Research on the Process of Cutting Nonwoven Materials Using Surgical Gauze as an Example

The aim of this study was to examine the functional characteristics of the process of cutting surgical gauze with a drum cutting unit. For this purpose, the authors designed and constructed a test stand on which experimental tests were conducted. As part of this study, the results of the experimental tests are presented, which were conducted for three selected thicknesses of surgical gauze samples, four selected angles of feeding of the material to be cut and nine selected cutting speeds. In order to determine cutting resistance, the specific cutting resistance was used, and the energy consumption was estimated using the specific cutting work related to the cutting surface of the surgical gauze. The conducted experimental studies demonstrated that the highest value of the specific cutting resistance pc=78.14 N⋅m-1 occurred during the cutting of eight-layer gauze at a cutting angle α=0° and a cutting speed Vc=0.66 m⋅s-1. Meanwhile, the highest value of the specific cutting work was approximately LjS=120.00 J⋅m-2 during the cutting of three-layer gauze, also at a cutting speed Vc=0.66 m⋅s-1 for cutting angles α=0° and α=5°. This study found that Vc=0.66 m⋅s-1 is the threshold cutting speed at which the material is cut. Below this speed, the cutting drum does not have enough momentum to cut the material. Based on the statistical analysis of the obtained test results, it was concluded that there exists a relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The cutting speed has the greatest impact on the parameters of the surgical gauze cutting process. The test results, which have not been found in the worldwide literature to date, constitute a valuable contribution to the development of the theory of surgical gauze cutting. The experimentally determined specific cutting resistance p_c and specific cutting work of surgical gauze broaden the knowledge of the materials used in medicine and contribute to the expansion of scientific knowledge in this field.