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SUPPLEMENT MEDICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL
ULTRASONICS – AT THE HEART O The Medical Device industry demands quality, consistency, cleanliness, a
requirements of course extend to the joining technologies that are often a ke
process consistency and controllability of the ultrasonic process are generally w applied has been a significant driver in the uptake of the technology within th of this flexibility can be seen in Telsonic’s ‘Cut’n’Seal’ ‘Cut’n’Weld’ and ‘So
Telsonic’s ‘Cut’n’Seal’ process is used for shape cutting of any product, where collated layers of non-woven, woven, man-made textiles, laminates or single layers that may be prone to fraying, require a joined and smooth edge. The process is also used where flexible textile layers need to be joined to thin rigid substrates, in applications such as wound care, respiratory filter products or face masks. The process has additional benefits including:
no consumables and no environmental issues associated with recycling or the disposal of chemicals, which can be the case with certain adhesives. The ‘Cut’n’Seal’ process can easily be
integrated within a wide range of automation concepts from pre-production pilot build systems to fully validated high volume production lines. The principals of Cut’n’Seal can be extended to enable the process to perform a welding operation immediately following the cutting process. Known as ‘Cut’n’Weld’, one example of this principal is the production of specialist medical consumable filters. Operating in a fully automated configuration, the filter media is fed from a reel into a machine which also presents and aligns the plastic moulded filter frames. Telsonic’s ultrasonic technology is then used to initially cut the filter membrane from the reel of material, before welding it to the plastic moulding. This concept eliminates the need for pre-cutting and collating filter membranes for subsequent presentation to a separate assembly and welding machine. As for ‘Cut’n’Seal’, the ‘Cut’n’Weld’ concept can also be used in a semi-automatic configuration if required, for lower volume products.
PUTTING A TWIST ON ULTRASONIC WELDING
Thin films and membranes, which often have a typical thickness of only 50µm, are used to create a hermetic air tight seal on medical pots, devices, containers, and drug delivery systems. It is essential therefore that any process used to weld the delicate film or membrane media does not induce any defects or damage. The vertical amplitudes produced across the
The flexibility of the ultrasonic process makes it ideally suited to both pilot build systems, and high-volume production lines
M
any items used within a medical environment – dressings, filter membranes, cleansing pads and gown
labels – all require concise sealed edges to
ensure product integrity. Furthermore, products that come into contact with skin must be comfortable to wear and free from frayed or ragged edges which could cause irritation.
36 DESIGN SOLUTIONS - SUPPLEMENT MARCH 2024
face of an ultrasonic sonotrode when using conventional ultrasonic welding techniques, can cause a diaphragm effect which in turn may result in perforation of the membrane, effectively rendering the conventional ultrasonic welding process unsuitable for this type of application. Telsonic’s Soniqtwist, however, produces tiny amplitudes in a circumferential manner at the perimeter of the seal, with the torsional
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