03 MARKET TRENDS Shift toward regions and technology ... - Rieter

The customer magazine of Rieter Nonwovens SystemsNo. 3 . April 2007stream 1/200703 MARKET TRENDS Shift toward regions and technology 06 PRODUCT NEWS JETlace® Essentiel,a new era in lightweight fabrics 08 TECHNOLOGY Using the C 60 card in the sanitary product sector10 PROCESS Meltblown

Rieter . STREAM 3 . 1/2007SERVICESNEW CAPABILITIES IN THENONWOVENS TECHNICAL CENTERRieter Perfojet inaugurated its new spunlace technicalcenter in mid-2006. The new facility includes a stateof-the-artThibeau® Excelle® card from NSC nonwoven.A nonwovens technical center for the benefitof Rieter customers. The Rieter technical centerfor nonwovens was created two decades ago to serveRieter‘s customers. It offers the nonwovens marketan opportunity to dynamically interface fabric requirementswith technologies developed by Rieter.The Thibeau® Excelle®card installed in theRieter Technical Center.Complete drylaid and spunlaid lines in onelocation. The technical center fully covers spunlaidand drylaid technologies, from either chips ofthermoplastic polymer or fibers of any kind to thenonwovens.Two complete nonwovens lines, each dedicated tothe drylaid route and to the spunlaid route, are displayedat the same location in Montbonnot, France.These pilot lines include the following technologies:spunbond, spunjet, meltblown, spunlace, airlaid andtheir combination.Co-operation with NSC nonwoven. In September2005, NSC nonwoven and Rieter Perfojet announcedthe start of their co-operation to join forces in combiningtheir competencies and technologies to offerturnkey solutions to nonwovens producers. Oneoutcome of this co-operation is the installation of aThibeau® Excelle® card in the Rieter Perfojet nonwovenstechnical center to replace the previous oldcard.This new line offers the same performance as industriallines, and much more.

Rieter . STREAM 3 . 1/2007The JETlace® 3000 hydro-entanglement systembased on Rieter’s twenty years of experience produceshigh-quality spunlaced fabrics. JETlace®3000 technologies are protected by more than 10patents. The pilot line can reproduce any industrialproduction processes, with staple fibers, continuousfilaments, wood pulp fibers and all possible combinations.Patterning tools are also available for producingcustomized spunlaced fabrics while operating atoptimal speeds. The process water is 100% recycledby a state-of-the-art filtration system.The PERFOdry 3000 compact air-through dryer, designedby Rieter in collaboration with Metso, providesefficient moisture removal up to 3 000 kg/h at highthroughput speeds and low energy consumption.The state-of-the-artspunlace pilot line byRieter.* These values areintended for illustrativepurpose only andcannot be consideredas part of a contractualguarantee. Actual operatingresults may varysignificantly dependingon the fibers and otherworking conditions.Decisive elements for high flexibility. Thethree major elements of the new complete spunlacepilot line are:• the Excelle® card by Thibeau®• the JETlace® 3000 hydro-entanglement system byRieter Perfojet• and the PERFOdry 3000 air-through dryer developedby Rieter in collaboration with Metso.The Thibeau® Excelle® card is designed for awide range of products with an output capacityof over 450 kg/h/m*, consistent web quality athigh production rates and high productivity withminimum downtime and ease of maintenance. TheExcelle® card available in Montbonnot is equippedwith VarioWeb® three-doffer delivery, a system foroptimum industrial production from 30 to 80 g/m 2nonwoven fabrics.A broad range of services to Rieter customers.The technical center is not only dedicated to Rieterresearch but also to customers‘ developments and isused for:••••••defining turnkey nonwovens projectsproduct development and innovationmarketing tests with the ability to produce largequantities of finished rollsproducing high-tech nonwovens for niche marketstraining sessions for engineers and operatorsproduct testing according to standard test methodsin a modern nonwovens laboratoryexpertise with a team of experienced engineers andprocess specialists.•For the first time in the nonwovens machinery industry,Rieter is offering its customers the widest accessto the most advanced technologies, spunbond,spunjet, meltblown, spunlace, airlaid, all together ina single location in Montbonnot, France.This unrivaled technical center is customer orientedand the Rieter Perfojet R&D team is available tosupport them in their choice for future investment.Frédéric NoëlleR&D Director

Rieter . STREAM 3 . 1/2007PRODUCT NEWSJETLACE ® ESSENTIEL, A NEW ERAIN LIGHTWEIGHT FABRICSWhen 20 years of spunlace experience are concentratedon a machine with all Rieter‘s know-how,customers‘ requirements and production needs canbe satisfied directly.Start-up production effectivenessProductionStart-upErectionDeliveringManufacturingRunability: an essential focus. The JETlace®Essentiel machine has been developed based onRieter‘s experience with spunlace machinery in thenonwovens field, but also on paper mills, and associatedwith spunbond technology since 1995.Of course, Rieter remains the leader for machinescustomized to fulfill all customers‘ requirements, butRieter decided to optimize a machine for the majorityof the nonwovens producers.Making a nice product with the full range of mechanicalcharacteristics was not the only objective ofsuch a machine. Everything was studied to producein the best conditions 24 hours a day with easy access,user friendly operation and minimum stocks ofspare parts using only few maintenance tools.The manufacturing quality of all the equipmentcontributes to the efficiency of production.Essential for products. The JETlace® Essentielconfiguration enables most of the lightweight fabrics(30–80 gsm) for hygiene, medical and wiping applicationsmade from polyester as well as viscose to beproduced.Patterning and aperturing can be obtained by customizedcylinder sleeves developed and defined inpartnership with customers.With two cards, this machine will be able to produceany blended products using polyester, viscoseand cotton.Essentiel – not a word, a concept. JETlace®Essentiel has been designed on the basis of the latestimprovements resulting from the JETlace® 3000.The machine configuration is fixed.Water pressures, vacuum level, production speedand all nominal parameters are also fixed in order toachieve an efficiency of 1 kW/kg.Four different widths – 3 750; 4 000; 4 250;4 500 mm – can be selected as well as the machinedirection, which can be changed during installationon site.JETlace® Essentiel equipment is defined, optimizedand located in order to reduce maintenance andoperating effort. Only four weeks for installation andfour weeks for start-up are required.Production efficiency of up to 92% can be expectedand such a line will be able to produce 2 tons a day.The essential for customers – service. By usingthis concept, all parts of the machine are completelyfixed in terms of design. Compared to a projectapproach, JETlace® Essentiel therefore has to beconsidered as a solution ready for quick delivery,installation and start-up and easy to operate.This new generation of JETlace® will give nonwovensproducers the opportunity to produce spunlacelightweight fabrics dedicated to their own market.JETlace® Essentiel is the fruit of Rieter‘s experiencein the spunlace field.EngineeringContractTimePascal BenassiOperating ManagerJETlace® EssentielJETlace® 3000

Rieter . STREAM 3 . 1/2007TECHNOLOGYA NEW GENERATION OF AIR-THROUGH DRYERIn order to complete its product range and to offernonwovens producers a new solution in drying systems,Rieter has launched the PERFOdry 3000 airthroughdryer.Doors open to rollout the drum for easymaintenance.Innovative solution for drying systems.PERFOdry 3000 is a compact dryer with an integratedair system providing optimum, cost-effective dryingsolutions. This system offers the additional benefitsof economical construction and easy installation.PERFOdry 3000 processes nonwoven fabrics witha uniform texture while maintaining the loft and softnessof the web.Features of the PERFOdry 3000 include:• high-energy efficiency• high-strength roll construction• easy-maintenance „roll-out“ design• compact airflow system• dual temperature zonesHigh efficiency is achieved by combining high airre-circulation with the balanced closed thermodynamicloop.High-strength roll construction allows the maximumflow of process air with minimal pressure loss, againresulting in low energy consumption. The „roll-out“design allows easy access to the roll surface and thehood, drastically reducing maintenance time.Rieter Perfojet defines the right diameter of the rollfollowing the specifications of the customer: widthof the roll, production speed and moisture removalrequirements.The PERFOdry 3000 is offered in a range of workingwidths between 1 meter and 5 meters. The PERFOdry3000 is designed and adapted for all productionrequirements.One dryer – two temperatures – The “U”-flow airsystem results in a very compact design. It helps tosimplify installation and to reduce costs comparedto most traditional design systems. This makes thesystem ideal for plant rebuilds, and minimizes constructioncosts for greenfield projects.The „U“-flow air system also allows for dual temperaturechambers, as the PERFOdry 3000 is designedwith two drying zones. Each side of the dryer has aseparate burner with an independent temperaturecontrol. The flexibility of this arrangement allows theweb to be exposed to different temperature zones ifnecessary for the raw materials used or the processapplication.Another innovation is the location of the bearingboxes outside of the temperature area, thus dramaticallyreducing maintenance.With its air-through dryer, Rieter offers an innovativesolution for the nonwovens market. This dryer isadapted for the production of:• spunlace lightweight fabrics• spunlace cotton products• spunbond• SPUNjet®Jean-Michel DubusProcess Engineer

Rieter . STREAM 3 . 1/2007TECHNOLOGYUSING THE C 60 CARD IN THESANITARY PRODUCT SECTORWorldwide demand for sanitary products is growingby 8% to 10% annually. Demand for standard sanitaryproducts is increasing in the emerging economieswith the improvement in standards of living. InWestern Europe and North America the aging ofthe population is leading to additional demand forcertain sanitary products.Various trials conducted at Rieter and in customers‘mills show that the C 60 card is especially suitablefor manufacturing cosmetic, sanitary and medicalproducts. With its working width of 1 500 mm anda web weight of up to 20 g/m and more, the C 60achieves high productivity. The usual number ofcards in the production line to date can therefore bereduced substantially. In most cases the C 60 is integrateddirectly in the customer‘s production processwithout cross apron delivery and disc rollers.The graph below shows a typical layout with aRieter blowroom line (opening, blending or cleaningline). This is adapted individually to the customer‘srequirements.Especially when bleached cotton is used, the extentto which the material is opened plays a major roleand determines the configuration of the blowroom.Rieter appreciates to advise you the solution for thenecessary engineering.Rieter blowroom line15 mA 111 700A 21A 21B 33SC 60C 60padsapparatusopenerfilterunitBruno WidmerProcess EngineeringRieter Textile SystemsOpeningCarding

Rieter . STREAM 3 . 1/2007TECHNOLOGYVANTAGEWINDER BYNSC NONWOVENA cocktail of innovations for seamless operation.NSC nonwoven is addressing producers of lightweightnonwovens who are constantly seeking productenhancement and increased winding speeds.NSC nonwoven invites them to explore its entirenew VantageWinder machine range, the result of anintensive R&D and fine-tuning mission.The ingredients for success. All the ingredientsare combined to ensure NSC nonwoven masters eachcomponent of the production line and adds real valuefor customers in terms of innovation.The NSC nonwoven team contributes both totalcommitment and know-how.The synergy of the various skills amplifies the bubblingup of ideas and adds piquancy to the project.This policy – tried and tested for the Thibeau®Excelle® card – highlights all the innovations vitalfor the interdependent relationship of the card andwinder combination.Innovation in the service of quality. The tensionof the product, the nip and the winding torqueare the three vital parameters in winding.To control each of these three parameters duringthe winding phases, the parent reel is subjected tocontinuous twofold monitoring:• by the mother roll primary carriage at the reelcenter• by the support winding drum (Pope winder) on thereel surface.The speed and pressure adjustments at the reelcenter and surface guarantee total control of thethree vital winding parameters.However, when the reel is changed, two carriagesare working at the same time. The primary carriagedrives the completed reel to the storage zone andthe secondary one takes its place in contact with thePope winder. With two carriages and a single Popewinder, the three vital parameters would no longerbe controlled during the reel-changing phase.Therein resides one of the VantageWinder’s innovations.Tension, nip and winding torque are monitoredand adjusted during the reel-changing phase.The textile and technical characteristics of the reelremain constant from start to finish.For a thermobonded spunbond line 4.2 m wide,manufacturing at 600 m/min., each reel change correspondsto 5 000 m 2 of product, that is one minuteto change a reel up to 3 500 mm in diameter.VantageWinder users rely on the constant characteristicsof their products, including the 5 000 m² atthe start and end of the parent reel.Unique technological know-how. Programmablecontrol and automated winding of the productextend the list of NSC nonwoven innovations in thisdomain. All these simplifications, transparent to theline operator, enhance the range of winders offeredby NSC nonwoven.Whether spunbond or cut fibers, NSC nonwovenoffers a complete range of innovative machines tocomplement those of Rieter Perfojet.Laurent GlacetSenior Area Sales ManagerNSC nonwoven

10 Rieter . STREAM 3 . 1/2007PROCESSMELTBLOWN, SMS AND MORE…On the road to a success story, Rieter makes meltblownsecure, in order to make SMS top.Rieter attuned to its customers. Meltblown isfirst of all an opportunity; a specialized market onthe rise like spunlace was for Rieter Perfojet someyears ago. Before having the chance to embracelarger applications, such as spunlace wipes, Rieterfocused on specialties.Rieter aims to listen to its customers, welcometheir ideas, analyze their needs and develop solutionswith them.With its specialists, highly qualified engineers withlengthy experience in development, Rieter definesthe industrial concept to produce the fabric they arelooking for.Rieter‘s pilot units enable it to demonstrate its solutions,to provide samples for pre-marketing seriesand to clarify the key parameters to guarantee thesuccess of the industrial projects.In total confidentiality with its customers, a keyrequirement for success, Rieter establishes thestate-of-the-art meltblown, improving today’s fabricproperties, developing new nonwovens, finding newapplications, customizing its lines and engineeringthem to integrate eventual downstream processes.Rieter is working to get closer and closer to the endapplications to assess more accurately the actualneeds for meltblown and further develop this promisingtechnology.Microscope detail ofmeltblown filament.When Rieter decided to play a major role in nonwovens,it had to choose among the fastest growingprocesses. As the largest markets – such as hygieneand medical – were our first targets, SMS technologywas the choice. The first and foremost step wasto deliver stand-alone spunbond and meltblownlines. It revealed how widespread and versatile themeltblown process was, and how worthwhile it wasto explore the possibilities it offers.rieter Meltblown technology. Rieter Automatikhas gained know-how in chemical fiber machineryfor more than forty years within Rieter AutomatikGermany, and Rieter has recently been joined andreinforced by nonwovens specialists with meltblownexperience.Before moving onto the mass market with SMS technology,Rieter wanted to acquire significant experiencein both spunbond and meltblown separately.Within six years, Rieter Perfojet has strengthenedits position to become a serious market player inspunbond. For more than three years now, RieterAutomatik has dedicated a complete team, based inGrossostheim, Germany, to its meltblown activities.The result is an innovative system, a very reliableindustrial solution ensuring maximum profitabilityfor its customers.

Rieter . STREAM 3 . 1/200711Cross section of amultilayer spunbondmeltblown-spunbond(SMS).Already three industrial Rieter meltblown lineshave received the approval of their customers. AndRieter is proud to announce the receipt of a “repeat”order from the same customer. Rieter has also gainedexperience with PET, PBT, Co-PBT, hotmelt, etc…Rieter Meltblown features major advantages thatwill take Rieter into the first rank of meltblown machinerymanufacturers.Toward SMS. At the beginning of 2007, Rieter istaking another important step toward implementingits mass market strategy.Rieter Perfojet will house a meltblown tower fromRieter Automatik in line with the existing spunbondtower. Bringing meltblown and spunbond togetherwill result in even more outstanding fabrics.Here again Rieter is listening to its customers‘demands and is getting very close to the end usersto define the essential properties required by SMSfabrics.Rieter’s new pilot unit will provide the opportunityto make this new generation of nonwovens known tothe market. Rieter will ensure that its fabrics obtainthe approval of the principal buyers of nonwovenrolls. What a commitment to bull the target from thebeginning!To conclude, meltblown is now part and parcel ofRieter processes. Thanks to its industrial achievements,Rieter has not only proved to be a seriousmanufacturer of meltblown lines but also aims tobecome the major one.And Rieter is constantly responding to new demandand requests from the market and from itscustomers.A new step ahead is the target to tackle the SMSmarket quickly and develop all possible combinationswith its very wide range of other processes.Co-operation with customers is key. Rieter has muchin store for you with meltblown, SMS and more...Bruno RocheBusiness Manager Meltblown

www.rieter.comNEWSNew meltblown machine in Rieter technical centerRieter to attend IDEAAt the beginning of 2007, Rieter had thepleasure of adding a meltblown pilot machinein the unrivaled technical centerlocated at the Montbonnot facility.The meltblown machine, one meterwidth, complements the spunbond pilotline in order to perform trials for SM andSMS spunlaid fabrics.This extension of the line will enable customersto be welcomed for SMS configura-tion on-line or simply to test the Rietermeltblown system alone.Rieter Perfojet’s technical center is theonly facility worldwide to enable customersto perform trials with so many differenttechnologies: spunlace, spunbond,SPUNjet®, airlaid, meltblown….Don‘t hesitate to contact Rieter Perfojetfor more information or to fix a trial date.Rieter is pleased to announce that it willattend the next IDEA exhibition, which willtake place at Miami Beach from April 24until April 26, 2007.Rieter Perfojet‘s sales and R&D teamswill be honored to welcome you on boothNo. 710. Visitors will have the opportunityto discuss all Rieter nonwovens technologies:spunlace, spunbond, meltblown andSPUNjet®. They can also discover Rieter‘slatest developments and achievements inthe nonwovens field.Looking forward to meeting you in theUSA!Come and see Rieter advanced systems on booth Nr. 710Coming next. Please take note of thefollowing dates to meet Rieter during theexhibitions, including:• IDEA: Miami Beach, April 24-26• Techtextil Rossia: Moscow, May 29-31• Techtextil: Frankfurt, June 12-14• ITMA: Munich, September 13-20• Techtextil India: Mumbai, October 10-12• SINCE: Shanghai, October 22-24.Looking forward to welcoming you on theRieter booth.