A method for forming a geomembrane liner testable for leaks by securing adjacent panels together with the conductivity of the lower surface of an overlying panel broken along a line adjacent the panel overlapping edge, and the overlapping edges sealed along the line. A heat welder has slots for the overlapping panel edges, with a heated wedge between the slots and having a projection to break the conductivity of the overlying panel bottom surface as it passes the wedge. The slots merge to press the liner edges together to heat weld them along the line of broken conductivity as the welder is moved along the panel edges.

Provided herein are ecologically friendly waterproof fabrics that include a base fabric having a body-facing surface and an outward-facing surface, and a hydrophobic, waterproof barrier disposed on the outward-facing surface of the base fabric. The base fabric may be a wicking fabric or may be treated with a compound that enhances wicking, and the hydrophobic, waterproof barrier may include a plastic polymer, polyurethane, polyethylene, and/or polytetrafluoroethylene. The waterproof fabrics also may include an abrasion-resistant coating and/or a PFC-free durable water repellant (DWR) agent disposed on an outward-facing surface of the hydrophobic, waterproof barrier, and one or both of the abrasion-resistant coating and/or PFC-free DWR agent may be discontinuous. Also provided are methods of making a waterproof fabric.

Reinforced surgical table mattresses or pads and methods of manufacture are disclosed. A layer of polymeric foam can be inserted into a shell formed from one or more sheets of flexible polymeric film material laminated to a fabric and welded together to create a water-proof shell. At least one layer of hotmelt glue film can be positioned inside the shell between the bottom side of the foam and the fabric of the shell. Heat can be applied to the outside of the shell at a temperature above the melting point of the hotmelt glue film and below that of the shell material, melting the glue film and bonding the fabric of the shell to an adjacent layer of material when cooled.