EXPAND NEW BONDED SEAM TECHNOLOGY IN THE ASSEMBLY OF GARMENTS - RESEARCH DESIGN STUDY

SSUNNOL INC. IS PRESENTLY USING ITS PATENTED TECHNOLOGY OF INJECTION SEAM TO PRODUCE LIGHT WEIGHT COTTON GLOVES FOR THE U.S. NAVY, TVA, AND OTHER NUCLEAR POWER PLANT OPERATORS. FIVE MILLION PAIRS HAVE BEEN PRODUCED SINCE 1984, WITH 8 MILLION ON BACKLOG. AN INDIVIDUAL GLOVE CAN BE PRODUCED IN ONE SECOND AS COMPARED TO 30 SECONDS BY STITCHING. PRINCIPAL PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED DESIGN STUDY WILL BE TO DEVISE MANUFACTURING METHODS FOR INJECTION SEAM BONDING TO JOIN PIECES IN A PRE-DETERMINED SEQUENCE TO FORM A FINISHED GARMENT. IN ADDITION TO THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS, EFFORTS WILL BE MADE TO RESEARCH AND CLASSIFY A FAMILY OF LATEX-TYPE BONDING COMPOUNDS, AS TO THEIR PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES. PRESENT METHOD OF CURING THE INJECTED SEAM UTILIZES AN INFRARED CONVEYER TUNNEL WHICH IS THOUGHT TOO ENERGY-INTENSIVE AND TIME CONSUMING. RESEARCH WILL BE CONDUCTED ON THE USE OF MICROWAVE, DIELECTRIC, AND LASER TO REDUCE DWELL TIME AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION. INCLUDED WILL BE AN ANALYSIS OF THE MANUFACTURING ECONOMICS AS IT COMPARES TO CONVENTIONAL GARMENT ASSEMBLY PRACTICES AND WILL SHOW THE DEGREE OF FEASIBILITY OF THREEDIMENSIONAL ASSEMBLY IN, (1) MANUFACTURING METHODS, (2) PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF BONDING SEAMING, AND (3) RAPID AND ECONOMICAL CURING.