A look at the heart of a lifesaver - Fasten seatbelts please! - the experts' magazine - Oerlikon
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the experts' magazine No. 35 | may 2021 Fasten seatbelts please! page 8 A look at the heart of a lifesaver page 16
// editorial
Dear Customers,
dear Readers,
The coronavirus pandemic has been accompanying us all for more than a year now, severely
impacting our lives and social interaction.
So, it is all the more pleasing that we have been able to help you – our customers and
partners – with our technologies and solutions during this difficult time. Here, I would like to
specifically highlight our nonwovens clients, who are contributing hugely to supplying the
world with medical and FFP2 face masks and hence actively helping to save lives.
The human need for security and the lifesaving properties of textile fibers and fabrics are the
primary focus of this issue. In conjunction with airbags, seatbelts, for example, reduce the
number of traffic fatalities in the event of front-end collision by 61%. A textile success story!
We are thrilled to be informing you about the corresponding systems concept.
In addition to the process technology, it is the individual core components that are
important for the quality of all materials manufactured using Oerlikon equip-
ment and hence for the safety of the users as well. In particular, these also
include our gear metering pumps. They are the quality guarantee when
it comes to flow control equipment used in both manmade fiber spin-
ning systems and in the plastics industry. To further grow here as a
company and to offer our clients comprehensive flow control so-
lutions, we are planning to acquire the Italian hot runner system
manufacturer INglass in the middle of this year – subject to the
approval of the respective authorities.
In the age of digitalization, the topic of security has once
again assumed special significance also in conjunction
with data and information. Our digital solutions are
securing your processes – but what is the situation
with the data that have to be collated for this pur-
pose? Well, I can put your mind at ease: we are
very passionate about data security. We make no
compromises in this regard!
And we take the health of your and our employ-
ees equally seriously. The topic of occupational
safety is easily mastered in a regulated working
environment. But many things are improvised
on construction sites. It is therefore all the
more important to also, and particularly, im-
plement processes that ensure the safety of
those who work there. In this respect, the
coronavirus pandemic poses an additional
challenge. We will undertake everything in
our power to ensure we remain a reliable
and safe partner to you and your team
throughout this difficult time.
With this in mind: take care and be safe!
Georg Stausberg
CEO Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division
2 no. 35 | may 2021
table of contents //
in focus
Fasten seatbelts please!
8
14
Life-saving filament yarns
A look at the heart of a lifesaver
In the age of the pandemic, respiratory masks protect our health
There is more to them than you might think
Textile fibers and fabrics make a huge contribution towards
greater safety in numerous lifesaving applications
18
innovation and technology 20
22
Gentle touch for a tough product
High-tenacity industrial yarn concepts
Metering safety from the heart of the process
BCF polyester carpet yarn continues
to gain ground worldwide 24
26
VacuFil & VarioFil used to directly produce rPET fiber
Recycled polyester
on the markets
Fit for the future
Smart maintenance workshop technology
30
solution and services
There is no such thing as too much safety 32
34
Oerlikon's global Service Network combined with digital solutions
Safe and sound – data security in smart factories
35
How digitalization is making processes more reliable
in brief 4
imprint
7
no. 35 | may 2021 3
// in brief
New maintenance service from Neumünster
Why meltblown die bodies should be regularly cleaned
Meltblown systems produce non-
wovens with the finest filaments
in the micrometer range. Conse-
quently, the spin packs are also
fine. In order to achieve optimum
melt distribution across the entire
spinning width and hence homo-
geneous nonwovens, the surface
over which the melt is distributed
to the nozzles must be as level and
smooth as possible. Over time, melt
residue adheres to the interior of the
die bodies and this can compromise
the melt flow. In order to ensure
superlative machine performance
and nonwovens’ quality, Customer
Service in Neumünster offers regular
inspection and cleaning of the die
body, either by means of a service
contract or simply as a service-on-
demand.
“During service visits, we repeatedly
encounter die bodies that are heav-
ily contaminated or that have been Before – after; professional die body cleaning carried out by Oerlikon Neumag restores items virtually to
scratched as a result of customers’ their original state.
cleaning attempts. It is for this rea-
son that we offer die body cleaning
as a qualified manufacturer service. are restored virtually to their original are able to swiftly exchange them-
We have the experience, the know- state”, is how Kevin Loell, Specialist selves. The removed die body
how and the technical capacities to Technical Services, describes the can then be sent to Neumünster
carry out this work both profession- results. for cleaning, which can be carried
ally and swiftly”, explains Michael out without time constraints. This
Schwarz, Technical Sales Manager Reducing system downtimes investment generally pays dividends
for Modification Nonwoven, talk- Die body maintenance can either be over several years with customers
ing about the rationale behind this carried out at the customer site or with high quality demands and for
service product. Depending on the at the Oerlikon Neumag assembly whom on-site cleaning would –
general manufacturing conditions, facilities in Neumünster. Depending due to the distances involved – be
the die body should be cleaned on the general conditions, profes- too expensive or time-consuming”,
every one to three years. Using sional cleaning takes approx. one explains Tilmann Seidel, Head of
special tools, the die bodies are week. “We systematically ensure Customer Services Oerlikon
unscrewed and the melt residue that system downtimes are kept to Neumag, speaking about the
removed from the interiors. Among an absolute minimum and we are responsibility as a service provider.
other things, a dry ice blasting correspondingly constantly optimiz- » (che)
machine is used for removing heavy ing our processes and offerings.
contamination. Using dry ice en- To this end, we recommend – for
sures that the delicate surfaces are example – that customers acquire
not damaged during cleaning. “They an additional die body, which they
4 no. 35 | may 2021
in brief //
Oerlikon signs agreement to acquire INglass
End of April Oerlikon signed an agreement to acquire Oerlikon divisions
Italy-headquartered INglass S.p.A. and its innovative in specific end
hot runner systems technology operating under its markets such as
market-leading HRSflow business. automotive.
With INglass
The strategic acquisition is a significant step in expand- and its HRSflow
ing Oerlikon’s current manmade fibers business into operations, we
the larger polymer processing market. The acquisition acquire leading suppliers in their markets with proven
accelerates and enhances existing organic initiatives to success of their technologies and services,” said
diversify and strengthen the company’s core high-pre- Dr. Roland Fischer, CEO Oerlikon Group.
cision polymer flow control capabilities, products and
services. The completion of the transaction is subject to New business unit offers great growth potential
customary regulatory approvals and is expected by the The Oerlikon Barmag competence brand already offers
second quarter of 2021. high precision flow control related components, includ-
ing a large selection of gear metering pumps for textile
To reflect Oerlikon’s expansion into a larger high-growth and non-textile markets. These highly efficient pumps
market, the Manmade Fibers Division will be renamed are used in silicone casting, dynamic mixing and oil
as Polymer Processing Solutions Division. This division spraying for the chemical, paint, polymer processing
will have two business units: Flow Control Solutions and automotive industries. This double-digit million
and Manmade Fibers Solutions. The business unit Flow CHF business, which has grown in recent years, will be
Control Solutions will combine the expertise of Oerlikon merged with INglass’ HRSflow hot runner technologies
Barmag’s existing gear metering pumps business line under the new business unit Flow Control Solutions.
and INglass’ HRSflow operations. The business unit HRSflow’s excellent market access to many OEMs in
Manmade Fibers Solutions will continue to focus on and outside the automotive industry brings significant
growing the existing chemical fiber machinery and plant growth opportunities. » (aw)
engineering business, offering plant solutions for the
production of polyester, polypropylene and polyamide.
“Our new Polymer Processing Solutions Division and
the acquisition of INglass S.p.A. and its HRSflow
business are critical components of Oerlikon Group’s
growth strategy. We are accelerating our efforts to
drive sustainable organic and inorganic growth in
all of our businesses. The acquisition enables
new synergy opportunities between both
no. 35 | may 2021 5
// in brief
First Sustainability Report Webinars instead of
published trade fairs
Along with the 2020 Full Year Results, the Oerlikon As trade fairs are still being cancelled in times of the
Group published its first sustainability report. Sustain- pandemic, Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Solutions kicked
able innovation is an integral part of Oerlikon’s strategy off the new year with a series of webinars on the topic
and built into everything the company does. Oerlikon of home textiles. The four lectures on BCF S8 including
is now making a public commitment and publishing the tricolor variant, Heavy Denier applications and spin-
its first Sustainability Report. It is joining the ranks of ning and texturing solutions for heavy-denier POY and
corporations, people and organizations that proactively DTY were well attended.
engage in sustainability and inspire others to do the
same. Based on the materiality analysis, Oerlikon has
selected 8 out of the 17 United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) where the company can
make the most difference for its stakeholders. Environ-
mental, social and governance targets for 2030 have
been set by the Group in areas that align most closely
with its operations, policies and capabilities. » (bey)
As an alternative to Domotex, Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Solutions arranged
a webinar series on home textiles in March. Nis Lehmann-Matthaei spoke
about the BCF S8.
A second webinar series focusing on industrial textiles
and processes was scheduled in May. The Manmade
Fibers experts from the Swiss Oerlikon Group provided
Scan me their clients with information on manufacturing safety
yarns and on state-of-the-art recycling technologies. All
For further details, refer to lectures have been recorded and are available on our
www.sustainability.oerlikon.com website at www.oerlikon.com/manmade-fibers for those
who missed the events. » (bey)
Dear customers, dear readers,
To provide our customers with up- is particularly important to us! Thus possible for you, place your name
to-date information we are working we can only address you with news card in the frame below, tick the
with a global CRM (Customer Rela- on events, products or company information you would like to receive
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Take a photo
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invitations for customer surveys,
Place your name card here Oerlikon greeting cards for state and special occasions.
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I am in contact) with the support of Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co. KG,
to send me information about relevant products and services of other
entities of the group and provide my contact details to them so that
I can discuss directly with them.
6 no. 35 | may 2021
imprint //
Double-beam meltblown plant with imprint
ecuTEC+ put into operation at Wolf PVG ‘fibers and filaments’ is the exclusive Oerlikon
Manmade Fibers Solutions customer magazine. It is
Oerlikon Nonwoven has suc- published two times per year in English, Chinese and
Turkish by
cessfully commissioned a dou-
ble-beam meltblown plant with Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co. KG
ecuTEC+ electro charging unit at Leverkuser Straße 65, 42897 Remscheid, Germany
Wolf PVG GmbH & Co. KG begin- fibers.filaments@oerlikon.com
ning of this year. With this plant, www.oerlikon.com
the East Westphalian company
Total circulation
can now provide nonwovens for 3,800 copies
the production of surgical and
FFP2 masks. In addition to this Editorial staff
filter material, which is in great The meltblown technology from Oerlikon aw André Wissenberg
bey Susanne Beyer (responsible)
demand today, high-quality melt- Nonwoven is considered the most techni-
cally efficient process for the production che Claudia Henkel
blown nonwovens can also be kue Pia Kürten
of highly effective filter media from plastic
produced for medical and indus- fibers. msc Matthias Schmitz
trial filter applications. The plant nlm Nis Lehmann-Matthaei
has now been running for several “A decisive point for investing in rdo Roy Dolmans
months under stable production a plant from Oerlikon Nonwoven reh Richard E. Hallsworth
tho Thilo Horvatitsch
conditions with optimal nonwo- was the flexibility of the plant in re- wa Ute Watermann
ven fabric quality of the highest lation to the possible product port-
standards. folio and the competence of the Concept and layout
manufacturer,” explains Markus Make and Do, Hella Hölzer
With the meltblown plant from Seele, COO of Wolf PVG. and www.make-and-do.de
Oerlikon Nonwoven, Wolf PVG. Dr. Ingo Mählmann, Senior Vice
Print
a wholly-owned subsidiary of the President Sales & Marketing Köllen Druck + Verlag, Bonn
Melitta Group, is further expand- Oerlikon Nonwoven, adds: www.koellen.de
ing its production capacities. The "Thanks to the numerous setting
plant, with its two beams and the options for the electrostatic charge Photography
Ralf Buchholz, Rickey Steele, archive, Autoliv, Innovatec,
patented ecuTEC+ electro charg- provided by the ecuTEC+, the
iStockphoto.com/ EXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER,
ing unit, is optimally designed optimum loading status can iStockphoto.com/Vadim Shechkov, iStockphoto.com/
for the production of face mask be set depending on the filter af_istocker, iStockphoto.com/Irwan_Nartadi170,
material. The plant is also ideal for application." » (che) iStockphoto.com/matsabe, iStockphoto.com/alexey_ds,
iStockphoto.com/Turac Novruzova, iStockphoto.com/
the production of other filtration
Mihailgrey, iStockphoto.com/DMaryashin, iStockphoto.com/
nonwovens. benoitb, iStockphoto.com/leremy, iStockphoto.com/
mara_lingstad, iStockphoto.com/ greyj, iStockphoto.com/
bananajazz, iStockphoto.com/ST.art, iStockphoto.com/
appleuzr, iStockphoto.com/-VICTOR-, iStockphoto.com/
InnaKalyuzhina, iStockphoto.com/RecycleMan
Disclaimer
All indicated values and descriptions in this document are
for indicative purposes only and not to be understood as a
guarantee. Please note that actual values may differ from
any data published in this document.
Electronic Version (PDF)
no. 35 | may 2021 7
// in focus
Life-saving filament yarns
Fasten
seatbelt
please!
8 no. 35 | may 2021
in focus //
Safety belts play a decisive role in protecting vehicle
occupants and reduce the risk of injury and death
in the case of certain accidents by 45 percent.
Seatbelt webbing has to handle tensile forces
of more than three tons, while simultaneously
stretching in a controlled manner in an emergency
in order to reduce loads in the event of impact.
ts
Their manufacture from polyester yarn comprising
up to 100 individual high-tenacity filaments is highly-
complex – they are, after all, lifesavers.
B
ang! The car drives
straight into a wall. The
driver is not wearing
a seatbelt. His knees
impact hard against the dashboard
and his chest, chin and Adam’s ap-
ple smash into the steering wheel.
His forehead crashes through the
windscreen and the driver is hurled
back into his seat. If he were not
a crash test dummy, he would
have suffered severe injuries. This
is the result of a 30-kph crash test
conducted by the ADAC, Europe’s
largest automobile club. To give the
scene some context: even in the
case of a collision at 14 kph, the
impact forces correspond to eight
times the driver’s body weight,
according to the experts at Dekra,
the German vehicle inspection
organization.
no. 35 | may 2021 9
// in focus
In the event of accidents, the num- the number of deaths among front-
ber one lifesaver is not the vehicle’s seat car occupants by 45 percent
bodywork or the airbag, but the respectively. ADAC figures support
seatbelt. It firmly keeps vehicle this protective effectiveness: to this
occupants in position, therefore end, 98 percent of drivers and front-
enabling other protection technolo- seat passengers meanwhile buckle
gies to reveal their full functions in up in Germany. However, the few
the first place. According to cal- people who do not wear seatbelts
culations, belt systems reduce account for 16.6 percent of all fatal
moderate and severe injuries and car accidents in Germany.
SEATBELT
Top life-saving device
FRONT CENTER AIRBAG
Enhances front row SIDE-CURTAIN AIRBAG
protection Reduces head injuries
FRONTAL AIRBAG
Saves lives and reduces injuries
INTEGRATED CHILD
BOOSTER SEAT STEERING WHEEL
Provides protection With the life of others in your hands
and comfort
PEDESTRIAN AIRBAG
Protects pedestrians
SIDE AIRBAG
Protects from
side collisions
KNEE AIRBAG
Protects from
serious leg injuries
ACTIVE HOOD LIFTER
Opens the hood for PYRO SWITCH
the pedestrian airbag Stops the fire
Safety has many facets
The diversity of the Autoliv products reveals that safety solutions make the automobile a fortress against many risks
of accident and injury. And textile products are extensively responsible for this – the most diverse airbags provide
protection ahead of, next to and between vehicle occupants and, externally, even for pedestrians in the event of
collisions. In conjunction with these, seatbelts play the lead role in protecting occupants as the primary restraint
system. Driver airbags and seatbelts together reduce the number of deaths in the case of head-on collisions by
61 percent. Autoliv has calculated that their products save at least 30,000 lives each year, and prevent ten
times as many serious consequences of accidents. This figure is based on a calculation which takes into
account the number of Autoliv products sold; product effectiveness; use rates; and the number of road traffic
fatalities, vehicles in the fleet, and occupants in vehicles. Calculations are made for representative countries and
regions and then summed up to world level.
10 no. 35 | may 2021in focus //
Seatbelt pretensioners holds, webbing in the vehicle”, explains
load limiter gives Kai-Stephan Müller, Technical
By which means and how seatbelts Manager Seatbelt Webbing at
protect are questions that the ex- Autoliv Europe. These anchoring
perts at Autoliv, world market leader points – generally, three in the case
for automobile safety systems, of three-point seatbelts – must each
have the answers to: “The webbing be capable of handling forces of
restrains occupants and transfers more than 10 kilonewtons (kN). This
the forces created by vehicle decel- corresponds to a weight force of
eration to the anchor points of the approximately 1,000 kilograms. The
actual forces are dependent on the
geometry and the functionality of
the overall seatbelt.
Safety is not provided by tear-resist-
ant webbing alone, but also by the
expedient, injury-reducing design
no. 35 | may 2021 11// in focus
of the entire safety belt system. In to 30 kN (3,000 kilograms), stretch-
the event of an emergency, pyro- es in a defined manner, but also
technical seatbelt pretensioners, for continues to fully function following
example, retract slack webbing that a minor collision.
is not held close to the body within
milliseconds, keep occupants more Webbing made from 400 warp
tightly in their seats and hence ad- threads
ditionally reduce forward movement. Autoliv produces this kind of seat-
However, this restraining force has belt webbing at its own plants using
to be controlled in order to limit the narrow band looms. The basis for
risk of injury through the webbing these are filament yarns, manu-
itself. In the case of some seatbelts, factured from up to 100 or more
this is ensured by seatbelt load individual filaments. Generally, these
limiters, which release the webbing are manufactured from PET in order
in a controlled manner and can be to ensure a high resistance to aging
integrated into the seatbelt retrac- and are produced as high-tenacity
tor mechanism. Webbing is not an quality products using special pro-
off-the-peg product, it is a special- cesses – also on Oerlikon Barmag
ist fabric. The fabric construction is machines (see article on Page 20).
capable of withstanding loads of up Depending on the yarn type, achiev-
12 no. 35 | may 2021in focus //
ing webbing forces of more than to ensure that it also does what
30 kN requires up to 400 individual it is supposed to. These include
warp threads being woven together fracture resistance tests, along with
to create the webbing. Subsequent- aging and exposure to light testing
ly, these are thermoset, whereby to ensure that the seatbelt web-
the seatbelt webbing is heated in a bing maintains the requisite tenacity
controlled manner under tension throughout its entire life.
and then cooled again.
This process also This ensures greater
sets the stretch and “The webbing safety for the
flexibility of the around 67 million
webbing. After restrains occupants new vehicles
this, the webbing and transfers the worldwide each
is dyed using forces created by year, on the
an immersion vehicle deceleration basis of the
process and figures for 2019
to the anchor points
depending on the provided by the
target design of of the webbing in the German statistics
the vehicle interior. vehicle” database Statista.
The manufacture is Add to this web-
completed with automated bing for trucks, buses and
visual quality control and cutting of special vehicles. What this means
the webbing before it is used for for the sector is put into figures by
the seatbelt system – together with Birgit Degler, Head of Marketing
mechanical parts such as buckles, at Autoliv Europe: “With around
fittings, pillar loops, height adjusters 15 meters of webbing per car, the
and seatbelt retractors. annual output of seatbelt webbing
400 warp threads lies at more than one million kilo-
made from filament Prior to use, seatbelt webbing must meters”. This is almost three times
yarns with up to 100
be subjected to intensive testing in the distance between the Earth and
single filaments each
are the core of the accordance with stringent legal and the Moon. » (tho)
seatbelt. automobile industry requirements
no. 35 | may 2021 13// in focus
A look A
lexander Lopez (name
changed) enters a world
that is a threat to him
whenever he leaves
the house. He could infect himself
at the
through germs whenever he goes
shopping, visits the doctor, practi-
cally on any street corner – infec-
tions that could cost him his life.
The 31-year-old has incurable
heart of
pulmonary fibrosis, with his lung
function progressively deteriorat-
ing and breathing become more
difficult. Although he recently had
a lung transplant, he has to take
medication that impacts his immune
a life-
system to ensure his body does not
reject the new lung. In other words:
he has had to give up on his body’s
own defenses, which – during the
coronavirus pandemic – would have
helped him ward off and survive
saver
infections. For this reason, the
respiratory masks that he carefully
puts on before leaving home is all
the more important. Quite literally a
lifesaver for Alexander Lopez.
This undoubtedly applies to many
risk patients. But they are not alone
In the age of the pandemic, in requiring protection. Due to the
respiratory masks protect our fact that wearing a mask in public
is mandatory, billions of these face
health and, in some cases, our masks are currently being manu-
lives against viruses and germs. factured across the globe. So, how
Today, the heart of this omnipresent do these masks offer safety and
companion is meltblown nonwoven. protect against viruses and germs?
Its sophisticated manufacturing This is probably best explained by
somebody who manufactures the
technology is the key to highly- most important basic material:
effective particle filtration, to the least- “We have been manufacturing
possible breathing resistance and to meltblown nonwovens for masks for
the highest level of comfort –
all provided at a low weight.
With the ecuTEC+ electro-charging unit melt-
blown materials can be electrostatically-charged
in order to attract and reliably separate even the
smallest particles.
14 no. 35 | may 2021in focus //
more than ten years now”, states trump cards. And it is these
Daniel Krumme, Managing Director benefits that Innovatec guar-
of Innovatec Microfibre Technology. antees thanks to its special
“Today, we are producing much manufacturing technology
more than we used to, with current and comprehensive knowl-
output at 1,500 tons for in excess of edge of the complex pro-
1.5 billion protective masks.” With duction process. Meltblown
this, the German, Troisdorf-based nonwoven are not woven
company regards itself as by far like other textiles. This is
Europe’s largest manufacturer of demonstrated at the production
mask nonwovens, exporting across facilities in Troisdorf: the systems
the globe. installed there are first used to melt
polypropylene (PP), then force it
Meltblown nonwoven fabrics form through hundreds of tiny spin packs
the very core of protective masks, and draw it into viscous endless fila-
embedded between two layers of ments. The subsequent quenching
spunbond material. It is above all and drawing into ultra-fine filaments
the so-called respiratory or FFP are masterpieces of engineering. To
masks (FFP = filtering face piece) get the filaments down to diameters
that offer protection against inhal- of up to less than one micrometer, Attracting viruses:
ing the smallest airborne particles, about 70 times finer than a human the EcuTEC+
drops and aerosols. In general, hair, the hot air is accelerated to a
they feature between two and speed of around 500 kph. “Here, Nonwovens are specially treated
three meltblown nonwoven layers, the trick is to ensure the filaments to allow them to capture nano-
while medical face masks (surgi- do not break in this turbo-charged sized particles and germs. For
cal masks) have only one layer. air stream”, emphasizes Daniel this, Oerlikon Nonwoven uses
Depending on the mask structure, Krumme. A sophisticated air deflec- the ecuTEC+ electro-charging
the running meter weights of these tion system swirls the hot, sticky unit with its systems. Meltblown
nonwovens range from around 20 filaments, forming a random, but materials can also be electro-
to 80 grams per square meter. Its close-knit, web of up to 200 layers statically-charged in this way
light weight indicates that it must when laid. using a patented process. To this
– in addition to protecting against end, even the smallest particles
particles – fulfill another function, This creates a very large surface are still attracted and reliably
namely ensuring the least breathing to which foreign particles adhere separated by a relatively open-
resistance possible. easily. The size of the pores in these pored nonwoven. Here, non-
nonwovens lies between 15 and 20 wovens manufacturers can set
Finest filaments in a micrometers. These are consider- the optimum charging method
turbo-charged air stream ably larger than the diameters of and intensity for their respective
The fact that meltblown nonwoven coronavirus viruses, which range filter application. As a result, the
fabric is superbly lightweight, is easy from between 120 and 160 nanom- concept distinguishes itself from
to breathe through and simultane- eters. However, these pathogens other processes available on the
ously filters extremely well are its are usually contained in larger- market.
no. 35 | may 2021 15// in focus
diameter aerosols or drops. Be- to 99 percent (FFP-3) of particles up
sides, nonwoven pores are virtually to 0.6 micrometers in size. Not all
never positioned behind each other FFP products comply with this: “We
and hence do not form a continu- have tested imported product from
ous ‘tunnel’, as the filaments form a various sources, with the majority
barrier made up of many randomly- being non-compliant”, comments
positioned layers. And, finally, the Christian Klöber, owner of Inno-
engineers also invented a process vatec. For him, this is undoubtedly a
with which they are able to ‘cap- sign that ‘Made in Germany’ quality
ture’ virus and germs: electrostatic products can be successful within
filtration. Here, the nonwoven fabric this market, particularly in view of
is electrostatically-charged and the rapid rise in demand due to
attracts conductive particles – like coronavirus. To this end, Innovatec
one of the dust-grabbing microfiber was the first German business to
cloths used for cleaning floors. receive support from the German
government as part of the mis-
sion to create an entirely domestic
“The trick is infrastructure for manufacturing
to ensure the protective masks. For this, the lead-
ing producer increased its melt-
filaments blown capacities to include three
new systems in 2020 alone, with
do not break in Oerlikon Nonwoven delivering two
this turbo-charged double-beam meltblown systems.
“With this, we can manufacture
air stream.” twice as much product as we would
Daniel Krumme have with a single-beam system.
Furthermore, it offers tremendous
benefits for manufacturing mask
nonwovens, as two spinning beams
can produce two layers and hence
considerably more homogeneous,
superior nonwovens for this pur-
pose”, explains Daniel Krumme.
Efficient and in demand:
meltblown technology from
Neumünster
The meltblown technology from
Neumünster is considered by the
market to be one of the techni-
cally most efficient methods for
producing highly-separating filter
Christian Klöber (left) and Daniel Krumme rely on meltblown technology media made from plastic fibers. The
from Oerlikon Nonwoven. systems can be used to manu-
facture nonwovens not just for all
With these combined methods, mask protection classes, these
high-quality meltblown nonwovens products can also be used for
achieve a high level of filtering ef- high-performance filters deployed in
ficiency – which is precisely what air purification systems. These are
they need to do. Valid standards re- undoubtedly decisive reasons why
quire FFP masks to filter 80 (FFP-1) – since the outbreak of the coro-
16 no. 35 | may 2021in focus //
navirus pandemic – the worldwide from Germany, China, Turkey, the
demand for protective masks and United Kingdom, South Korea, Italy,
other medical protective equipment France, North America and, for the
has resulted in a record number very first time, also Australia – tak-
of new orders in the high double- ing us well into 2021. With this, the
digit millions of euros at Oerlikon capacities for respiratory masks
Nonwoven. available in Europe to date are,
according to company informa-
“In view of this demand, we have tion, predominantly produced using
initiated measures at our Neu- Oerlikon Nonwoven equipment.
münster-based production site And who knows – maybe Alexander
that enable even faster delivery of Lopez has already worn a mask
meltblown systems”, comments made using a meltblown nonwoven
Rainer Straub, Head of Oerlikon manufactured on a system from
Nonwoven. Current orders come Neumünster? » (tho)
At the Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown laboratory
in Neumünster, production processes for inno-
vative, high-performance filter materials for liquid
and air filtration applications are developed.
no. 35 | may 2021 17// in focus
Textile fibers and fabrics make a huge contribution towards greater safety in numerous lifesaving applications
There is more to
them than you
might think
In Germany, three-point seatbelts According to
have been mandatory for the front Wikipedia,
seats of newly-registered cars
since January 1, 1974; seat- the European
belts have been mandatory for Union alone
rear seats since May 1, 1979. has five
different
respiratory
filter classes
with a total
of 21 sub
categories.
While airbags A safety belt comprises approxi-
were initially only mately 300 threads whose
individual filaments are spun from
installed into around 100 polyester fibers.
the steering According to ECE regulations,
wheel, new a three-point seatbelt must have
vehicles today a breaking load of
at least 1,470
generally have dekanewtons (daN).
7 airbags.
18 no. 35 | may 2021in focus //
Myth:
wounds should airbag for
The first
be left to heal in motorcycles was
the open air. launched by Honda back in 2006,
with airbags meanwhile
also available
for bicycles.
Preferable is
treating wounds
using plasters,
as these protect
against bacteria,
germs and dirt.
The patent for the
airbag was grant-
ed as far back as
According to the
1951. It was Federal Health
invented by Munich-
based engineer Wal- Ministry, PSA Class
ter Linderer. How- FFP2 masks should
ever, it was to be
many years before it filter at least 94% of
had been sufficiently all aerosols in the air,
refined to install into while FFP3 masks
motor vehicles.
should filter 99%.
Simple protective
In apparel – such as leather
Germany, helmets, for example –
existed as long ago
standard fire- as 3,000 B.C. and the
proof cloth- first leather armor
ing must offer reinforced with metal
40kW/m2 heat plates was used in
protection. approx. 1,500 B.C.
no. 35 | may 2021 19// innovation & technology
Gentle touch for
a tough product
No safety belt without quality industrial yarn. Fulfilling the high
demands of the automobile industry requires the manufacture
of high-tenacity (HT) yarns using a process that is both
sophisticated and gentle. For its systems concept, Oerlikon
Barmag has developed unique, patented technology. And its
name dictates the program: single filament layer.
S
eatbelt yarn is, so to properties can be optimized during
speak, the benchmark yarn production – but also compro-
among industrial yarns. mised. Because these tough textile
The titer of a single fila- products require gentle handling
ment lies between 11 and 24 dpf even during manufacture – as their
(decitex per filament) – in contrast to quality could subsequently otherwise
standard yarns, which range from suffer. For this, Oerlikon Barmag has
3 to 7 dpf. With a diameter of 34 created an innovative systems con-
micrometers for 11.5 dpf (or 49 µm in cept with patented technology.
the case of 24 dpf), such HT PET fila-
ments are still considerably finer than Single filament layer:
a blond human hair, which meas- side-by-side rather than on
ures around 100 micrometers. This top of each other
does not sound groundbreaking, but “The objective is, on the one hand,
nevertheless showcases the stabil- to heat each filament equally well,
ity of these fibers. “Fundamentally, as this results in the very highest,
even finer filaments would suffice for even tenacities. On the other hand,
the high tenacities required for safety it is about feeding the filaments
belts. This high titer is necessary, through the process with as lit-
above all, to counter so-called pilling”, tle contact as possible in order to
explains Stefan Becker, Senior Expert prevent filament breaks”, comments
Application Technology for Industrial Stefan Becker, getting to the heart
Yarns at Oerlikon Barmag. Pilling of this technology. And this requires
refers to yarn’s tendency to form little a special filament guiding system.
knots if subjected to friction. This fric- To this end, the individual filaments
tion occurs predominantly when the that form a thread are laid onto a
safety belt is pulled out of, or snaps godet in between three and five lay-
back into, its retractor. ers in the case of conventional pro-
cesses. As indicated by the name,
This already demonstrates just how the Oerlikon Barmag single filament
challenging and detailed the require- layer (SFL) technology reduces this
ments of the automobile industry to a single layer. Consequently, each
are (see also Focus article, Page 8). filament lies directly on the heated
High, even tenacity, flawless appear- godet and there are no filaments
ance without filament breaks and that lie on top of each other and are
no lint formation – these demanded therefore less well heated.
20 no. 35 | may 2021innovation & technology //
pass over the godets with alternate
directions of rotation. As a result,
the filaments are – like a pancake
being tossed – extremely evenly
heated from one side and then from
the other. Furthermore, the release
angle of the godets is increased in
certain phases, which means the
How is this achieved with the least filament maintains contact for longer
possible mechanical contact? In and acquires greater retaining force
conventional processes, the fila- for reliable drawing. Finally, the
ments exit the spin pack, are po- Oerlikon Barmag reversing winder
sitioned by means of yarn-guiding ensures low-friction yarn displace-
elements and travel across several ment during the winding process, a
godets, with multiple wraps each precise and even package build and
time. In the case of each multiple an even take-off performance in the
wrap, the filaments converge and downstream processes.
are finally so close together that
there is a risk of contact between Correspondingly-equipped ma-
them – with the associated tangles chines are already operating at the
or breaks. Yarn guides are designed sites of well-known manufacturers
to prevent this, but create additional in India and China, for example.
The yarn path is de-
cisive for the special contact points in the process. Just about to commence produc-
properties and the tion is Fujian Billion, the largest
different end applica- With the SFL concept, a particularly polyester yarn manufacturer in
tions of the industrial
geometric positioning of the kiss southern China. With the purchase
yarn.
rolls over which all filaments run af- of the Oerlikon Barmag system, the
ter exiting the spin pack creates the company is now planning to also
possibility of influencing the distance produce industrial yarns, including
between the filaments in a targeted seatbelt yarn. With 124 positions
manner. A large distance between and a capacity of around 250,000
the filaments is chosen from the tons per annum, Fujian Billion is one
start, ensuring that the filaments ul- of the top Chinese industrial yarn
timately do not touch. Furthermore, producers and is planning to use
this procedure also dispenses with the system to manufacture HT and
further yarn guides between the LS (low-shrinkage) yarns for the
godet systems – hence guarantee- automobile, geotextiles and safety
ing decreased contact, breaks, lint sectors, among others.
formation and loops.
Oerlikon Barmag offers powerful
Powerful technologies for technological solutions for the most
industrial yarn demanding requirements for all these
“With our up to 6-end technology, applications – including up to 12-end
we can produce seatbelt yarns concepts for airbag yarns (PA 6/
of the very highest quality using PET) with between 550 and 1,100
high-tenacity, lint-free PET yarn with dtex overall titers, 4-end systems
total titers of up to 1,500 denier”, with high process speeds (7000 m/
emphasizes Stefan Becker. Here, min) for HMLS tire cord yarns and
further technical finesse plays an also technologies for high-titer/low-
important role in guaranteeing shrinkage yarns with up to 6,600
quality. To this end, the filaments dtex for geotextiles. » (rdo)
no. 35 | may 2021 21// innovation & technology
Metering safety
from the heart of
the process
O
There is a famous old ne of the most obvious vehicles do not only offer protec-
is possibly safety belts tion from the steering wheel but
saying -‘if you can’t do produced from PA66 also from the doors, dashboard and
it safely, then don’t do filaments, manufactured vehicle side frames. These air bags
it at all’ - so what does by a melt process accurately deliv- are manufactured from an industrial
the gear metering pump ered by the gear metering pump. PA66 fiber (ABY). A high technology
contribute to safety and Although the priority of these prod- gear metering pump is required in
ucts is safety which means they the melt process to deliver excep-
safety products ? have to be exceptionally strong, tional quality yarn with zero failure
they also need to be comfortable, risk. PA66 fibers are not straightfor-
unobtrusive, convenient to wear ward to produce and extra attention
and long lived. Their use in automo- is needed to the internal design and
tive and leisure applications dictates manufacture of the gear metering
that aesthetically they must also be pump so that maximum process
of a high perceived quality, whilst uptime is achieved resulting in the
in industrial applications they must most competitive products.
be suitable to wear without severely
restricting an operator’s role. A high- Around us, manmade fibers are
quality finished product is needed working away hidden to the eye in
which can only be achieved by ac- applications contributing to safety.
curate denier control guaranteed by Where manmade fibers are pre-
the gear metering pump. sent, usually a gear metering pump
has been used in the manufactur-
Hidden and unrecognised - ing process. Vehicle tyres are an
safety in our everyday life excellent example constructed with
Whilst the seatbelt is the visible a strong carcass below the visible
statement of vehicle safety, the air rubber, this carcass is made of PA
bag is equally important, hidden or PET melt spun industrial fiber
away only required in an emer- (IDY) known as tyre cord. Nylon tyre
gency. Vehicle air bags became a cords are usually used in commer-
consumer expectation only in the cial applications (trucks, tractors,
last twenty years or so, but modern construction machines) and poly-
22 no. 35 | may 2021innovation & technology //
ester tyre cords are used in lighter orsport racewear, protective overalls performance by shortening stopping
duty applications such as cars. and machinery heat shields. When distances and delivering environmen-
Development of tyre cords has sig- produced as a sheet material meta tal advantages over asbestos.
nificantly increased the performance aramids can also be used as electri-
and safety of vehicle tyres allowing cal insulation, safely isolating phases Stab vests frequently
heavier loading and higher speeds of copper windings in electrical ma- used by Police and first
not possible using older forms of chines such as motors, generators responders contain para
tyre reinforcement. Similar industrial and transformers. amid fibers due to their
fibers are also used for belts and low weight and high
conveyers safely transporting bulk Para aramids are often considered strength capabilities simi-
materials and cargo in workplaces the higher performing variant and are larly, military uses include
and travel hubs. also produced in very demanding vests, helmets and combat vehicle
solvent spinning processes. Booster armour for ballistic protection. In
Sophisticated and special – and spinning pumps required to con- industry, para aramids are com-
safety in exceptional situations trol flow and denier are manufactured monly used in protective gloves and
Special fibers produced using ag- from super duplex stainless steels, garments where there are risks of
gressive solvent chemical processes cobalt alloys and ceramics with cor- cuts, friction burns or serious limb
and gear metering pumps manufac- rosion and wear resistant coatings damage.
tured of exotic metal and ceramic applied. Engineering gear metering
materials and coatings continue to pumps for such challenging applica- In conclusion, fibers used in safety
find new applications where tradi- tions requires a deep knowledge of products are high end and high
tional materials are too heavy, less the process and the properties and value that are usually not easy
environmentally friendly or simply limitations of suitable materials in to manufacture. Surpassing such
outperformed. both operation and manufacture. challenges with the highest
quality core components, Oerlikon
Meta aramids woven as fabrics are Para aramids exhibit high tensile Barmag’s high technology gear
widely used for protective wear for strength providing many possibilities metering pumps provide end users
front line responders and emer- as replacements for traditional solu- with unrivalled technical and com-
gency service personnel providing tions, wire, cable and hose reinforce- mercial solutions. » (reh)
a flame and heat retardant. Industrial ment being typical. When pulped,
and automotive applications include para aramids can be used in auto-
fire and abrasion protection in mot- motive brake pads increasing braking
Phase and earth electrical insulation
no. 35 | may 2021 23// innovation & technology
BCF polyester carpet
yarn continues to gain
ground worldwide
Did you know that polyester is by far the polymer most frequently-used
for carpet yarns? Today, polyester carpet yarns have a global market
share of approx. 70 percent. And the majority of these polyester yarns
are produced in the US, where Oerlikon Neumag has a market share of
approx. 90 percent. The company sold the first BCF polyester system
to the US back in 1999, with demand growing year-on-year ever since.
Oerlikon Neumag installed polyester capacities totaling approx.
1,800 tons per day for manufacturing BCF since 2012 alone.
This corresponds to an installed base of more than 800 positions
for manufacturing polyester carpet yarn in the US with
various Oerlikon Neumag systems technologies.
B
ut polyester is increas- tems. The latter offers the benefit developed of these processes. To
ingly gaining carpet yarn that customers can inexpensively this end, many polyester carpets
market shares outside switch to producing polyester at already contain some recycled plas-
the US as well. In ad- short notice without having to invest tics. For this, flakes are spun directly
dition to the Asia/Pacific region, a in polyester equipment from the or regranulated chips are added,
strong trend towards polyester is outset. Against the backdrop of a for example, to manufacture BCF
noticeable particularly in Turkey. constantly-changing market, many yarn. This can make polyester an
Turkey and the USA are the larg- producers are tapping into this ‘ecological’ option, as – in addition
est manufacturers of carpets in the increased flexibility. to consumers demanding ‘green’
world. While only 3.5 percent of the products – this trend is being pro-
BCF systems installed in 2012 in The trend towards polyester has moted by legislators. Globally, more
Turkey by Oerlikon Neumag were various reasons. One reason is than 500 tons of recycled BCF yarn
designed for polyester, this figure the constantly-rising world market are being produced every day using
had already increased to 65 percent price for the polymer polypropyl- Oerlikon Neumag systems.
of all systems sold in 2020. The ene, which has been most widely
majority of all polyester BCF yarns used outside the US to date. To In addition to the above-mentioned
worldwide are produced using this end, the raw material price for ecological and economic factors,
Oerlikon Neumag systems. polypropylene is meanwhile consist- polyester also has technical benefits
ently higher than that of polyester. for carpets. Polyester is known for
Trend towards polyester for A further reason is the growing im- its luxurious appearance, its han-
ecological, economical and portance of sustainability. Although dle and its choice of bright, strong
technical reasons technical progress has been made colors and styles. Many so-called
Oerlikon Neumag offers its custom- in recycling polypropylene and nylon ‘super-soft’ carpets are made using
ers a choice between ‘PET-ready’ waste over the past few years, polyester yarns. These yarns are
systems and ‘PET-prepared’ sys- polyester recycling is still the most ideal for carpets that are subject to
24 no. 35 | may 2021innovation & technology //
The absolutely straight
constant use, such as bedrooms,
yarn path from the
offices and television rooms, among infeed to the cooling
others. Due to their moisture-repel- drum improves the
lent structure, polyester carpets are production process.
also ideal for bathrooms and out-
door areas. Furthermore, polyester
yarn can be both spun-dyed and
piece-dyed, which is additionally
resulting in constant market growth polymer, a more uniform platform
for printed polyester carpets. In was created with the BCF S8. To
conjunction with economical raw this end, the BCF S8 now features
material prices, the outstanding a uniform godet configuration and a
technical properties make polyester uniform cooling drum for all poly-
the mostly-widely used polymer in mers. And it was the polymer pro-
BCF carpet yarn manufacturing. cess in particular that was further
optimized in the development of
BCF S8 as a uniform platform the BCF S8. As a result, a new yarn
for all polymers path no longer requires heated entry
The BCF S8 is Oerlikon Neumag’s godets, which generates additional
response to the strong trend to- energy savings. Furthermore, the
wards polyester production. After dwell time of polyester yarns on the
the S+ proved that polyester carpet BCF S8’s cooling drum has almost
yarn could be manufactured eco- doubled compared to the S+. In
nomically with the right technology, conjunction with the new yarn path,
the BCF S8 is once again creating the increased dwell time ensures
a new benchmark with regards to unprecedented process speeds
productivity and product quality. The with consistently-excellent crimp
BCF S8 can be used to manufac- results when producing polyester
ture polyester yarns at process yarns using the BCF S8. Of the
speeds of up to 3,700 m/min on the 192 BCF S8 positions sold since
winder, with a guaranteed system the market launch, 94 percent have
efficiency of more than 99 percent. been designed or prepared for poly-
Furthermore, extremely-fine yarns ester yarn production. This confirms
with up to 2.4 dpf and 700 filaments both the trend towards polyester
can be produced. With the CPC-T, and the benefits the BCF S8 offers
the BCF S8 Tricolor has innova- for the production of polyester car-
tive technology at its disposal that pet yarns. » (nlm)
permits the manufacture of up to
200,000 different shades using the
same three base colors. The new BCF S8 Tricolor
CPC-T is capable of producing with CPC-T for up
to 200,000 different
polyester, polypropylene and nylon shades in the case of
yarns. tricolor yarns
In addition to various innovations
that have improved the process
and enable the manufacture of new
products, Oerlikon Neumag sys-
tematically focused on modularity
when developing the BCF S8. While
the take-up unit in the case of the
S+ still distinguished according to
no. 35 | may 2021 25// innovation & technology
Recycled polyester
VacuFil & VarioFil use
produce rPET fiber
The VacuFil process enables inline spinning of post-consumer and post-
production polyester (PET) waste into POY or FDY using the VarioFil system or
direct spinning systems.
M
anufacturing polyester re-cycling system for further pro-
fibers for demanding cessing post-production spinning
textile applications waste and post-consumer bottle
from recycled PET flakes on the basis of the VacuFil
materials – particularly using the PET recycling system launched
inline spinning process – is an ex- back in 2019. The system, for
tremely challenging task. It requires which patents have been applied for
recycling know-how and spinning worldwide, is optimally tailored to
plant expertise. The starting material the textile further processing of the
has to be continually processed into recycled materials in the spinning
an homogeneous, spinnable melt. plant. The core component of this
All processing steps must ensure process is the vacuum filter, with
the required melt properties and which the viscosity can be sepa-
keep these stable throughout the rately controlled and monitored. To
entire process runtime. For numer- this end, the required melt proper-
ous textile applications, parameters ties can be achieved inline in a reli-
such as viscosity and homogeneity able and reproducible manner and
are decisive and must be subject to controlled during operation. In vari-
the only minimal fluctuations. In oth- ous spinning trials, the rPET granu-
er words: using recycled polyester lates manufactured at the Oerlikon
within the textile segment requires Textile R&D Center using the VacuFil
suitable pretreatment processes in produced convincing results.
conjunction with precise process
management. The results of the various spinning
trials demonstrate that the new
BB Engineering, a subsidiary of VacuFil technology is so effective
Oerlikon Textile, has developed that the rPET produced is of out-
a Liquid-State Polycondensation standing quality and comparable to
Documentation of various spinning trials with rPET produced in VacuFil in comparison with Virgin PET
Virgin PET Bottle flakes Bottle flakes Fiber waste
reference Indian customer European origin POY
Input IV 0.66 dl/g 0.81 dl/g 0.80 dl/g 0.624 dl/g
Output IV VacuFil 0.646 dl/g 0.66 dl/g (±0.06) 0.643 dl/g (±0.05)
Quality No. 22.1 22.8 21.8 20.9
Frays / 10.000m 0.65 0 0.75 0.41
Yarn breaks / 1t 0 0 0 0
Dying uniformity 1-2 1-2 1-2
(1: best – 6: worst) >4.5 (gray scale) AA
26 no. 35 | may 2021innovation & technology // ed to directly that of virgin material. Eco Spindles – our Sri Lanka-based customer – has been so convinced by the VarioFil R+ spinning system with VacuFil extrusion that it is investing in a further rPET VarioFil system. Dr. Anush Amarasinghe, Managing Director of Eco Spindles, produces POY from bottle flake material and explains: “Our clients are increas- ingly asking for recycled fibers and we of course wish to fulfill their requirements and demands. For this reason, expanding our portfolio to cater to this has been an impor- tant step for us. Bottle recycling is still a niche market in Sri Lanka and we have been determined to maintain our high quality standards. We have special requirements and no. 35 | may 2021 27
// innovation & technology
needed a cutting-edge partner for has been designed to manufac-
this project. A few years ago, we ture using recycled bottle flakes,
opted to purchase a BBE VarioFil R+ recycled chips and virgin chips. On
compact spinning system to allow the one hand, this is possible as a
us to manufacture POY from bottle result of the drying system that is
flakes. We wanted to first test the suitable for both flakes and chips.
set-up – also due to the fact that On the other hand, the vacuum
the bottles collected from beaches extruder can be operated with or
are in part problematic starting ma-
terials. However, the extremely good Leading textile-processing businesses
customer feedback and the fact and corporations – be these fashion
that our product is profitable have brands, sports apparel and furniture
prompted us to invest further. We
have decided to acquire a further manufacturers or those operating
VarioFil R+ line with VacuFil recycling within the automobile industry – are
system. What is particularly great increasingly focusing on sustainable
is the fact that the entire process is products and products made from
completely coherent. We are able to recycled materials.
produce extremely homogeneous,
viscosity-stable rPET melt and spin without vacuum and is therefore
it directly into high-end fibers.” able to melt recycled and virgin
starting materials. The experience
In the case of Eco Spindles, this is a acquired from 20,000 sold units
flexible VarioFil R+ compact spinning has influenced the extruder design.
system with upstream VacuFil inline As a result of the gentle melting,
recycling unit with a direct feed. It BBE extruders form the basis for
28 no. 35 | may 2021You can also read
