Method for Manufacturing an Industrial Clothing

Abstract

An industrial clothing, in particular a clothing for a machine for manufacturing a fibrous web, such as a paper, cardboard, or tissue web, or a non-woven product, is manufactured by: i) forming a planar structure from yarn in the form of a woven fabric, a cross-laid structure, a knitted fabric, a warp-knitted fabric; or from interconnected helical elements; ii) applying polymer material in the form of at least one group of beads to at least one surface of the planar structure, the application of the polymer commencing at starting points and terminating at terminal points remote from the starting points; iii) repeating step ii), wherein terminating points of the group of beads are spaced apart from starting points of at least one further group of beads, which generates regions with a void between the groups on the surface of the planar structure.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an industrial clothing, the method comprising the following method steps: i) manufacturing a planar structure from yarn in the form of a woven fabric, a cross-laid structure, a knitted fabric, a warp-knitted fabric, or from interconnected helical elements; ii) applying at least one polymer material in the form of at least one group of beads to at least one surface of the planar structure, thereby commencing at starting points and terminating at terminal points that are remote from the starting points; iii) repeating step ii) and generating on the surface of the planar structure regions with a void between the groups of beads by spacing apart terminating points of the at least one group of beads from the starting points of at least one further group of beads.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a length of individual beads is at least twice a maximum width thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1, which comprises applying the polymer with at least one application nozzle.

4. The method according to claim 3, which comprises applying the polymer with a multiplicity of application nozzles.

5. The method according to claim 4, which comprises actuating the application nozzles individually or in sets, and applying the polymer of the individual application nozzles or of the sets of application nozzles with individual activation or deactivation, wherein the sets comprise between 2 and 50 application nozzles.

6. The method according to claim 1, which comprises manufacturing a clothing for a machine for manufacturing a fibrous web selected from the group consisting of paper, cardboard, tissue web, and a non-woven product.

7. The method according to claim 1, which comprises applying beads of the groups of beads along tracks in a machine running direction with individual tracks thereof running uniformly and with adjacent individual tracks having a constant spacing between one another in a cross direction to the machine running direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0040] FIGS. 1 to 3 show exemplary embodiments in which beads are deposited according to the invention along tracks, and the pattern is formed by repeating a digital image motif.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] Highly schematic exemplary embodiments of patterns 6 which are applied to an industrial clothing which is not illustrated in detail are illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3. Only a small detail of the pattern 6, which is further repeated both in the machine running direction 7 as well as in a perpendicular manner thereto in the machine cross direction, is in each case shown in the three figures.

[0042] The patterns 6 are created according to the invention by regularly repeating a digital image motif 5. The image motif 5 in the three figures is in each case composed of beads 1 and regions with a void 3.

[0043] The beads 1 in FIGS. 1 to 3 are in each case deposited along tracks 10. In FIGS. 1 and 3 the tracks run in a straight manner along the machine running direction 7, in FIG. 2 the tracks 10 run in a zigzag manner also substantially along the machine running direction 7. However, the tracks 10 may also run in an undulated manner or in other shapes. In the case of further embodiments according to the invention the tracks 10 run at a slight angle to the machine running direction 7. In this way it may be achieved that the tracks 10 encircle the industrial clothing in a multiple helical manner. Beads 1 which are longer than the circumference of the industrial clothing may then also be deposited on such tracks 10.

[0044] The tracks 10 in FIGS. 1 to 3 all have an identical spacing 4 from the respective adjacent track. The spacing 4 here also remains constant across the entire length of the track 10 even in the case of the zigzag tracks 10 in FIG. 2, disregarding minor variations caused by the production technology. However, there is also the potential for the tracks 10 to have variable mutual spacing's 4.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 1, the beads in one digital image motif 5 may all have the same length. FIGS. 2 and 3 however also show embodiments according to the invention, in which the beads 1 have variable lengths. Regions with a void 3 in the digital image motifs 5 are created by interruptions 2 of the beads 1.

[0046] The digital image motif 5 in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a width in the machine cross direction of eight tracks. FIG. 3 shows a digital image motif 5 having a width of five tracks 10, wherein one track 10 has no beads 1 deposited thereon.

[0047] The industrial clothing here may be a forming wire, a base fabric of a press felt, a drying wire, a transfer belt, or any further arbitrary clothing. The mentioned clothings may be disposed in various positions in machines for manufacturing a paper, cardboard, or tissue web, or else in machines for manufacturing non-wovens. As has already been mentioned above, various requirements in terms of water permeability, tensile strength, resilience, open volume, etc., are set for the clothing, depending on the position thereof.

[0048] The clothings may be configured in a sufficiently known manner in the form of woven or non-woven structures. The planar textile structures which form the clothings are usually manufactured by interweaving warp and weft threads. Clothings which are entirely or partially composed of non-woven components, such as cross-laid structures, knitted fabrics or warp-knitted fabrics, are also known and suitable for application of the measures according to the invention. The planar textile structures may likewise be manufactured by coiling a tape-like material or skeins of threads. Finally, forming clothings by interconnecting helical structures by means of pintles is also known, the latter being usual in particular in the field of drying wires. The clothings may be combined in a known way with further components, such as staple-fiber layers or polymer proportions in the form of films or particles, so as to further model the profile of the properties.

[0049] The pattern 6 or else a virtual pattern, which is applied repeatedly or without a specific repeat to at least one surface of the planar textile structure, here is composed of beads 1 from a polymer material, such as silicone, polyurethane, epoxy resin, or esters, for example.

[0050] Each of the beads 1 here has a specific length L between a starting point and a terminating point of the respective bead 1. The interruptions 2 lie in each case between terminating points of one or a plurality of beads 1 and starting points of further beads 1. The regions with a void 3 may assume any arbitrary shape, depending on how the mutual spacing of the individual beads 1 is conceived. Patterns 6, virtual patterns, or arbitrary arrangements of regions with a void 3 may be generated.

[0051] In a further step of the manufacturing method these regions with a void 3 may then be provided with a further polymer pattern which may be a personalized motif or a logo, for example.

[0052] The pattern 6 here may be selected for aesthetic and/or practical considerations, the latter influencing the physical properties of the fibrous web, for example.

[0053] The topography of the beads 1 may vary depending on the respective field of application of the clothing as well as on the thickness and the grammage of the product. The beads 1 may lie in the plane of the clothing surface or protrude above the latter by a certain height in the direction z of up to 5 mm. The width of the beads 1 here depends on the height in the direction z. The ratio of height to width will typically be in a range of approx. 0.5:1.0 to 2:1. A ratio close to 1:1 is currently preferable, so as to ensure an optimal shape of the beads 1. The spacings between the individual beads 1 are preferably at least of the same size as the width of said beads 1.

[0054] The polymer adheres to the surface of the clothing by way of a combination of form-fit and material integrity. Form-fitting here is obtained by way of the threads of the planar textile structure by encasing said threads with a polymer. The material combination of clothing and polymer may optionally also form a chemical bond and, on account thereof, enable material integration. Pre-treatment of the clothing for the purpose of improving adhesion of the polymer to the clothing, for example by way of plasma activation, is likewise possible.