In September, Barnhardt Manufacturing’s Director of Product Development Chuck Allen traveled to Andritz Perfojet in Montbonnot, France for our HyDri™ trial results. Andritz Perfojet is one of the two major manufacturers of turn-key hydroentangling lines. While there are currently 180 Perfojet hydroentangling lines in operation worldwide, in France they also have a state-of-the-art, 0.5 meter-wide pilot line for producing hydroentangled fabrics at commercial speeds and pressures.
This pilot line is equipped with the newly developed Andritz Asselin-Thibeau Isoweb TT card. This card produces a fiber web with nearly isotropic fiber orientation, which yields fabrics with very little difference in machine and cross-machine strength. All the hydroentangled fabrics during this visit were produced with the line speed set at 100 meters per minute, without any processing problems noted by the Andritz operators.
Fabrics produced from HyDri™ fiber (hydrophobic cotton) and HyDri/polyester fiber blends were targeted for use as the topsheet (coverstock) in diaper and feminine hygiene products. Fabrics produced from 100% HiLoft™ fiber (large diameter cotton) were targeted for the acquisition distribution layer used in adult and infant diaper products.
Upon request, fabric samples are available—in limited supply—along with physical properties measured on each fabric. Physical properties of the fabrics produced at Andritz are available upon request, too.