Center of Excellence in Nonwovens
Technical Equipment
Our technical equipment, which is installed in three different technical centers, range from small-scale with working width of 60 cm, 100 cm up to semi-industrial 240 cm working width and offer tailor-made developments from orientation testing to small series. The complexity of these technical centers and the perfect areal concentration also allow for diverse and sometimes exceptional technology combinations.
Any questions?
Your contact
Patrick Engel, M. Sc.
Manager Center of Excellence in Nonwovens
Phone: +49 371 5274-209
- Fine fibre nonwovens using the meltblown process
| Configuration | Polymer storage, extruder, spinning bar, transport belt, calander, winder |
| Processable feedstock | PP, PBT, PE, PC, TPU, biopolymers |
| Material throughput | 5 - 90 kg/h |
| Working width | 600 mm |
| Working speed | 2 - 120 m/min |
| Basis weight | 3 - 300 gsm |
- Filament nonwovens according to spunmelt processing with different type of bonding
| Configuration | One beam line, bi-component, calander, hydro-entanglement needle-punching, chemical finishing, drier, winder |
| Processable feedstock | PET, PP, PE, PA6, PC, TPU, biopolymers |
| Bicomponent types | side by side, core-sheath, segmented pie |
| Number of filaments | 6827/m, 4982/m, 2634/m |
| Material throughput | 150 - 500 kg/h |
| Working width | 1000 mm |
| Working speed | 10 - 400 m/min |
| Basis weight | PP/PE 8 - 500 gsm PET/PA 18 - 700 gsm |
- Needle punched and stitch-bonded nonwovens made of staple fibres
| Configurations | Carding willow, feeding chute, carding machine, cross-lapper, needle punching machine OD II Carding willow, feeding chute, carding machine, cross-lapper, needle punching machine OUG II Carding willow, feeding chute, carding machine, lap winder drum |
| Fibre fineness | 1 to 28 dtex |
| Working width | 600 mm |
| Working speed | max. 4 m/min |
| Basis weight range | 50 - 600 gsm |
| Processing of primary fibres, secondary fibres and selected plant fibres | |
- Needle punched and stitch-bonded nonwovens made of staple fibres
| Configuration | Fibre opening, blending box, feeding chute, carding machine, cross lapper, needle punching machine OD II, alternatively stitch-bonding machines Malivlies or Kunit |
| Fibre fineness | 1 to 28 dtex |
| Working width | 1000 to 2400 mm |
| Working speed | max. 10 m/min |
| Basis weight range | 50 - 1500 gsm |
| Processing of primary fibres and selected plant fibres | |
| Configuration | Fibre preparation, randomizing card, hydroentanglement unit with two drums, double drum suction dryer, winder |
| Fibre fineness | 0,7 to 7 dtex |
| Working width | up to 1000 mm |
| Working speed | max. 80 m/min |
| Working medium pressure | max. 42 MPa |
| Nozzle bar (1st drum) | 4 |
| Nozzle bar (2nd drum) | 2 |
| Basis weight range | 25 - 100 gsm (in line web formation) |
| 25 - 500 gsm (spunlace process without web formation) |
- Randomised nonwovens from longer fibers and recyclates, thermally bonded
| Configuration | Fibre opening, feeding chute, web forming unit, delivery belt, air through oven |
| Working width | 1100 mm |
| Basis weight range | 500 - 3000 gsm |
| Processing of primary fibres, reclaimed fibres, plant fibres, non-fibrous textile recyclates | |
- Randomised nonwovens from short fibres, thermally bonded
| Configuration | Fibre metering, web forming unit, delivery belt, air through oven |
| Working width | 1100 mm |
| Basis weight range | 150 - 600 gsm |
| Processing of primary fibres, secondary fibres, plant fibres, fluff pulp, metal and ceramic short fibres | |
- Three-dimensional stitch-bonded nonwovens made of staple fibres
| Configuration | Two-stage machine system with direct feed of lengthwise orientated fibre web from nonwoven line 1 or2 |
| Fibre fineness | 1 to 10 dtex |
| Working width | 600 und 1600 mm |
| Working speed | max. 2 m/min |
| Basis weight range | 120 - 600 gsm |
- Stitch bonded fibre nonwovens, bonded by fibre meshing
| Configuration | Direct feed from cross lapper Nonwoven line 2 |
| Machine gauge | F18 |
| Fibre fineness | 1 to 10 dtex |
| Working width | 1000 to 2000 mm |
| Working speed | max. 3 m/min |
| Basis weight range | 80 - 500 gsm |
- Stitch bonded fibre nonwovens, bonded by overstitching with thread system
| Configuration | Stand-alone machine with web feeding from roll |
| Machine gauge | F1 to F18 |
| Fibre fineness | 1 to 10 dtex |
| Working width | up to 2000 mm |
| Working speed | max. 4 m/min |
| Basis weight range | 80 - 500 gsm |
- Needle-punched spacer nonwovens from prefabricated nonwovens with possible central filling
| Configuration | Stand-alone machine with web feeding from roll and partial needling |
| Working width | up to 1000 mm |
| Working speed | max. 3 m/min |
| Distance between webs | up to 25 mm |
| Possible fillings | Particles, tubes, profiles, films, etc. |
Fields of application
Research News
BioHyg – Sustainable and bio-based hygiene nonwovens
The main objective of the research project was the development of a functional, marketable hygiene textile based on nonwovens consisting of several layers with different property profiles. The nonwoven was supposed to be made of bio-based and ecologically safe materials ensuring wearing comfort as well as haptics and barrier safety.
The project started in October 2020 and was awarded with the Innovation Award at Techtextil 2022.
(Picture: Hygienic pad with layer structure TopSheet, ADL, absorbent core, BackSheet – from top to bottom)
Art and Technology
Project: Experiment Structure
"Nonwovens developed according to the pile fibre nonwoven knitting technology Kunit are used in industry to realise technical filters, acoustic structures as well as elements with a cushioning effect. The fact that nonwovens can also be very visually appealing and extraordinary when implemented in such a structure with an understanding of design was impressively demonstrated by the students in the project. The orientation of the fibres from the nonwoven surface into the third dimension without the need for an additional textile construction element makes this technology particularly exciting and versatile."
Patrick Engel, Manager Center of Excellence in Nonwovens at STFI
In the fashion project, the 1st semester students in the Design / Fashion Design course at the Schneeberg Faculty of Applied Arts at the West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau experimented.
The project is a practical implementation with three-dimensional structures on the body. The basis are modified geometric shapes creating extraordinarily complex structures. The body becomes the carrier of the structure, shapes it and sets it in motion – an attempt to transfer three-dimensionally structured surfaces into sculptural clothing.
(Picture: Design by Lilian Fuchs – Project Experiment Structure 1st semester, 2021)
Cooperations & Networks
