Fabric Production Methods: Nonwoven vs Woven and Knitted
1.
2.
3. ¤ Fabrics can be made from fibres as well as
from yarns.
¤ Conventional(woven)fabric production:
¤ Fibre Yarn Fabric (knitting or weaving)
¤ Non-woven production
¤ Fibre Fabric
¤ It eliminates the yarn production process and
makes the fabric directly from fibres.
4. .
¤ Non-woven fabric:
A textile structure produced
by bonding or interlocking of fibres, or both;
accomplished by mechanical, chemical, thermal or
solvent means and combinations thereof. This
excludes woven, knitted and tufted fabrics.
¤ Non-woven textiles are those which are neither
woven nor knit, for example felt.
¤ Non-wovens are typically not strong (unless
reinforced by a backing), and do not stretch.
They are cheap to manufacture.
6. ¤ Nonwoven fabrics can be engineered to give a
wide variety of properties.
¤ Nevertheless, their aesthetic properties
(handle, drape, appearance) are such that they
are not in direct competition with conventional
fabrics in the outerwear market.
¤ Woven and knitted fabrics will not be replaced
by nonwovens in the near futrue.
¤ Currently, the main areas of growth in
nonwovens are in geotextiles, medical and
hospital uses, disposable products and filters.
7. ¤ There are normally two steps for
making non-woven products.
¤ They are:
¤ Web formation; and
¤ Bonding systems.
8. • A nonwoven fabric is basically a web of
fibres held together in some way.
• The web may be made of staple fibres
or filaments, or from portions of
polymer film.
9. ¤ Bonding systems in non-woven
¤ Needled felts
¤ Adhesives
¤ Heat bonding
¤ Stitch bonding
10. ¤ The beared needle tangles
together some fibres from each
layer of the web to make a stronger
web.
11. A cellulosic wiper, with the adhesive applied in
colour stripes and resin-impregnated fibre-glass
used to reinforce pipes.
16. ¤ Staple non-wovens
Staple non-wovens are made in two steps. Fibers are
first spun, cut to a few centimeters length, and put into
bales. These bales are then dispersed on a conveyor
belt, and the fibers are spread in a uniform web by a
wetlaid process or by carding.
¤ Spun laid non-wovens
Spunlaid non-wovens are made in one continuous
process. Fibers are spun and then directly dispersed in a
web by deflectors. This technique leads to faster belt
speeds, and cheaper costs. Several variants of this
concept are available, but the leading technology is the
Reicofil machinery, manufactured by Reifenhaüser
(Germany).
17. The Association of the Nonwovens Fabrics
Industry
Nonwoven Industry News, Conference Reports
and Consulting
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