UHMWPE Tape

UHMWPE tape is a different branch on the tree of UHMWPE products. UHMWPE tape is a flat monofilament which can be either used flat or twisted. A flat tape can be used in sailcloth or composites and the twisted yarn could be used for the production of ropes and netting.

Due to the nature of the tape – monofilament, this UHMWPE product is very resistant to abrasion and creep. UHMWPE tape is not new to the market and available under the brands Tensylon™ and Endumax®. We can offer the UHMWPE tape as a 5 mm wide flat tape or as a fibrillated tape of 1.760 dtex up to 30.000 dtex. The make-up is on a carton tube and when necessary we can twist the tape into any desired construction. The standard color of the tape is white. The tape is thin, with 25 microns of thickness it offers better plyability.

Another advantage of the tape over regular yarn is the smaller chance of bio-fowling. Due to the lower surface per dtex, the yarn offers less chance to algues and other seecreature to adhere to resulting in lower built up. Also nets and ropes made with UHMWPE tape are easier to clean for this same reason.

And last but not least, with the production of UHMWPE tape no solvents are used which makes it a more environmentally friendly product compared the UHMWPE yarns. Of course the UHMWPE tape shares the already known benefits of UHMWPE yarn like the high strength, low specific weight (it floats on water) and the low elongation and high modulus. Please contact us for a discussion how this tape can help to improve your product.  

Thin UHMWPE yarns in black and white

UHMWPE yarns find applications in sportswear like skiwear, swimwear, bikewear and various other sports related clothing. Other applications can be found in medical textiles, small braids and UHMWPE yarns are more and more used in ballistic applications. Colored UHMWPE could be used for shrapnel protection in headwear or underwear and could offer a great alternative to para-aramid yarns.

Small braids are used in hundreds of applications, from sailing to mountaineering and from furniture to the high-tech use of UHMWPE in kite lines and composites. UHMWPE yarns offer high strength, light weight and improved abrasion resistance and cut resistance. Also the heat conductive properties could help to cool down the body.

SWIFT Fiber stocks and transforms these high-performance yarns. We twist UHMWPE for better handling and better properties. For instance, a twisted HMPE yarn is easier to process and offers an improved abrasion resistance compared to an untwisted yarn. Our machines can twist from 110 dtex.

Next to white UHMWPE, also black is available in small dtex (from 220 dtex) at SWIFT Fiber. Other colors could be available upon request. Spun dyed UHMWPE yarns provide excellent colourfastness and coloured through-and-through and take away the need for downstream coating of the final fabric.

Please feel free to contact us to discuss your application.

Short cut PEEK fibres and crimped PEEK staple fibres

Since 2016 SWIFT Fiber offers PEEK monofilaments and multifilaments to the market. We are glad to inform you that from today, we can offer you also short cut PEEK fibres and crimped PEEK staple fibres. PEEK can be used in a wide range of technical and demanding applications. From musical strings to filtration and from cable harnesses to high end composites. With short cut PEEK fibres and crimped PEEK staple fibres the possibilities are extended even further.

PEEK short cut fibres offer you the opportunity to introduce PEEK in the most demanding applications, for instance in wetlaid applications and composites. The short cut fibres give you the opportunity to combine PEEK easily with other technical fibres. PEEK crimped staple fibres can be used in conventional textiles processes like non-woven production of technical felts or filtration fabrics. Also hybrid yarns can be produced with the staple fibres where the crimp adds additional grip.

Please feel free to contact us to discuss your application and how PEEK can give you a competitive advantage.

Auto Glass Week 2021

Last week SWIFT Fiber was exhibiting at the Auto Glass Week 2021 edition in Orlando (FL). It was a week full of demo’s, competition and meeting with existing and new customers. Rick and Jennifer Keastead of Auto Glass Evolution were there to present SWIFTCUTPRO and had a very successful week.

At the stand of Rolladeck, Dan Boehmer, featured his new Game Changer Wire Cutting Tool equipped with SWIFTCUTPRO for easy cutting through the toughest adhesives. SWIFTCUTPRO is the strongest cut out cord for its size available on the market and is sold through Auto Glass Evolution in the US and through Auto Glass Worx in Canada.

Stay tuned for more news about new locations where you can find SWIFTCUTPRO.

SWIFT Fiber has moved

After a couple of months of preparation we have moved to a new location in Leeuwarden with more production  floorspace, larger offices and a larger warehouse. For the coming years this will hopefully be enough to accommodate our further growth. Inhouse twisting will be added shortly and that will fill up the production room nicely and will expand our possibilities and increase flexibility.

Our business of twisting, winding and coating has evolved over the last couple of years and also the success of SWIFTCUTPRO, our autoglass cutting cord contributed to the growth of the business greatly.

We owe our customers and partners a big “thank you” for their ongoing trust and support. Without your support we would not be where are now so. Thank You.

The new address from now on will be:

SWIFT Fiber

Zwettestraat 24 B
8912 AV Leeuwarden

Our phone numbers, email addresses etc. remain the same.

SWIFT Fiber braiding yarns

SWIFT Fiber provides technical yarns suitable for braiding. These yarns are engineered to provide superior strength and coverage. Braiding yarns are commonly used in a variety of wire and cable braided applications like in securing cable bundles (cable assemblies), typically in the aerospace and automotive industry.

One of those yarns is Nomex®, which is used for various high performance applications. Since Nomex® is extremely lightweight, low-profile and flame retardant, it is an ideal solution for braided or woven sleeves. Sleeves which can be used in a range of applications, including performance automotive, fuel / oil / chemical hoses, fire protection components and OEM assemblies. Nomex can be used for direct overbraiding of the above mentioned cable assemblies in automotive and aerospace as well. Para-aramid known as Kevlar® or Twaron®, is also used for these applications including cable and hose manufacturing. As well as Vectran®, PEEK, UHMWPE like Dyneema® and other high performance fibers are used as braiding yarns and can be tailored to your requirement.

For all these different applications, SWIFT Fiber offers the yarns already twisted, cabled or just respooled onto a small carton tube. These compact packages could be directly inserted into the braiding machine, but also other packages/make-ups are available. From carton tubes to braider bobbins, from conical tubes to tapered spools with single or multiple ends up. Our precision-wound packages increase yield per tube for fewer machine stops and increased efficiency and productivity in your production. Our braiding yarns are available in a wide range of specifications, colors and sizes to meet the needs of the market and specific customer requirements.

Please send us your request today and we will have an answer for you ASAP. 

• 

• 

ISO 9001 certification

2020 was a year full of challenges, adaptation to a new reality and less face to face interactions. We hardly travelled and managed the business and sales from behind our desks in our (home) offices. Despite those challenges, we have managed to weather the storm and made some important decisions for the future:

From March 1^st of 2021 we will move to a larger facility to accommodate production, testing, shipping, warehousing and the office from under one roof. We purchased a ring twisting machine to increase reactivity and quality and expand our possibilities even further. 2020 was for SWIFT Fiber the year where we invested time, money and effort in further professionalizing the organization. This has been recognized and awarded by TÜV Rheinland with the ISO 9001:2015 certificate. This underlines our commitment to providing the highest quality product with a smart process while maintaining the highest reactivity and personal approach of the business. After all: people do business with people

We are confident to say that 2021 will be a year of further growth and we are ready for your enquiries. Take care and keep well and above all stay safe

PEEK monofilament & multifilament supply issues?

The current situation (Brexit, COVID-19) could have dramatic effects on your supply chain. Shipments which are delayed, empty containers that are on the wrong continent, air express at very high costs and large queues at customs. Just a couple of headlines of the business news of January this year. We all have to deal with these extremities caused by a multitude of reasons.

If you are experiencing supply or quality issues with PEEK monofilaments or PEEK multifilament, please know that you have options. We can offer PEEK monofilaments and multifilaments from an EU source with 25+ years of filament extrusion experience, aerospace and medical grades available, diameter from 0.10 mm to 2.00 mm and make-up either on a reel or on a carton tube.

Please know that we can help. We carry stock of PEEK monofilament and we have short supply lines for non-stock items. Tailored properties according customers request in terms of elongation, shrinkage and tensile strength.

Please send us your request today and we will have an answer for you ASAP. 

Para-aramid and high tenacity polyester binders for the cable industry

Binding applications are very common in the production of electric, communication and fiber optic cables. SWIFT Fiber supplies the full range of binders. From high tenacity polyester binders to para-aramid binders for the highest strength with virtually no shrinkage. From coated binders for improved handling to low shrink polyester or even ultra low shrink binders as a cost-effective alternative to para-aramid. Precision wound to reduce production faults and stops and solid packages which help to increase the line speed. Available with a non-wick or a waterblocking finish to reduce water migration in the cable.

There are various make-ups available, with the length and diameter of the package required for your application. Optimized for the maximum length per package for less frequent machine stops. Dual end (2 individual yarns per package) is optional.

Are you interested? Please contact us for more information.

* All the mentioned brand names belong to their respective owners.

Fine denier UHMWPE and para-aramid

Countless applications are demanding for lower weights with similar or even higher performance. Applications like narrow fabrics for aerospace and automotive, small braids for fishing, automotive or sports. UHMWPE is also used in medical applications for instance as suture yarn. These developments fuel the demand for small dtex (small denier) high performance yarns like para-aramid and UHMWPE. Very small yarns with high tensile strengths can be used in cutting or tearing applications like in paper, packaging, tapes or fabrics.

Para-aramid commonly known under the name Kevlar® or Twaron® combines a high tensile strength with a high heat resistance and a very good chemical resistance. It doesn’t like UV though. UHMWPE commonly know as Dyneema® or Spectra® is a yarn that floats on water, with high UV resistance properties and has a very low coefficient of friction, but it does melt around 140°C. The yarns can be spooled to length, twisted or just flat. Our standard range of para-aramid starts from 220 dtex (200 denier) and in UHMWPE it starts from 110 dtex (100 denier). Lower dtex UHMWPE is available from as small as 22 dtex (20 denier) upon request.

Are you interested? Please contact us for more information.

* All the mentioned brand names belong to their respective owners.