SealWerks specializes in the manufacturing of moderate to large quantities of basic and complex rf welded and heat sealed products. Our in-house production team will consult with you to develop a workable production model and inform you of each process benefit and potential disadvantages.
Our experienced support team will also support you with applicable material selections and manufacturing options you’ll need to successfully bring your product to market.
Heat Sealing Technologies
SealWerks offers several heat sealing technologies that will provide a permanent bond on flexible materials. Your product specifications and its intended application will determine which materials and process will render optimal results.
For more complex containment or inflation requirements it is possible to bond different materials together. We can help you to determine the best materials to use to achieve optimum results.
Have You Selected the Material for Your Product?
If you have selected materials, please advise us. If you do not know what material is required for heat sealing or the radio frequency welding process, SealWerks will offer suggestions or put you in touch with a quality material manufacturer.
Our approach is hands on. We merge innovative, creative solutions with technology options to achieve quality results in fabricating flexible products. Material selection is relative, but when using radio frequency welding or heat sealing technologies, the material selected must have polar molecular attributes that make it weldable.
Hot air and hot wedge welding processes work with a much wider spectrum of materials than the radio frequency welding process allows. It is possible to seal two different polymer- or vinyl-based materials together to form a single product.
Because the fields of radio frequency welding, high frequency welding, and dielectric welding on sensitive materials are narrow to begin with, an intermediate material is often used between the two materials to create a bond. The intermediate materials most often used are urethane or polyurethane.
PVC, Polyurethane and other Materials to consider:
SealWerks has access to substantial raw material resource information, thus furnishing you with your best material options. We will help you identify the best material for fabricating your product. Many of the approved materials can be used in combination, thus providing expanded and/or improved product design and functionality options.
Common RF Welding Or Heat Sealing Materials
Some of the most commonly used materials in RF welding and heat sealing for product fabrication include:
- Polypropylene
- Urethane Coated Fabrics
- PVC Laminated Fabric
- Polyethylene
- PVC Coated Fabrics
- Synthetics
- Cloth Backed Vinyl
- Thermoplastic Films
- Laminated Substrates & Flexible Films
- Specialty Formulation Materials
- PVC Foam
- Nylon
- Olefin
- EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate)
- TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane)
- TPE (thermoplastic elastomers)
Material Ratings
Should you need to meet FDA, USDA, NSF, NFPA or other specific ratings, please advise us at the onset of the estimation process.
Flame Resistance
Typical Flame Ratings are:
- Meets MIL Spec C – 43 006 B
- NFPA- 701
- ASTM E- 84 (Class A)
- 6P and C.P.S.I.A (7P) certified
- Meets or Exceeds CSFM
- Treated with DuraGuard (EPA registered anti-microbial agent)
- Lead Levels below 100 ppm
Knowing the Products’ Intended Function
Product design begins with a good understanding of the intended use and functionality requirements of a product. It is important to not only establish the features of a product, but also the environment in which it will be used.
Material selection is based on these factors, to attain the pliability necessary for proper function as well as to provide stability and durability when used. We can make viable material recommendations that will comply with many regulatory agency guidelines required for product use (if applicable).
Vinyl Materials are Widely Used for Flexible Product Fabrication
Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is the mostly widely used vinyl substrate for flexible products. TPU includes any type of polyurethane plastics that provide flexible properties including shear strength, transparency, elasticity and resistance to abrasion, oil and grease.
Radio frequency welding and heat sealing options are used with these thermoplastic materials, allowing you to weld vinyl textiles and seal vinyl seams when used for containment, inflation and contraction properties, and to make air, liquid and vapor leak-proof seals.
Coated Fabrics are a Good Option for Weldable Products
Many woven or knitted fabrics are urethane coated on one side which renders them RF/HF weldable. Typically a minimum of 3 to 5 mil (.003” to .005”) thick coating is required for a good weld.
These coated fabrics open up a welcome spectrum of fabric-like materials that are weldable with the radio frequency welding / high frequency welding process. Fabric manufacturers offer a wide selection of urethane-coated fabrics that should at least be considered when choosing materials for your welded product.
For large quantities (1000+ yards) many roll goods manufacturers will custom coat or laminate a fabric/film combination. Since both heat sealing and RF welding are used to weld textiles, we help you to make sure the right material is aligned with the best process option to heat seal fabrics for suitable textile seam welding.
Textile Sealing Uses the Same and Different Materials for Bonding
Textile seam sealing is the most widely used feature of RF welding, HF welding and dielectric sealing. TPU textile welding and fabric heat sealing are options that not only deliver the flexibility required for the functionality of products, but also are the strongest and most durable seams that can be created for flexible products.
Textile sealing is a process that uses heat sealing or radio frequency welding to soften and reconfigure the molecules in the materials. The process then uses pressure to fuse the materials back together for a new, one-piece monolithic seam that is as strong, or stronger than the original material.
Sealing Tape Can Be Used on Most Materials
Another less common but effective option is the use of a separate layer of urethane (most often a tape) placed between the two non-HF/RF weldable materials to facilitate an RF/HF textile welded seam.
This option should only be used as a last resort as it increases the labor cost through the placement and positioning of the urethane tape between the materials to be
Material selection may depend on many factors, including the product attributes and utility or the specific fabrication process required. Our experts will advise you on the most appropriate materials when designing your product.
