sealing to create seals that are as strong or even stronger than the original materials.
Rotary hot wedge welding utilizes a heated wedge positioned in front of the pinch point of two rollers which apply pressure to the just heated material surfaces. Since rotary hot wedge wedging transfers heat to the material surfaces to be joined without air movement, it is well suited for lightweight materials and/or small items.
Rotary hot air welding works with a stream of heated air directed at the pinch point of two rollers. Because of the pressure of the heated air stream hot air welding tends to work better with medium or heavy materials.
Both rotary hot air welding and hot wedge welding operations have a “tight curve/very small size” limitation. Weld widths are typically ¼ inch or wider.
With both rotary hot air and hot wedge welding, the only “large size/length” limitation is how much material can be handled on both the input and output sides of the rotary welder.
RF Welding for Polyethylene Terephthalate
The RF welding process temporarily destabilizes and rearranges molecules within the polymer, fusing them together to create a seam that can last as long as the material itself.
Consult an Expert to Determine if Polyethylene Terephthalate is Right for Your Products
The type of material used in product manufacturing depends on several factors, including physical product attributes and the type of manufacturing process.
To avoid leaching and the creation of unwanted outgassing and to avoid your product being subject to water or chemical degradation, certain materials may be less desirable to use than others.
By knowing your product application we will best determine the type of material that should be used in the manufacturing of your product (i.e. if your product requires U.V. resistance), AmCraft RF Welding can assist with material selection and determine whether another type of plastic is appropriate for your product.
If you are building a flexible containment type arrangement, having a substance/chemical reactivity report on the medium you intend to contain is strongly recommended.
