Kiefel's new Solid-State RF Generator brings greater process stability, lower operating costs, and significantly more cleanroom space to RF welding (also known as high frequency welding) production for medical and pharma applications - currently available in 10 kW and 20 kW power classes.
Less Downtime, More Predictable Maintenance
Tube generators have proven themselves over decades in RF welding technology, but by design they come with maintenance effort, wear parts, and regular service work.
The Solid-State RF Generator eliminates the vacuum tube entirely. That removes tube-specific replacement effort altogether. For customers, this means less maintenance work, reduced dependency on tube-specific spare parts, and better operational predictability - alongside stable RF power generation and fewer unplanned stops.
Lower Operating Costs Through Higher Efficiency
Compared to conventional tube generators, the Solid-State RF Generator delivers around 25% higher efficiency. Less electrical energy is needed for the same RF power output. That reduces energy consumption on the production floor, lowers ongoing operating costs, and supports a more efficient, more sustainable production line.
Up to 90% More Room for Production, Less for the Generator
In medical and pharma production, every square meter counts. Cleanroom space is expensive and should be used as efficiently as possible for value-adding production processes.
The 10 kW Solid-State RF Generator requires around 90% less installation footprint compared to the previous KGT12 (12 kW). Its compact design reduces the space required within the machine environment, freeing up room for material flow, operator access, additional process modules, or future capacity expansion.
Consistent Weld Quality, No Compromises
Switching to a new generator technology shouldn't come at the cost of weld quality or cycle time. The Solid-State RF Generator delivers weld time and weld quality comparable to conventional tube generators - modernizing RF power generation without sacrificing quality or throughput. On top of that, solid-state technology avoids the performance drift typical of aging tubes, keeping weld quality more consistent over the generator's lifecycle.
A Cleanroom-Friendly Cooling Concept
The Solid-State RF Generator's water cooling actively carries heat away instead of releasing it as additional heat load into the cleanroom - unlike tube-based generator concepts. This reduces the extra cooling effort required in the cleanroom and adds further to the efficiency of the production environment.
Flexible Integration Into New and Existing Machine Concepts
The compact design and flexible cable routing of the Solid-State RF Generator make it easier to integrate into different machine layouts than conventional generator concepts allow. That gives more freedom in machine design, retrofit concepts, and compact system layouts.
What Is RF Welding?
RF welding - also called high frequency welding or HF welding - is a joining process for polar thermoplastic materials. A high-frequency electrical field heats and fuses the material directly at the seam. Suitable materials include PVC, PU, EVA, TPU, and certain multilayer films; non-polar materials such as PE and PP cannot be RF welded. The process plays a central role in manufacturing medical bags and pharmaceutical packaging solutions.
More Control Over the RF Welding Process
Alongside efficiency and ease of maintenance, process stability is central. The Solid-State RF Generator enables modern, digitally integrable control of RF power and supports reproducible weld results.
Can PVC Be RF Welded?
Yes - PVC, alongside PU and EVA, is one of the polar thermoplastic materials that can be reliably RF welded. In medical packaging in particular, PVC is one of the most commonly processed materials for blood, infusion, and dialysis bags.
This matters most in applications where seal integrity, repeatability, and process safety are critical - blood bags, infusion bags, dialysis bags, drainage bags, and other medical fluid bags. Close integration into Kiefel machine concepts allows the generator solution to be matched to the application, tooling, material, and process requirements.
Who the Solid-State RF Generator Is Built For
The Solid-State RF Generator suits both new Kiefel machine platforms and selected modernization projects for existing lines. It's particularly well suited for companies planning a new investment who want a compact, low-maintenance, future-ready generator platform from day one - in the currently available 10 kW and 20 kW power classes. That includes operations looking to make efficient use of limited cleanroom space, valuing predictable maintenance intervals without tube-specific spare parts, and seeking modern, digitally integrable process control for reproducible weld results.
Kiefel advises individually on which generator technology - solid-state or proven tube technology - best fits the specific power requirement and machine setup.