Extended Study on the Development of 3D-Printed Overlay Structures in Protective Gloves Using Ultrasonic and Contact Welding with Additional Fatigue Bending Tests

This study investigates the development of advanced protective gloves by applying novel 3D-printed PET-G mesh overlay structures onto three textile substrates-polyamide (PA), polyester (PES), and cotton-using ultrasonic welding and contact welding. The focus was on assessing weld quality, thickness uniformity, and functional durability. Weld morphology and bonding integrity were evaluated using X-ray microtomography (micro-CT), while bending fatigue tests assessed mechanical performance under cyclic loading. The results show that ultrasonic welding produces more uniform welds, enhancing fatigue resistance, particularly on cotton and polyamide substrates. Non-uniform welds with thicker or uneven areas, typical of contact welding, correlated with reduced mechanical durability. These findings highlight the potential of additively manufactured overlay structures for hybrid protective gloves, demonstrating that weld thickness uniformity and substrate compatibility are key factors in optimizing mechanical performance. This work extends our previous research by introducing new 3D-printed overlay architectures and provides valuable insights into the practical implementation of additively manufactured polymeric structures in PPE development.