WEST CHESTER, Pa. — Sonobond provides a wide selection of ultrasonic bonding equipment for filtration assembly. Sonobond has bonding machines for ultrasonic assembly of most types of filters, which are used in airline, automotive, food, paper, pharmaceutical, air and water filtration, liquid absorption, petroleum, and agricultural applications.
Fast, Dependable Bonds in One, Easy Step
Ultrasonics is a dependable, well-established, environmentally-friendly process that does not require needles, thread, adhesives or other consumables. Instead, high-frequency vibrations are channeled into woven or nonwoven materials or into blends with a minimum of 60 percent synthetic fibers as they pass between an ultrasonic unit’s horn and anvil. The rapid heat buildup causes the material’s fibers to soften and fuse. The process is completed in just seconds, takes up only a minimal amount of material at the seam, and provides a much stronger and dependable bond than is produced with stitching, glue or hot air methods.
Sonobond bonders have the advantage of being four times faster than sewing machines and ten times faster than adhesive machines. The equipment is easy to operate and requires only minimal training. Sonobond’s ultrasonic technology is so reliable that it is used to assemble the disposable medical apparel that helps protect personnel from hazardous fluids.
Machines for Practically Every Filtration Application
Sonobond’s extensive line of ultrasonic bonding equipment enables manufacturers to purchase the machine or machines that meet their specific requirements. Here is an overview of the Sonobond bonders most often selected for filtration assembly:
SeamMaster® High Profile Ultrasonic Bonders are a versatile and popular machines that combine several labor-intensive operations to save manufacturers time and money. Patented rotary operation bonds and trims synthetic materials in one quick step and its large, high-clearance wheel makes it well-suited for hand-guided applications with tight tolerances and for working around curves. A special fixture for bonding pleated filters is also available.
The SeamMaster Series equipment is similar in appearance and operation to traditional sewing machines, but use ultrasonic vibrations instead of needles or thread to seal, seam, and trim on one quick pass, eliminating fraying and unraveling of bonded edges and seams. This equipment is very adaptable and provides a cost-effective solution to many different types of filtration assembly needs. Here are a few examples of the many companies that have made this ultrasonic bonding machinery an integral part of their production process:
- American Air Filters International, located in Louisville, Kentucky, uses the SeamMaster High Profile for fast, efficient assembly of several types of commercial and industrial air filters. These include HVAC, dust collection, nuclear and bio-chemical products. This Sonobond equipment replaced the radio frequency and impulse welding methods the company previously used.
- Enfilter Limited in Aberdeen, Scotland is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of liquid and gas filters. Their High Profile unit bonds the longitudinal seams of the company’s filter cartridges. Prior to incorporating the Sonobond machinery into its production process, Enfilter had to rely on a third party to pleat and seam-glue their products.
- EvoOrganic is a producer of innovative, eco-friendly landscape and garden fabrics. The Lexington, Kentucky manufacturer relies on SeamMaster Modules for assembling its “Greener Lifestyle” products.
- Kuss Filtration utilizes Sonobond ultrasonic technology to assemble fuel filters. This Illinois-based company runs its SeamMaster High Profile machines at speeds up to 120 feet per minute and has seen a dramatic increase in plant efficiency since installing the units.
- Supply Pro of Houston, Texas is recognized the world over for innovative products that safely remove hazardous materials. Sonobond’s SeamMaster was an integral part of assembling the oil-absorbent booms that played such a major role in cleaning up the 2010 Gulf oil spill.
- Velcon Filters has high praise for the performance of its SeamMaster equipment at its Sylacauga, Alabama facility. This leading manufacturer of jet fuel filters reports that its ultrasonic bonding machines have increased production speeds, while lowering maintenance and labor costs.
Box-Style Filters and Filter Bag Ends
Sonobond’s SureWeld™ 20 Ultrasonic PlungeBonder™ is another example of Sonobond’s versatile ultrasonic bonding technology. This powerful, dependable, multi-use machine consists of a rugged welding press and a heavy-duty 1000- to 3000-watt power supply. It is ideal for sealing large, multi-layer, and difficult-to-bond materials in just one hit and is often used for sealing box style filters and filter bag ends. The equipment—as well as its welding horns and nests or fixtures—can be customized for specific applications. For example, a special two-head version is used by American Air Filter to assemble cube filters. Other manufacturers utilize the PlungeBonder for assembling automotive air filters and HEPA-rated filters used in bagless vacuum cleaners.
Filter Bag Assembly
Sonobond’s award-winning RingMaster™ Filter Bag Machine is specially designed for the high-quality, high-volume assembly of heavy-duty filter bags needed for various chemical and industrial liquid applications in the food, paper, pharmaceutical, and petroleum fields. Products made on this machine are frequently used to remove undispersed solids, filter condensate, and strain out plastic fines from water.
The RingMaster has three 20 kHz ultrasonic welding modules and 1500-watt power supplies for joining plastic collars to felted filter media. The two-step process begins with the operator loading the plastic ring and filter onto the fixture before activating the optical touch buttons. A dependable 360°bond is created in less than ten seconds. Up to 250 bags per hour can be produced in this way. Custom tooling is available to accommodate different bag sizes and ring diameters. Sonobond will be showing a video that features this equipment in action at Booth #620 at FILTRATION 2016.
Sonobond’s Filter Collar Bonder™ is a bench-mounted, single-unit version of the three-module RingMaster. It is designed for lower-production assembly of bag filters. This machine creates a reliable 360° weld between the bag and the plastic ring in as little as 45 seconds. Between 50 and 80 bags per hour can be assembled on this equipment.
Free Ultrasonic Bonding Viability Test
Because Sonobond has such an extensive selection of ultrasonic bonding machines, it offers a no-cost, no-obligation Ultrasonic Bonding Viability Test to help determine the equipment best suited for a specific application.
Vice President Alleman explains how this works. “Filtration assemblers submit their materials so that we can make sample bonds on our machinery. In this way we confirm which Sonobond ultrasonic bonder is the right one for that particular application. Once a customer decides to acquire one or more of our machines, we work closely with them to customize our equipment to their needs. We also make every effort to get our machinery up and running quickly to minimize any disruption to their assembly process. Sonobond is truly committed to delivering superior service every step of the way—before, during, and after installation.”
About Sonobond Ultrasonics
Founded in 1960, Sonobond Ultrasonics is a pioneering leader in ultrasonic bonding and
welding technology. The company manufactures ultrasonic assembly equipment used by
companies across a broad range of industries, including aerospace, apparel, appliance,
automotive, ballistics, battery, electrical, environmental, filtration, HVAC, medical and solar. With more than 60 years of experience, Sonobond has earned a strong reputation for exceptional customer service and technical support before, during and after equipment installation.
For More Information
To learn more about Sonobond’s ultrasonic bonding and welding equipment, or for information about the company’s free, no-obligation Ultrasonic Bonding Viability Test, please click this link. Or, call toll free 1-800-323-1269. For immediate service, please contact Sara Karmilowicz at sk@sonobondultrasonics.com.