Technical textiles for protective and defence require reproducible coating, printing and finishing processes. The PLEVA AF 310 and AF 120 provide continuous, non-contact online measurement of coating, ensuring consistent quality, reducing over-application and waste and enabling improved documentation.
Textiles used for protection and defense must perform reliably – whether they are protective garments, tents, tarpaulins, covers, or technical carrier materials. Properties such as flame resistance, water repellency, weather resistance, or defined air permeability are often only achieved through precise coating, finishing, or printing processes.
Contactless online measurement during the production process
With its AF 310 and AF 120 microwave measurement systems, PLEVA measures coating application directly online: contactlessly, continuously, and non-destructively. The systems are positioned after the coating unit or doctor blade and make deviations visible before larger quantities of material are produced outside the specified parameters. The AF 120 monitors the application at a defined position. The AF 310 measures at three points across the material width – left, center, and right – thereby identifying differences between the edges and the center. Particularly for high-quality coatings, pastes, or foams, this transparency helps ensure uniformity across both width and length.
Process optimization: faster setup, reliable production, and resource savings
In production, this means faster setup times, reduced start-up waste, fewer manual inspections, and improved reproducibility. Operators can immediately determine whether the application is within the tolerance range and make timely corrections. At the same time, chemicals, pastes, or foams can be dosed more accurately. This reduces material consumption and drying energy requirements.
With PLEVATEC pro, measurement values can be visualized, documented, and analyzed. For the AF 310, coating application across the left, center, and right positions can be monitored with defined tolerances. The data supports quality assurance, process analysis, traceability, and integration into corporate networks, for example via OPC UA.
In this way, PLEVA combines coating measurement with process reliability, cost control, and sustainability: precise, efficient, and reproducible – for technical textiles where quality and performance leave no room for compromise.
More information about sustainable solutions and PLEVA can be found on www.pleva.org or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pleva-sensors-and-controls/.
