Effect of ultrasonic welding process parameters on hydrostatic pressure resistance of hybrid textiles for weather protection

Abstract

In the research project presented in this paper, the effects of welding width, pressure force, power, and speed of ultrasonic welding parameters on hydrostatic pressure resistance were examined. A flexible and lightweight PVC-coated hybrid textile material with uniform thickness was used for weather protection purposes. Three main welding parameters at three different levels were selected based on the preliminary test results involving welding widths of 6 and 12 mm. A lapped type of seam was applied for ultrasonic welding and conventional joining techniques. A conventionally sewn zigzag seam was produced using three main factors at two different levels according to the application area. To avoid seam permeability, the conventional seam was sealed with tape by means of hot-air tape welding and subsequently investigated regarding its hydrostatic pressure resistance. The hydrostatic pressure resistance value of the conventional seam was then compared with ultrasonic weld seams of 6 and 12 mm welding width, and its parametric influence on the quality of the seam was analyzed. The result shows that the ultrasonic weld seam with a 12 mm welding width provided a higher hydrostatic pressure resistance than the 6 mm welding width and the conventionally sewn seam. Statistical analyses were also carried out to prove the significant effect of welding process parameters on hydrostatic pressure resistance, whereby the obtained results were statistically significant. A suitable nonlinear numerical model was also developed to predict the hydrostatic pressure resistance.