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TECHNOplants s.r.l. - FIBERfoam and FIBERwave
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The installation of our bivalent pilot line for materials produced with FIBERfoam and FIBERwave technologies is complete. (shown above) We have begun customized tests on textile fibers, and on specific projects and products for our customers.
The possibility of developing new products, or replacing higher cost materials, using a lower cost manufacturing process, have led to a remarkable interest by the industry. A number of companies have already booked time for material trials since the commissioning of the equipment in late June 09.
FIBERfoam materials
FIBERfoam is a new production process and a new material at the same time. FIBERfoam has been developed and patented by TECHNOplants (patent no. AR 2009 A 0016).
The production process for FIBERfoam consists in shaping the fibers into spherical bodies, forming a continuous mattress of these fiber bodies, and then thermobonding them to obtain a three dimensional batt. The batt is similar to foam in terms of shape and elasticity.
The process can be divided into three steps:
1. Bale opening, blending and fine opening of the fibers
2. Shaping the fibers to obtain spherical hollow bodies, which is the reason for the excellent elasticity conveyed to the final product.
3. Conveying the shaped fibers to a chute feed, which loads them on to a forming device to obtain a continuous mattress. The use of weigh cells help to finetune the volume and density of the final product.
The batt of fiber spheres enters a band oven to be calibrated and thermobonded. Afterwards it is cut to size, rolled, or stacked according to its final application.
Currently possible sectors of application for FIBERfoam materials vary from sound and heat insulation, to padding for mattress and furnishing.
As FIBERfoam is a very new process, TECHNOplants will use its new pilot plant for the development for other products for further applications.
FIBERwave materials
The materials produced with FIBERwave technology are well known to those in the nonwoven industry, with little attention given to developing new, innovative products - until now. TECHNOplants has begun focusing on this technology with an intent to development of these materials, either as a monolithic product or as a basic structure for composite products.
In fact, the particular structure of FIBERwave, being fibers that are pleated and vertically disposed, confers to the product an excellent compression resistance, and a high degree of resiliency over a given period of time. These characteristics make FIBERwave a likely choice to be used in the mattress, padding and insulation industry. It is possible to use FIBERwave as a basic structure to be combined with other textile products, such as pads, needled felts - and FIBERfoam materials; thus composite materials aimed for new applications can be obtained.
The machine for the production of FIBERwave is commonly known as a "vertical lapper". Given its limited dimensions, the vertical lapper can be easily installed on existing lines to reconfigure them for voluminous/high-loft materials with a wide range of applications.
Ideally, the vertical lapper is interposed between a carding machine and a double belt oven; an unwind stand to couple a second material onto the FIBERwave batt can be added.
Another typical application in connection with composite materials (for example a FIBERwave batt coupled with wadding) is installing the vertical lapper prior to the wadding production machine, and coupling the two materials/batts next to this zone.
To request information, answer questions on your specific application, or find out about scheduling a trial date click here.
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