A raw water channel spacer capable of suppressing formation of a concentration polarization layer in a region in the vicinity of a separation membrane in a raw water channel, and a spiral wound membrane element including the same are provided. A raw water channel spacer is formed by superposing a first yarn row and a second yarn row, and includes alternately a first mesh structure having a configuration in which first rectangular meshes formed of the yarn rows are continuous in an extending direction of the second yarn row, and a second mesh structure having a configuration in which meshes are continuous in the extending direction of the second yarn row such that an interval in the second yarn row is smaller than an interval of the second yarn row forming the first mesh structure.

Provided is a useful improvement in a manufacturing method of a CF-SMC using a partially split continuous carbon fiber bundle. The manufacturing method of an SMC of the present invention includes (i) a step of drawing out a continuous carbon fiber bundle (10) from a package, the continuous carbon fiber bundle (10) having a filament number of NK and partially split into n sub-bundles in advance, (ii) a step of chopping the continuous carbon fiber bundle (10) drawn out from the package with a rotary cutter (234) into chopped carbon fiber bundles (20), and (iii) a step of depositing the chopped carbon fiber bundles (20) on a carrier film (41) traveling below the rotary cutter (234) to form a carbon fiber mat (30). In the manufacturing method, due to a fragmentation processing, in which at least some of the chopped carbon fiber bundles before being deposited on the carrier film (41) are fragmented by being brought into contact with a rotating body, a distribution of the filament number of the chopped carbon fiber bundles in the carbon fiber mat (30) is made different from that when the fragmentation processing is not performed.

A fiber assembly includes, on a main surface of a support sheet subjected to a release treatment, a warp yarn group in which a plurality of warp yarns including a polymer material are arranged, and a weft yarn group in which a plurality of weft yarns including a polymer material are arranged. The warp yarn group and the weft yarn group form a plurality of first contact portion regions and a plurality of non-contact portion regions. Each of the plurality of first contact portion regions is a region in which at least one of the plurality of warp yarns is integrated with at least one of the plurality of weft yarns. Each of the plurality of warp yarns has a line width of 1 μm to 10 μm, inclusive, and each of the plurality of weft yarns has a line width of 1 μm to 10 μm, inclusive. At least one of the plurality of first contact portion regions has a fiber density higher than that of at least one of the plurality of non-contact portion regions. Two of the plurality of warp yarns or two of the plurality of weft yarns have a spacing of 5 μm or more and 1000 μm or less in at least one of the plurality of first contact portion regions. Two of the plurality of warp yarns or two of the plurality of weft yarns have a spacing of 2000 μm or more in at least one of the plurality of non-contact portion regions.

A fiber assembly includes, on a main surface of a support sheet subjected to a release treatment, a warp yarn group in which a plurality of warp yarns including a polymer material are arranged, and a weft yarn group in which a plurality of weft yarns including a polymer material are arranged. The warp yarn group and the weft yarn group form a plurality of first contact portion regions and a plurality of non-contact portion regions. Each of the plurality of first contact portion regions is a region in which at least one of the plurality of warp yarns is integrated with at least one of the plurality of weft yarns. Each of the plurality of warp yarns has a line width of 1 μm to 10 μm, inclusive, and each of the plurality of weft yarns has a line width of 1 μm to 10 μm, inclusive. At least one of the plurality of first contact portion regions has a fiber density higher than that of at least one of the plurality of non-contact portion regions. Two of the plurality of warp yarns or two of the plurality of weft yarns have a spacing of 5 μm or more and 1000 μm or less in at least one of the plurality of first contact portion regions. Two of the plurality of warp yarns or two of the plurality of weft yarns have a spacing of 2000 μm or more in at least one of the plurality of non-contact portion regions.

A system for forming a non-woven, yarn structure for an engineered textile includes a jig having a plurality of upstanding pins and an automatic winding system for winding a plurality of continuous strands of yarn across the jig and around the upstanding pins. The automatic winding system includes a movement mechanism and a winding head coupled with the movement mechanism. The movement mechanism includes one or more motors that are configured to translate the winding head across a central workspace area of the jig. The winding head includes a rotatable base; a plurality of yarn guides arranged in a linear array and extending from the rotatable base, each yarn guide adapted to receive a different one of the continuous strands, and a rotation motor coupled to the rotatable base and configured to selectively rotate the base to alter an orientation of the linear array.

A system for forming a non-woven, yarn structure for an engineered textile includes a jig having a plurality of upstanding pins and an automatic winding system for winding a plurality of continuous strands of yarn across the jig and around the upstanding pins. The automatic winding system includes a movement mechanism and a winding head coupled with the movement mechanism. The movement mechanism includes one or more motors that are configured to translate the winding head across a central workspace area of the jig. The winding head includes a rotatable base; a plurality of yarn guides arranged in a linear array and extending from the rotatable base, each yarn guide adapted to receive a different one of the continuous strands, and a rotation motor coupled to the rotatable base and configured to selectively rotate the base to alter an orientation of the linear array.

A nonwoven composite that has a dimension in a machine direction and a cross-machine direction is provided. The composite comprises a nonwoven facing positioned adjacent to an elastic film. The nonwoven facing contains a spunbond web that is formed by necking a base spunbond web. The base spunbond web includes a plurality of fibers generally oriented in the machine direction and exhibiting a machine direction tensile strength and cross-machine direction tensile strength. The ratio of the machine direction tensile strength to the cross-machine direction tensile strength is about 4:1 or more.

A nonwoven composite that has a dimension in a machine direction and a cross-machine direction is provided. The composite comprises a nonwoven facing positioned adjacent to an elastic film. The nonwoven facing contains a spunbond web that is formed by necking a base spunbond web. The base spunbond web includes a plurality of fibers generally oriented in the machine direction and exhibiting a machine direction tensile strength and cross-machine direction tensile strength. The ratio of the machine direction tensile strength to the cross-machine direction tensile strength is about 4:1 or more.

An object of the present invention is to provide a stitched fiber-reinforced substrate material capable of suppressing the formation of microcracks in a fiber reinforced composite material. The stitched fiber-reinforced substrate material of the present invention is a stitched fiber-reinforced substrate material formed by stitching reinforcement fiber sheets made of reinforcement fibers using stitching yarns that exhibit an in-plane shear strength transition rate of 5% or more. The stitching yarn is preferably adhered by an organic compound having a polar group.

Presented are automated manufacturing systems for fabricating engineered textiles, footwear and apparel formed with such engineered textiles, methods for making such engineered textiles, and memory-stored, processor-executable instructions for operating such manufacturing systems. An automated manufacturing system constructs engineered textiles from workpieces composed of superposed, unwoven wires. The system includes a movable end effector bearing a stitching head and an image capture device. The stitching head has a thread feeder and sewing needle to generate stitches. The image capture device captures images of the workpiece and outputs data indicative thereof. A system controller receives this image capture device data and locates, from the captured image of the workpiece, gaps defined between quadrangles of the superposed wires. The controller commands the end effector to sequentially move the stitching head and thereby align the sewing needle with the gaps, and commands the stitching head to insert a succession of stitches within these gaps.