MECHANIZED WELDING OF LAMINATED PVC FABRICS WITH HEATED AIR

摘要

Technical laminated fabrics, which are used for the manufacture of awnings and inflatable products for different purposes, are manufactured with double-sided PVC coating. The most widespread practical method of manual and mechanized welding of laminated fabrics with PVC coating is hot air welding. In this work, the features of hot air welding of the overlapped welds of laminated PVC fabric were investigated in the manufactured experimental installation. The geometric dimensions and shape of the produced experimental welds from laminated fabric Unisol 950 (specific weight is 950 g/m~2) were established. In the course of the work the mechanical strength of the welds produced by experimental welding was investigated, as well as tear test of the welds was carried out. The range of welding speed was set, within which welded joints of the laminated fabric are formed with uninterrupted penetration. It was shown that a dense penetration along the entire plane of the welded joint is achieved by forming a bead uniform as to its diameter of the molten PVC in the welding process under the pressure roller. The nature of running thermal processes in the welding zone was evaluated by the geometric parameters of the melt bead. The optimal parameters of the welding process of butt welds of laminated fabrics, joined by the tape on both sides and visual criteria for a quality joint formation were determined, as well as the principles of manual control of the hot air welding process in real time was developed.