Oerlikon Nonwoven large-scale meltblown sold to Asia

A leading Asian large-scale manufacturer of manmade fibres and polymers has invested in a new Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown system. The recently-signed contract comprises a two-beam system for manufacturing filtration nonwovens – predominantly for medical products such as face masks – with a nominal capacity of up to 1,200 tonnes of nonwovens a year. The commercial production launch has been scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2020.

The two-beam system has an operating width of 1.6 meters and is equipped with the new patented Oerlikon Nonwoven electro-charging unit. The Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown technology is recognised by the market as being the technically most efficient method for producing highly-separating filter media made from manmade fibres, particularly in conjunction with electrostatic charging and with extremely low pressure loss. Electro-charging the filter nonwovens allows the manufacture of sophisticated EPAand HEPA-class filter media as well as media that comply with the requirements of N95-, FFP2- and FFP3-class respiratory masks.

The demand for filtration nonwovens for medical applications has risen tremendously across the globe since the outbreak of the Sars-CoV-2 (coronavirus) epidemic, presenting all manufacturers with huge challenges. “We are currently receiving inquiries from all over the world for our system concepts”, explains Dr Ingo Mählmann, Vice President Sales & Marketing Oerlikon Nonwoven, talking about the current situation. “To improve the supply situation, we have changed our prioritization in favor of considerably shorter delivery times for meltblown systems, so that customers can now be supplied even faster and also with very short lead times.” A meltblown system will be commissioning at the site of a leading Western European nonwovens producers as early as the second quarter of 2020. This system will be deployed exclusively in the manufacture of nonwovens for respiratory masks.

Due to the current state of emergency with regards to the local supply of face masks, Oerlikon Nonwoven is currently using its own laboratory system to produce electrostatically-charged filter media which are being sent to local small businesses and companies for the manufacture of face masks. “We are thrilled to be making a contribution towards fighting the pandemic, particularly in the local vicinity of our production site in Neumünster”, adds Rainer Straub, Head of Oerlikon Nonwoven.

RoTac³ tangling unit with comprehensive modifications
Major technological changes to Oerlikon Neumag’s RoTac³ tangling unit produce even more efficient BCF yarn tangling. On the one hand, the tangling nozzle has been flow-optimised, allowing the air pressure to be lowered by approximately 10 percent compared to its predecessor, while maintaining the same knot strength. Furthermore, the nozzle bearing arrangements have been improved. Consequently, either higher speeds or nozzle rings with greater numbers of holes can be used, generating more knots in the yarn.
Even at high production speeds, tangling knots can be set considerably more evenly with the RoTac³ than in the case of other conventional tangling units. Frequent tangling dropouts are now a thing of the past. This ensures better yarn quality and has a positive impact on further processing. The result: the carpet has a visibly more even appearance.

Stable and efficient yarn production is hugely important to yarn manufacturers. Not only does the evenness of the tangling knots make the investment interesting, so too does the energy efficiency of the RoTac3. The tangling unit requires up to 50 per cent less energy for generating compressed air. Against the background of rising energy prices, this represents an excellent prerequisite for optimising production costs. Oerlikon Neumag has been able to secure various retrofit contracts since the launch of the RoTac3 in 2015. And new systems are predominantly equipped with RoTac³. The RoTac³ is included in the stand ard scope of delivery for the newer BCF S8 system. The tangling unit is available as an option both for the single-end Sytec One system and the three-end S+ and it can also be retrofitted on request.

Oerlikon engineers materials, equipment and surfaces and provides expert services to enable customers to have high-performance products and systems with extended lifespans. Drawing on its key technological competencies and strong financial foundation, the Group is sustaining mid-term growth by addressing attractive growth markets, securing structural growth and expanding through targeted mergers and acquisitions. A leading global technology and engineering Group, Oerlikon operates its business in two Segments – Surface Solutions and Manmade Fibers – and has a global footprint of more than 11,100 employees at 182 locations in 37 countries. In 2019, Oerlikon generated CHF 2.6 billion in sales and invested more than CHF 120 million in R&D.

With its Oerlikon Barmag, Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Nonwoven brands, Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment is the world market leader for manmade fibre filament spinning systems, texturing machines, BCF systems, staple fibre systems, solutions for the production of nonwovens and – as a service provider – offers engineering solutions for the entire textile value added chain. As a future oriented company, the research and development at this division of the Oerlikon Group is driven by energy-efficiency and sustainable technologies (e-save). With the supply of continuous polycondensation and extrusion systems and their key components, the company caters to the entire process – from the monomer all the way through to the textured yarn. The product portfolio is rounded off by automation and industry 4.0 solutions. The primary markets for the products of Oerlikon Barmag are in Asia, especially in China, India and Turkey, and – for those of Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Nonwoven – in the USA, Asia, Turkey and Europe. Worldwide, the segment – with just under 3,000 employees – has a presence in 120 countries of production, sales and distribution and service organisations. At the R&D centers in Remscheid, Neumünster (Germany) and Suzhou (China), highly-qualified engineers, technologists and technicians develop innovative and technologically-leading products for tomorrow’s world.