Fabrics - Woven

Construction

Formed by the regular interleaving of filaments or yarns, in two directions perpendicular to one another

Factors Influencing Weldability

Thread density, tightness of weave and uniformity of material thickness. Weld strength may vary due to the perpendicular orientation of filaments or yarns.

Fabrics - Nonwovens

Construction

Formed by bonding and/or interlocking fibers, yarns or filaments by mechanical, thermal or solvent means.

Factors Influencing Weldability

Uniformity of material thickness and thermoplastic content. The random orientation of fibers gives nonwovens excellent strength.

Fabrics - Knits

Construction

Formed by interconnecting continuous loops of filaments or yarns

Factors Influencing Weldability

Thermoplastic content, style of knit and elasticity of material. Elasticity of knits may affect the trueness of the weld in continuous processing resulting in a scalloped effect.

Fabrics - Coated Materials

Construction

Fabrics and films covered with a layer of thermoplastic such as polyethylene or urethane. The base material need not be thermoplastic (e.g. coated cardboard)

Factors Influencing Weldability

Coating material and its thickness

Fabrics - Laminates

Construction

Fabrics and films consisting of two or more dissimilar layers in a sandwich form.

Factors Influencing Weldability

The mating surface should have a lower melting temperature than the other layers.

Films

Construction

Formed from the thermoplastic material which has been cast, extruded or blown into a film, generally under 0.01 inch (0.25mm) thick.

Factors Influencing Weldability

Film thickness, density and thermoplastic material characteristics.