Welding is no longer the sole reserve of the engineering industry.

With manufacturers looking at improved production processes and new technology, the textile industry is setting its sights on welding garments together.

This high-tech process uses heat generated by ultrasonic vibrations to seal the cut edge of garments, with the end product featuring smooth, durable and watertight seams.

Researchers in the textile industry are now exploring this technology, including Nommiselo Tyalana, a CPUT lecturer based in the Clothing and Textiles Department.

Although ultrasonic welding has been around since the 1960s, Tyalana says its use in the textile industry has been limited.

“I want to identify what can be achieved when using it,” she says.

With seams being the weakest part of a garment and ultrasound welding limited to synthetic fibres, Tyalana opted to explore the differences between the traditional stitch types used in the manufacture of swimwear against the seams produced using ultrasonic welding.

With a battery of tests completed on the various stitch types and seams, initial results already show the advantages of ultrasonic welding.

Tylana says this technology eliminates the use of thread, needles and other items, and also produces watertight seams.

“A lot of thread is used in the production of swimwear,” she says.

Tyalana says swimwear is also exposed to salt and chlorinated water that has eroding properties. However, with ultrasonic welding, there are no stich threads, thus eliminating the chances of seams being spoilt.

Head of the Clothing and Textiles Department, Dr Elspa Hovgaard, who is supervising the research project says the exploration of ultrasonic welding, which forms part of Tyalana’s Masters thesis, is important not only for the textile industry, but for the training of students enrolled in the university’s Clothing Management programme.

Hovgaard says that while companies are not widely using this technology, students must be skilled in the latest technology.

“Rather than just teach students about what’s available now, we are looking ahead and advancing our students,” says Hovgaard.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

As gateways to knowledge, libraries play an important role in the development of communities.

This fact was recently highlighted when the CPUT Wellington Library, in collaboration with the Faculty of Education and the Wellington Public Library, hosted a community outreach event at the Wellington Skills School. The event formed part of the South African Library Week themed “My library, your library.”

“Our goal is to expose learners to a library and show them what it offers and how it can contribute to their development,” says Manager of the CPUT Wellington Library, Joanne Arendse.

“We want to bring libraries into their hearts and lives.”

As part of the outreach CPUT Education lecturers and students presented a woodwork skills development workshop, which aimed at showing learners the role information can play in the process of constructing an item. CPUT Libraries also presented an information literacy skills development group work session that focused on showing learners how to utilize information resources effectively, while the Wellington Public Library informed learners on the benefits of being a library member.

KNOWLEDGE: CPUT Librarian Naomi Williams coordinated the information literacy skills workshop

Acting principal of the Wellington Skills School, Dorothea Albanie welcomed the CPUT initiative and says such collaborations are important for the development of learners.

The skills school was established at the start of this year and provides learners who experience barriers to learning the opportunity to develop their full potential. The school offers a range of subjects such as woodwork, welding, arts and crafts, agriculture and hospitality.

Albanie says CPUT is the first tertiary institution to reach out to the school and that they look forward to building a strong partnership with the institution.

Written by Candes Keating
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.