Thermobonding without adhesive

2016-07-06 09:47:33

Antares bonds paint roller fabrics to the tube by thermobond: a strip of technical textile is fused to a polypropylene tube with heat alone, and no adhesive is used. The tubes come from the Antares in-house extrusion line, so both the core and the bond are made under one roof.

How thermobond works

Recipe. Each tube diameter from Ø15 to Ø52 mm has its own set recipe. The operator loads the recipe for the diameter in production, and the machine runs with those settings.
Heating the tube. As the tube rotates, the machine melts its surface in a controlled way. The machine computer holds the surface temperature within set limits, so the polypropylene melts to the same degree along the whole length.
Winding the fabric. The textile strip is wound onto the molten surface straight away, in a spiral. The strip feed runs as slave to the tube rotation (master/slave synchronisation), so each turn lies against the previous one with no overlap.
Bonding. The molten polypropylene penetrates the backing of the fabric. When it cools, tube and fabric become a single unit. The bond is physical, not chemical.

Technical data

Tube diameters: Ø15 to Ø52 mm, on 4 separate machines
Bonding method: thermobond, with no adhesive layer
Monitored parameters: tube rotation speed, strip feed speed, rotation/feed synchronisation, tube surface temperature
Output: 1,850 long tubes per hour per machine

Process control

The machine computer monitors rotation, feed and temperature throughout the run. Because every diameter has its own recipe, the same settings are used from batch to batch, which keeps the bond consistent across orders.

What this means for you

Solvent resistance. There is no adhesive layer for solvents to dissolve, so thermobonded rollers can be used with solvent-based paints and cleaned with strong solvents.
No raised seam. The strip is wound without overlap, so there is no thickened seam along the roller.
Short lead times. Production runs continuously, with no waiting for adhesive to dry.

Frequently asked questions

Are Antares paint rollers glued?

No. All Antares paint rollers with a fabric pile are thermobonded: the tube surface is melted and the fabric is fused into it, with no adhesive layer. Foam and flock rollers are made in a different way.

Are thermobonded paint rollers resistant to solvents?

Yes. With no adhesive layer, there is nothing between the fabric and the tube for a solvent to dissolve. This makes thermobonded rollers suitable for solvent-based paints.

What core diameters are thermobonded at Antares?

Antares thermobonds paint roller fabrics on tube diameters from Ø15 to Ø52 mm, each on its own process recipe.

Technologies