Needle punch
Fibbled fleece is a textile floor covering. After the tufting which is needling of webs , the second most important manufacturing process for textile floor coverings. Fibrebonded floor coverings combine a textile character with high durability and insensitivity to dirt and are therefore mainly used in heavily frequented areas and public buildings.
history
The technique for producing needle felt was developed in the second half of the 20th century. By eliminating the classic spinning and weaving processes, the manufacturing costs, e.g. B. compared to the tufting process , can be significantly reduced. The associated lower prices, in connection with the high functionality of the new type of flooring, quickly resulted in a widespread use of needle felt.
Manufacturing
Fiber preparation
At the beginning of the needle felt production there is the fiber preparation. The fibers delivered in large bales are portioned in color depending on the needle punch design and blown into a large mixing chamber using a bale opener and mixer. The fibers usually consist of polyamide and / or polypropylene and are between 60 and 90 mm long. A distinction is made between fine and coarse fibers, which usually have a fineness of 17 to 135 dtex . In the second step, the material is fed back into the mixing grinder via pipes and then back into the mixing chamber in order to achieve a homogeneous mixing of the fibers. If this is successful, it is pressed into bales and either stored or piped directly to the next production facility.
Fleece formation (carding)
The homogeneous fiber mixture is processed further in the card , a kind of comber. This aligns the disordered fibers in one direction. This creates the so-called carded fleece with a predominantly horizontal fiber orientation. An alternative term for carding is carding . In the next step, the so-called laying machine layers several layers of the carded fleece on top of each other.
Mechanical web bonding (needling)
The consolidation of the multi-layer fleece (“pile”) takes place in a needle loom. In this are the so-called needle boards, which are equipped with many thousands of needles. These are each 3 or 3.5 inches long and have multiple barbs. The strength of the needle shaft is based on the fineness of the fibers used. The needles pierce the fleece up to 1000 times a minute. The barbs cause the slightly curled fibers to get caught.
The wear layer (top layer) and the sub-floor (carrier layer) are initially produced separately from each other. The needling is done simultaneously from above and below in order to achieve maximum stability of the individual layers. It is important for the lying behavior and dimensional stability of the needle felt floor covering that the construction and / or the composition of the two layers are coordinated.
In the subsequent final needling, the wear layer and sub-floor are fixed (needled) together. The needling is done exclusively from above, so that no fibers are drawn from the sub-floor into the wear layer and unintentionally change its appearance. The resulting raw material made of mechanically bonded fleece is called needle felt.
Impregnation (solidification with latex)
The raw material is impregnated with a synthetic latex in a full or immersion bath impregnation and then dried in an approx. 100 m long drying tunnel. This adhesive consolidation ensures the permanent integration of the fibers. Only this work step turns the needle felt raw material into a finished needle felt floor covering in which the fibers are both mechanically and adhesively bonded. The finished needle felt floor covering is made up to a length of approx. 25 to 35 m, rolled up and packaged.
Needle felt
Needle felt is often used as a synonym for needle felt flooring. From a technical point of view, this is not correct, because needle felt is actually a pre-production stage for needle felt floor coverings.
Needle felt floor coverings are textile floor coverings that consist of a fiber fleece that is exclusively mechanically consolidated by needles. It is only through adhesive bonding with a binding agent that the needle felt is turned into a needle felt covering. For this purpose, the covering is completely or partially impregnated with a synthetic latex and then dried in a drying tunnel. The adhesive bonding ensures that the fibers are permanently integrated into the floor covering. The result is a textile floor covering that can withstand even the highest demands in the commercial sector. Products without this adhesive bonding, i.e. needle felt floor coverings, do not achieve the required durability. They are therefore no longer offered by any flooring manufacturer. All needled floor coverings currently offered on the market are accordingly needle felt floor coverings.
Quality features
High-quality needle felt floor coverings are made from spinneret-dyed, i.e. H. fibers dyed through in the spinning mass. In order for the fibers to interlock optimally during needling, they must also have a defined crimp. In addition to the quality of the fibers used, the right choice of needles and the needling parameters are decisive for the quality of the needle felt floor covering. In this context, one speaks of the puncture density and the puncture depth. The needling parameters are matched by the manufacturers of high-quality needle felt floor coverings to the respective product and its desired properties.
Traditional needle felt floor coverings consist of a mixture of coarse fibers of different colors, which give the finished product the typical, mottled look. In the meantime, however, there are also numerous plain tones in coarse and fine fiber optics on the market. This creates particularly elegant surface structures with a partially felt-like look and a soft feel .
Used fibers
Needle felt floor coverings are usually made of polyamide and / or polypropylene fibers. Polyamide fibers are mechanically more resilient and therefore more durable. That is why they are mainly used in surfaces for heavily frequented areas.
- Properties of polyamide (PA)
- strong mechanical resilience
- high color fastness
- low thermal conductivity
- very high abrasion resistance
- low soiling, easy cleaning
- low electrostatic charge
- high resistance to microorganisms
- Property polypropylene (PP)
- lowest density of all fibers of 0.91 g / ccbm
- low thermal conductivity
- high resistance to acids and alkalis
- high abrasion resistance
- low soiling, easy cleaning
- low electrostatic charge
- practically no moisture absorption
- high resistance to microorganisms
Web links
- Living encyclopedia: needle felt floor covering introduction, process, use of materials
- Textile floor coverings, bauwion.de
- Standard DIN EN 1307, textile floor coverings - classification; German version
Individual evidence
- ↑ Wohn-Lexikon, Chapter Material Use, accessed on October 16, 2018
- ↑ Wohn-Lexikon, Chapter Material Use, accessed on October 16, 2018