Thermoplastic Polyurethane Thread Drawing Process for Self-Adhesive Fabric
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Solution Overview
Problem
The textile industry faces challenges in attaching fabrics to objects without uneven glue application, leading to manufacturing inefficiencies and increased costs, especially when multiple pieces of fabric are involved, which affects the aesthetic appearance and competitiveness.
Innovation Solution
A thread drawing process using thermoplastic polyurethane particles that are mixed, dried, extruded, stretched, cooled, and dried to create threads with a certain level of stickiness, allowing the fabric to be securely attached to objects without additional adhesives through baking or blow baking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If glue is used to attach fabric to objects, then the fabric can be secured, but the glue is not evenly attached causing bumps and requiring additional drying time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the glue application step from the manufacturing process. Instead of using external adhesive, the fabric's own threads are modified to provide self-adhesion through thermoplastic coating applied during the thread drawing process, thereby removing the source of uneven attachment and surface bumps.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermoplastic coating is applied to the threads during the drawing process before the fabric is assembled and attached to objects. This preliminary application of adhesive properties ensures uniform distribution throughout the fabric structure, eliminating the need for subsequent glue application and drying steps.
2Reliability
If glue is used to attach fabric to objects, then the fabric can be secured, but manufacturing cost and time increase due to additional glue application and drying steps
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the thread manufacturing process with the adhesive application process. The thermoplastic coating is integrated into the thread drawing process, combining two previously separate operations (thread production and adhesive application) into one, thereby eliminating additional manufacturing steps and improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric becomes self-sufficient by incorporating adhesive properties directly into its thread structure. The thermoplastic-coated threads provide self-adhesion capability, allowing the fabric to attach to objects without requiring external glue or adhesives, thereby eliminating drying time and reducing manufacturing costs.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple pieces of fabric are glued or sewed together, then the fabric assembly can be created, but the outer appearance is not easily handled to meet aesthetic purposes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the sewing process from the fabric assembly method. By providing self-adhesive threads that allow fabric pieces to be bonded together through heat activation, the need for mechanical sewing is removed, resulting in seamless joints and smoother surfaces that meet aesthetic requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process enables fabric attachment to objects in a flat and neat manner, eliminating the need for extra glue or adhesives, reducing manufacturing time and costs while maintaining a smooth surface finish.
Implementation Method 1
drying the thermoplastic polyurethane particles to remove excess water by a dryer, melting the thermoplastic polyurethane particles, wherein the drying temperature of the dryer is from 100° C. to 150° C.
Implementation Method 2
passing the preliminary thread through a cooling tank so as to shape the surface of the preliminary thread
Implementation Method 3
entering the preliminary thread processed by the step of stretch extension into an cooling area which is located next to the stretching area, and the preliminary thread being cooled to reduce surface deformation and to fix the interior of the preliminary thread
Implementation Method 4
using a dehumidifying and drying device to further reduce humidity in the semi-finished thread so as to obtain a finished thread
Data Source
AI summary
The thread drawing processes include the steps of feeding, mixing and stirring, first drying, hot melt extrusion, first cooling, stretch extension, second cooling, winding-strands-into-roll, and second drying. The threads made by the processes mainly use thermoplastic polyurethane particles which are easily prepared. When fabric made by the threads is attached to objects, the fabric is flat and neat.