Method and apparatus for making a nonwoven textile

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a nonwoven fabric comprising at least one nonwoven web composed of fibres. The fibres are produced by means of at least one fibre-producing device. Subsequently, the fibres are deposited on at least one depositing device in order to form the nonwoven web. The nonwoven web or nonwoven fabric is solidified with at least one calender roller, and the nonwoven fabric is also solidified or primarily solidified with at least one hot fluid primary solidification device.

1 . A method of making a nonwoven fabric comprising a nonwoven web of filaments, wherein
 filaments are made with at least one filament-making device,   the filaments are subsequently deposited on a receiving device to form the nonwoven web,   the nonwoven web or the nonwoven fabric is consolidated with a calender roller, and   the nonwoven fabric is additionally consolidated or main consolidated with a t least one hot-fluid main consolidater.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven fabric is detached from the receiving device prior to the consolidation with the calender roller and/or prior to the main consolidation with the hot-fluid main consolidater. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the consolidation of the nonwoven fabric with the calender roller is carried out before or after consolidation or main consolidation of the nonwoven fabric with the hot-fluid main consolidater. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven fabric after being deposited on the receiving device and before consolidation or main consolidation is initially preconsolidated with a preconsolidater. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the hot-fluid main consolidater is a hot-air oven, an omega oven, a multidrum oven, a single belt oven, or a double belt oven. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the residence time of the nonwoven fabric in the hot-fluid main consolidater is 0.4 s to 25 s or the fluid velocity of the fluid of the hot-fluid main consolidater is 0.4 to 3 m/s. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a surface temperature of the calender roller is higher than the fluid temperature T 2  of the hot-fluid main consolidater, is lower than the fluid temperature of the hot-fluid main consolidater, or is identical or substantially identical to the fluid temperature of the hot-fluid main consolidater. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the filaments of the nonwoven web are made or spun as continuous multicomponent filaments. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the multicomponent filaments comprise a first component that consists or substantially consists of a polyolefin or the multicomponent filaments comprise a second or further component that consists or substantially consists of a thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the continuous filaments are made or spun as multicomponent or bicomponent filaments with side-by-side configuration or with core-sheath configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein a surface temperature T 1  of the calender roller or the fluid temperature T 2  of the hot-fluid main consolidater in relation to a melting temperature Tm of the first component of the multicomponent filaments or bicomponent filaments satisfies the following condition: (Tm−15° C.)<T 1  and/or T 2 <(Tm+15° C.). 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein an embossing pattern comprising a plurality of embossments is introduced into the nonwoven fabric by the calender roller, the embossments each having an embossing area of 0.05 to 0.6 mm 2 . 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the embossing pattern is made such that a smallest spacing d between two adjacent embossments of each of the embossing pattern is 0.6 to 3.0 mm. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the embossing pattern is made such that a proportion of the total embossing area of the embossing pattern to a total surface area of the nonwoven fabric is 2 to 15%. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a nonwoven fabric with at least two nonwoven webs is made from
 first filaments made by a first filament-making device, and are then deposited on a receiving device, to form the nonwoven web,   second filaments are made by a second filament-making device and are then deposited on the first nonwoven web to form a laminate with the second nonwoven web,   the laminate composed of the at least two nonwoven webs is consolidated with a calender roller, and   the laminate is additionally consolidated or main consolidated with a hot-fluid main consolidater.   
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for making a nonwoven fabric comprising a nonwoven web of filaments, the apparatus comprising:
 a filament-making device,   a receiving device for deposition of the filaments to form the nonwoven web,   a calender roller for consolidating the nonwoven web, and   a hot-fluid main consolidater for main consolidation of the nonwoven web.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the calender roller is provided in the travel direction of the nonwoven fabric upstream or downstream of the hot-fluid main consolidater. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the calender roller has a complementary embossing pattern of embossing elements for introducing an embossing pattern of a plurality of embossments into the nonwoven fabric, the embossing elements each having a pressing area of 0.05 to 0.6 mm 2 . 
     
     
         19 . A nonwoven fabric made by a process according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . The nonwoven fabric according to  claim 19 , wherein the nonwoven fabric has an embossing pattern of a plurality of embossments that each have an embossing area of 0.05 to 0.6 mm 2  or the embossing areas of the embossments in plan view have a geometry selected from the group: “punctuate or circular, elliptical, square, rectangular, diamond-shaped, polygonal, linear, wavy.” 
     
     
         21 . The nonwoven fabric according to  claim 20 , wherein the nonwoven fabric has a mass per unit area of less than 200 g/m 2  or the nonwoven fabric has a thickness h of 0.1 to 1.0 mm. 
     
     
         22 . The nonwoven fabric according to  claim 20 , wherein the nonwoven fabric has an abrasion resistance of at least Class 2 according to Martindale or wherein the nonwoven fabric has a maximum flexural stiffness with a cantilever of at most 100 mm. 
     
     
         23 . The nonwoven fabric according to  claim 20 , wherein the nonwoven fabric is a nonwoven laminate composed of at least two nonwoven webs or nonwoven fabric layers.