Cavitec, the Swiss manufacturer of technology for technical textiles, has chosen Vetaphone corona treatment for its range of hotmelt coating and laminating machines. Merged in 1996 by Caratsch and Villars in Tobel near St Gallen, Cavitec is part of the Santex Rimar Group headquartered in Trissino (VI) Italy and is a global leader in manufacturing machines for the textile and technical textile industry.
The company’s production plant has always had a requirement for corona treatment and according to Stéphane Fernandez (Head of Sales), it was Vetaphone’s technical expertise that persuaded the company to choose the Danish manufacturer. “One of our customers installed a Cavitec machine with a Vetaphone corona treater, which was our first introduction to the brand – since then, Vetaphone has become our preferred supplier,” he said, mentioning that Vetaphone’s long history in surface treatment and global sales and service support network were key factors.
The Vetaphone units specified by Cavitec are models with web widths from 1800mm to 3200mm. The company also has one of Vetaphone’s latest VE1A-M 410mm corona treaters in its Test Lab facility in Tobel, Switzerland. Fitted with a 2kW transformer and blower fan, it allows new applications to be trialled prior to commercial production.
The hotmelt coating and lamination technology is a process used to apply adhesives with different coating technologies, such as gravure, rotary screen, spray and multi-roller, where several layers can be bonded without the need for solvents. The process creates a strong and durable bond across a variety of films, membranes, nonwovens, and textiles offering both efficiency and environmental benefits. Corona treatment is required to secure the bonding as the surface energy of the liquid (adhesive) and various substrates are different. By applying corona discharge the surface energy of the substrate is raised to allow the adhesive to flow out and adhere securely.
The company’s 6,000sqm facility at Tobel currently employs 70 people, and its products range from active wear to car seats and interiors, and many items in between including home textiles, filters and protective clothing.
Speaking for Vetaphone, Area Sales Manager for DACH Ahmed Türkmen commented: “We are delighted to be working with such a prestigious manufacturer as Cavitec and look forward to developing our surface treatment technology to meet their specific requirements. Vetaphone’s unique reserve of knowledge and knowhow is ideally suited for the variety of applications that Cavitec supports.”