Portfolio Felting needles

The bonding of nonwovens can take place thermally, chemically or mechanically, and also with the help of felting needles.

In the mechanical-bonding method the fibers are transported by slotted felting needles and incorporated into the nonwoven. This increases the frictional forces between the fibers and makes the nonwoven more rigid.

There are many felting needles in the needle board of a needling machine. They are led through the nonwoven by moving up and down.

Groz-Beckert offers various high-performing felting needles.

In order to meet the high requirements of the various applications with regard to surface finish, tensile strength, uniformity, low damage to fiber and carrier material as well as service life – felting needles with different working-part shapes for different features are available.–

Together with you, we make the optimal selection from a portfolio of thousands of felting needles.

Portfolio Structuring needles

Structuring needles are tasked with structuring previously bonded nonwoven fabric in special machines.

These surfaces are produced with a velvety or grainy character, and may also feature geometric or linear patterns.

Fork and crown needles are structuring needles that are differentiated by their geometry.

Fork and crown needles

While crown needles generate a particularly uniform structure, fork needles are used to create a grainy structure. Both needle types are combined for very dense velour products with uniform finish quality.

Fork needle

Fork needles have a single- or multi-reduced intermediate section with a cylindrical working-part. The significant functional element is the fork opening on the working part.

Crown needle

The design of the crown needle is identical to that of felting needles; the only difference is in the arrangement of the barbs. There is exactly one barb on the edge of each working part. The short distance from the point to the barb is the same for all three barbs. Loop formation is thus uniform, resulting in a homogeneous surface.

A method for the mechanical bonding of nonwovens is hydroentanglement, also known as the spunlace method.

This technology channels water at pressures of 30 to over 400 bar through very precisely manufactured nozzles. This produces a continuous curtain of water. The impelling force of the water jets lead to mechanical anchoring of fibers in the product.

Jet strips of different specifications serve as tools in this method. Groz-Beckert's line of products for hydroentanglement is marketed under the name HyTec™.

HyTec™-jet strips

Groz-Beckert jet strips for hydroentanglement come in all common sizes, specifications and nozzle geometries.

The offering includes jet strips with an overall length of up to about 6,200mm and all common widths and thicknesses. The jet strips usually have one, two or three rows and the maximum number of nozzles can come to 20,000 nozzles per strip. Nozzle diameters normally measure from 0.08mm to 0.22mm.

Needle removal tools

Needle removal tools remove felting and structuring needles from the needle board. Needle removal tools remove felting and structuring needles from the needle board.

Needle-board inserts

Needle-board inserts are used primarily to easily identify different needle groups in the needle board. They are also tasked with stabilizing the needles in the board.

Crank positioning disk

All factors which influence the needling process must be considered here: Correctly set machine parameters are just as important as the correct positioning of suitable felting needles and the positioning of the needle butt, since it has a direct effect on the orientation of the working part.

Needle inspection board

The large number of needles in the board make it almost impossible to locate damaged individual needles. The Groz-Beckert needle inspection board helps to quickly find broken and bent needles in the board and replace them. The locating board is led through the needle rows crosswise to the direction of machine operation. Every needle can thus be checked and, if needed, replaced.

Sliding rule

The stitch density and penetration depth are important machine parameters in the manufacture of needle punched nonwovens because the right machine settings determine visual and physical results in nonwovens. Groz-Beckert thus recommends using the combined sliding rule for stitch density and penetration depth.

Needle packaging

Groz-Beckert also values high user convenience in the packaging of its products. The packaged needles are protected by anticorrosive oil and paper and packed in bundles of 250 and 125 each for quick and easy removal. Groz-Beckert felting and structuring needles are available in three types of package.

Cleaning Jet strips

Impurities in process water leave traces in the nozzles. These are fiber rests, rust, metal particles, calcium deposits and chemicals added to the process water.

The resulting deposits inside the nozzles reduce the diameter and hinder water flow.

Impurities near the nozzle openings have an unfavorable effect on the formation of the water jets and thereby the water curtain. The physical properties of the spunlace products are consequently negatively affected. The jet strips must be professionally cleaned at regular intervals.

Groz-Beckert recommends applying a clearly defined cleaning process.

Process-water analysis

The quality of process-water plays an essential role in the manufacture of spunlace products. The characteristics of the water, for example, affect the service life of different machine parts, as well as that of the jet strips.

Furthermore, process water not only greatly influences the quality of the end product in sanitary article production. It must be ensured that the water is hygienic.

As a leading manufacturer of jet strips, Groz-Beckert offers personal consultation in association with process-water analysis in order to create optimum prerequisites for efficient production.

Within a comprehensive laboratory analysis, Groz-Beckert will analyze your process water for important water-chemical parameters.