Especially in the automobile industry the demand for the production equipment to manufacture aerodynamic random webs has increased – and so, also the demand for so called Airlay units from the nonwoven fabrics producers is growing.
© Fraunhofer ITWM
What do cosmetic pads, nonwovens sound insulation, and painter‘s drop cloths all have in common? These are all Airlay products. The applications of nonwoven fabrics are continuously increasing, especially, in the automotive industry.
Hence, the demand for the production equipment to manufacture aerodynamic random webs has also increased – and so, also the demand for so called Airlay units from the nonwoven fabrics producers is growing.
3D Microstructure of an Airlay Nonwoven
An Airlay unit works is based on the following principle:
The goal of the nonwoven manufacturers is to produce nonwovens with the greatest volume with the least raw material. Additionally, energy consumption needs to be minimized.
In close cooperation with machinery manufacturer Autefa Solutions, we simulated the K12 process for an optimal design of the Airlay process. Hereto, we extended the fiber dynamics simulation tool (FIDYST) with a new module for the simulation of staple fibers.
The new tool couples iteratively the simulation of fiber dynamics and air flow. Simulating thousands of representative fibers enables engineers to evaluate modifications of the process. Additionally, the simulated fibers generate a 3d microstructure that is used to analyze the mechanical properties of the complete nonwoven. The simulation steps are validated by measurements of the plant and computer tomography analysis of the final product.
Optimizing Air-Lay Production Processes Through Simulations
With this project FIDYST has proven once again its huge potential to simulate and to optimize production processes of technical textiles.
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM