Automated Seam Taping

Current chemically protective clothing is expensive to produce in part because of the time and labor required to first make sewn seams, and then to hot-air weld adhesive fabric tape over the seams to prevent penetration along the seam thread. Stitchless, ultrasonically-welded fabris seams while as impermeable as the base fabric must also be taped, to improve the seam strength and durability. Merix Corporation proposes to develop ab automated taping device, which can be mounted in series with an ultrasonic sealer, to automatically apply tape over the seam as it is being made. this will cut the production man-hours required, and thereby the cost of the garments.