The advancements in Swimming Technology

When it comes to performance swimming ie. competition sports swimming, every small detail has to be looked at to help performance.

But in a sport where so much comes down to the swimmer, what can be looked at to enhance your swimming performance? Textile performance is effectively the only area where any real gain can be made in swimming. The rules for Swimming in the Olympics (for example) stipulate that the swimmer has to be covered. Therefore drag caused by the swimsuit is the primary focus for most clothing suppliers.

In this area, there are two aspects to look at. Fabric technology and seams. And when it comes to seams, there are few that can match Ardmel for our award winning technology and seam sealing applications.

Our ultrasonic cutting and bonding machines are perfect for producing minimalist seams with practically no overlap while our seam sealing tapes provide optimum performance and protective comfort for the wearer.

How does ultrasonic technology work?

The results of applying ultrasonic technology to textile and garment fabrics in the form of both ultrasonic ‘welding’ and cutting has allowed Ardmel to lead the way in this field of technology and innovation, developing ultrasonic machines tailored for garment construction with stitchless seams and precise cutting that is far superior to laser cutting.

The high frequency ultrasonic acoustic vibrations of ultrasonic welding can weld under high pressure to create solid-state welds using a frequency commonly in the region of 20 – 40kHz (dependent on the textiles being used).

How does ultrasonic sewing benefit swimming garment construction?

Using ulstrasonic sound waves, the Ultrasew Sewing Machine bondes textiles together without thread. The SMS-600 Ultrasew Machine truly is a modern marvel of technology and is an award winning design that, due to its unique performance has been awarded a “The Queens Award in Innovation”.

See our ultrasonic sewing machine in action

So what are the benefits of using ultrasonics for swimming suits?

The ultrasonic cutting produces clean cuts with minimal fraying for an accurate garment pattern cut that is ideal for seam sealing. The minimal seam bonding that is created by ultrasonic sewing machines produces a streamlined minimal joint seam that allows for less water resistance and greater performance.

As a global leader in ultrasonics and seam sealing technology, we have grown to become a preferred supplier to so many of the top line sports brands who look for a competitive age in their swimwear garment manufacturing.

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