Surface treatment of textiles with SORTEX™
The task
Even today, pre-treatment of textiles is heavily based on wet chemical processes. These achieve the desired results, but have a number of disadvantages: The storage, application and disposal of chemicals means high effort, supply and energy costs are high and the massive use of chemicals is often considered a stigma by the end user.
The textile industry is therefore constantly researching new, innovative and cost-saving technologies for the pre-treatment of textiles like fabric strands or panels. Plasma treatment is a promising key technology in this respect. SOFTAL is proud to have participated in numerous research projects, which have repeatedly proven the advantages of corona technology in this industry segment.
Plasma treatment of textiles is a better alternative with identical results. The savings are generated because ALDYNE™ allows for reduction in operating costs (f. ex. drying units for wet chemicals) and the high cost for storage, application and disposal of chemicals. Plasma treatment is performed in a closed system within a reliable and environmentally friendly process.
Results
Characteristics
The environmentally friendly alternative
Plasma treatment is the better alternative to wet chemical primers! The high costs for storage and disposal of chemicals are eliminated as well as the high energy and time consumption of the process steps for primer application and drying.
Controlled treatment atmopshere
ALDYNE™ is the modern alternative to wet chemical primer applications. Instead of wet chemicals, ALDYNE™ utilizes a locally produced process gas mix of Nitrogen and inert gases, which is absolutely harmless. In most cases a process gas control panel is used, which allows the operator to adjust the process gas mixture to the demands of each material to be treated on an individual basis.
Adhesion guaranteed
We are proud of our growing global customer base that includes manufacturers of film production lines, finishers, film producers and research companies.
Naturally, the portfolio of products offered by SOFTAL is just as multi-faceted as our customer base. This is made possible by the modular design of our treatment systems, which allows customer-specific changes and a rapid development of new systems and processes. This ideal starting point allows us to meet customer demands and achieve results. Guaranteed.
Install and forget
SOFTAL has been part of the corona and plasma industry for more than half a century. Our engineers and developers know, what really matters at the end of the production day. Factors like easy maintenance and service, low operating cost, long life and the optimum in operator safety are considered early in the development process to ensure maximum user-friendliness and up-time.
SORTEX™ Corona Stations
In early 2008 SOFTAL delivered the first SORTEX™ system as part of a joint cooperation with other companies and research institutes. With a length of roughly 8 m, a width of 4 m and a height of 6 m, a weight of ca. 20 t and an installed overall plasma power of more than 100 kW, this system was one of the largest corona systems worldwide. The newly developed Technology was specially designed for the extreme thermal sensitivity of the textile fibres and its other characteristics. The previously used wet chemical treatment in a sodium hypochlorite solution was simply replaced by a plasma discharge.
Corona generators
SOFTAL corona generators are, of course, just as adaptive as our corona stations. It goes without saying that the products of a company that has been successful in the market for decades offer the ease-of-use, robustness, low maintenance and service costs and numerous small and large solutions for smooth everyday production work that you expect form a global player.
