CLOTHING AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A CLOTHING

Abstract

A clothing, in particular a press belt for a machine for producing or processing a fibrous material web, includes a paper side, a backing side, a base fabric and at least one additional structure. The at least one additional structure is formed of or includes a layer of polymer foam which provides the paper side of the clothing. A method for producing a clothing, and a machine for producing a fibrous material web, are also provided.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A clothing or a press belt for a machine for producing or processing a fibrous material web, the clothing comprising: a paper side; a backing side; a base fabric; and at least one further structure formed of or including a layer of polymer foam, said layer of polymer foam providing said paper side of the clothing.

17. The clothing according to claim 16, wherein said layer of polymer foam has an anisotropic pore structure.

18. The clothing according to claim 16, wherein: said base fabric has a side facing away from said paper side; and at least one additional functional structure is disposed at least one of: between said base fabric and said layer of polymer foam, or on said side of said base fabric facing away from said paper side.

19. The clothing according to claim 18, wherein said at least one additional functional structure includes or is formed of nonwoven fibers.

20. The clothing according to claim 16, wherein said layer of polymer foam is configured to be compressed in a thickness direction by more than 30% under a compressive loading of the clothing of 3 MPa as compared with an initial thickness under a compressive loading of 0.1 MPa.

21. The clothing according to claim 16, wherein said layer of polymer foam is configured to be compressed in a thickness direction by more than 40% under a compressive loading of the clothing of 3 MPa as compared with an initial thickness under a compressive loading of 0.1 MPa.

22. The clothing according to claim 16, wherein said layer of polymer foam is configured to be compressed in a thickness direction by more than 50% under a compressive loading of the clothing of 3 MPa as compared with an initial thickness under a compressive loading of 0.1 MPa.

23. The clothing according to claim 20, wherein said layer of polymer foam is configured to substantially expand again to its initial thickness upon subsequently relieving the 3 MPa compressive loading of the clothing to 0.1 MPa.

24. The clothing according to claim 21, wherein said layer of polymer foam is configured to substantially expand again to its initial thickness upon subsequently relieving the 3 MPa compressive loading of the clothing to 0.1 MPa.

25. The clothing according to claim 22, wherein said layer of polymer foam is configured to substantially expand again to its initial thickness upon subsequently relieving the 3 MPa compressive loading of the clothing to 0.1 MPa.

26. The clothing according to claim 16, wherein said layer of polymer foam is formed of or includes an elastomer or a polyurethane.

27. The clothing according to claim 16, wherein said layer of polymer foam has a bulk density of between 100 kg/m.sup.3 and 700 kg/m.sup.3.

28. The clothing according to claim 16, wherein said base fabric includes or is formed of a woven fabric, a laid fabric or a permeable film structure.

29. The clothing according to claim 16, wherein the clothing has a permeability of between 10 CFM and 250 CFM.

30. The clothing according to claim 16, wherein the clothing has a permeability of between 25 CFM and 150 CFM.

31. A method for producing a clothing or a press belt for a machine for producing or processing a fibrous material web, the method comprising the following steps: a) providing a paper-contacting side and a backing side; b) providing a base fabric; c) providing at least one further structure formed of or including a layer of polymer foam providing the paper-contacting side; d) joining the at least one further structure and the base fabric; and e) compacting the layer of polymer foam under an influence of at least one of pressure or temperature.

32. The method according to claim 31, which further comprises additionally: providing the base fabric with a side facing away from the paper-contacting side; providing an additional functional structure; and placing the additional functional structure at least one of: between the base fabric and the layer of polymer foam, or on the side of the base fabric facing away from the paper-contacting side.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the additional functional structure includes or is formed of nonwoven fibers.

34. The method according to claim 31, which further comprises carrying out the step of compacting the layer of polymer foam at least one of before or after the step of joining the layer of polymer foam to the base fabric.

35. The method according to claim 31, which further comprises providing the layer of polymer foam with a thickness of less than 30% of an initial thickness following the compacting step.

36. The method according to claim 31, which further comprises providing the layer of polymer foam with a thickness of less than 25% of an initial thickness following the compacting step.

37. The method according to claim 31, which further comprises providing the layer of polymer foam with a thickness of less than 20% of an initial thickness following the compacting step.

38. A machine for producing a fibrous material web, the machine comprising: a press section having a clothing according to claim 16 being used as a press belt.

39. A clothing or a press belt for a machine for producing or processing a fibrous material web, the clothing comprising: a paper side; a backing side; a base fabric; and at least one further structure formed of or including a layer of polymer foam, said layer of polymer foam providing said paper side of the clothing; said layer of polymer foam having an anisotropic pore structure; said layer of polymer foam being configured to be compressed in a thickness direction by more than 30% under a compressive loading of the clothing of 3 MPa as compared with an initial thickness under a compressive loading of 0.1 MPa; and the clothing having a permeability of between 10 CFM and 250 CFM.

40. The clothing according to claim 39, wherein the clothing has a permeability of between 25 CFM and 150 CFM.

41. The clothing according to claim 39, wherein said layer of polymer foam is configured to be compressed in a thickness direction by more than 40% under a compressive loading of the clothing of 3 MPa as compared with an initial thickness under a compressive loading of 0.1 MPa.

42. The clothing according to claim 39, wherein said layer of polymer foam is configured to be compressed in a thickness direction by more than 50% under a compressive loading of the clothing of 3 MPa as compared with an initial thickness under a compressive loading of 0.1 MPa.

Description

[0052] The invention will be described further below by using schematic figures.

[0053] FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c and 2 show two embodiments of a clothing according to the invention.

[0054] In FIG. 1, the structure of a clothing 1, such as can be used as a press belt 1 but also as a forming belt 1, is shown roughly schematically. In the embodiment shown here, the clothing 1 comprises a woven fabric 3, which provides the base fabric 3. A layer of polymer foam 2 is fixed to this base fabric 3. This can, for example, consist of a soft polyurethane foam. This layer of polymer foam 2 also provides the side 5 of the clothing that contacts the paper. The pores 4 of the layer of polymer foam 2 are anisotropic in the clothing shown in FIG. 1. They can be implemented, for example, by a standard polymer foam, which usually has isotropic pores, having been compacted by a compaction step by means of pressure and/or temperature. As a result, in addition to the thickness of the foam layer 2, the shape of the pores 4 also changes. They are deformed in the thickness direction.

[0055] By using an example, a possible production method for a clothing as shown in FIG. 1 is to be explained. In the example, first of all a woven base fabric 3 is provided. This can be woven from polyester filaments. In addition, a foam in the form of a reticulated soft polyurethane foam is provided. In the example, this has a thickness of 4 mm and a pore density of 45 PPI. A usual method for joining the layers of polymer foam 2 to the base fabric 3 is represented by laser transmission welding. In the example, an NIR line laser with a wavelength of 940 nm is used. The latter is pressed on with a joining pressure of about 20 N/cm. It is particularly advantageous for the laser transmission welding if the polymer foam 2 absorbs the laser light wholly or partly (the absorption is normally around >70%), while the base fabric 3 is wholly or largely transparent to the laser light. This was implemented in the example by coloring the polymer foam, an anthracite-colored foam being used. As a result of the choice of a base woven fabric made of polyester, the laser light could firstly penetrate the base fabric 3 and after that was absorbed by the polymer foam. Thus, the heat necessary for the welding was generated at the joining point between base fabric 3 and foam layer 2. This is a conventional principle in laser transmission welding.

[0056] The laminate joined in this way was then compacted under pressure at a temperature of about 190.

[0057] FIGS. 1b and 1c show a clothing according to the invention which, in addition to the components described in FIG. 1a, also have one or more additional functional structures 6, 6a, 6b. These are implemented here as fiber batts but other functional structures, such as films, membranes, foam layers or the like, are also conceivable. The clothing in FIG. 1b has a fiber batt 6, which is arranged between the base fabric 3 and the foam layer 2.

[0058] The clothing illustrated in FIG. 1c has three fiber batts 6, 6a, 6b, wherein the individual fiber batts in this example can comprise fibers of different fineness.

[0059] For the purposes of further illustration, a possible production of a press belt, as illustrated in FIG. 1c, will be explained in more detail by using the following example 1. The production method described is advantageous but the invention is not restricted to this exemplary method.

[0060] In example 1, firstly a press felt having a woven fabric 3 and three layers of fiber nonwoven 6, 6a, 6b was produced from a polyamide material. The fiber batts were joined to the woven fabric 3 by needling. This felt had a weight per unit area of 1100 g/m.sup.2 and a permeability of about 62.8 CFM. Also used was an open-pore soft polyurethane (PU) foam. This soft foam, at a weight per unit area of 120 g/m.sup.2, had a thickness of 4 mm and a pore density of 30 PPI. The soft PU foam in example 1 was anthracite-colored and absorbent to the radiation of an NIR laser in the region of 940 nm. The joining of the foam layer was carried out by means of NIR laser transmission welding; for this purpose the laser was aimed at the backing side of the belt. The polyamide material of the original felt was virtually transparent to the laser light but was absorbed by the foam layer at the interface to the fiber batt, with the development of heat. The material of at least one of the two layers that were in contact was melted as a result, as a result of which welding of the layers occurred. The welding operation was supported by the fact that a certain joining pressure was also exerted on the sandwich of felt and foam layer. This joining pressure was implemented by the roll optics of the laser, with a line width of 31 mm, pressing with 25N on the felt-foam sandwich, which was supported on a solid surface. The power of the laser in example 1 was 350 W.

[0061] After the complete press belt had been welded, the foam layer was compacted further. This compaction was carried out with a line load of 6 kN/m and a temperature of 195 C. These values can be chosen differently, depending on application. A usual temperature range for the compaction lies between 150 C. and 210 C. In addition, the line load can be chosen to be higher or lower.

[0062] The press belt obtained in this way from example 1 had a weight per unit area of 1229 g/m.sup.2 and a permeability of 63.7 CFM. The pores of the soft foam layer had an anisotropic structure as a result of the compaction. Under a loading of 3 MPa, the foam layer was compressed by more than 30%.

[0063] In trials made by the applicant, a surprisingly higher dryness could also be achieved in a paper with the press belt described in example 1 than with comparable felts without a foam layer 2 contacting the paper.

[0064] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a clothing according to the invention, in which the base fabric 3a was provided by a permeable film structure 3a. The film structure 3a here can be a single perforated film. Alternatively, such a film structure can itself be built up from a laminate of different films. The joining of foam layer 2 and base fabric 3a can be carried out, for example, by welding or by adhesive bonding.