Radio frequency sealing, also referred to as radio welding and RF sealing, is a method of using radio waves to excite the polymers in plastics and other materials to heat them quickly. It can be used to make extremely tight seals and bonds between materials quickly with minimal cooling time. Radio frequency sealing/welding is used in the manufacturing process to create IV bags, fire-protection clothing, athletic equipment, luggage and more.
RF sealing is done by specialized machines, usually in a factory setting. The materials to be attached are carefully placed on a table. A buffer is used in the fusing process, which allows all of the power of the radio frequency waves being used to go into fusing the two materials creating the seam rather than burning a hole through them.
Benefits of RF sealing
Essentially, RF sealing is a safe way of creating extremely tight seals. The technology has been in use for roughly fifty years, and more and more applications are being found. Nylon, polyurethane and PVC are a few of the many materials that can be attached using RF sealing.
While many of the seals done by RF sealing could also be created by a conventional heater, it takes longer for a conventional heater to reach the proper temperature for work, and the seals take longer to cool. Therefore, RF sealing is the faster and cheaper method for joining plastics.