Application of automotive nonwovens
Non-woven fabrics (English name: Non Woven), also known as non-woven fabrics, are composed of directional or random fibers. They are a new generation of environmentally friendly materials that are moisture-proof, breathable, flexible, lightweight, non-combustible, and easy to decompose. , non-toxic, non-irritating, rich in color, low in price, and recyclable. For example, polypropylene (PP material) pellets are often used as raw materials, and are produced by a continuous one-step process of high-temperature melting, spinning, laying, and hot-pressing coiling. It is called cloth because it has the appearance and certain properties of cloth.
Nonwovens play an important role in the automotive market, from cabin filters and seat covers to trunk liners, soundproofing felts and carpet fabrics. In China, based on the current annual production of 700,000 cars, the annual demand for non-woven sound insulation felt will reach about 2.45 million square meters. In China’s “Technology Progress Project Guide for the Fabric Industry” from 2000 to 2005, there were 15 projects related to the nonwovens and industrial fabrics industries. Among them, the research content of “Research and Product Development of Interior Decoration Materials for Cars” includes Knitted fabric interior decoration materials, fireproof, anti-static woven decorative velvet materials for cars, fiber-based laminate materials for structural interior decoration. The goal is to replace imported fabrics and provide them with decorative fabrics for car interiors that meet the requirements of luxury, comfort and safety. Its fireproof and antistatic properties have reached the domestic leading level.
The current application status of non-woven fabrics in automobiles
Since its application in automotive parts more than 40 years ago, non-woven fabrics can be used for sound insulation, air filtration, heat insulation, enhancement and improvement of passenger comfort and reliability. In addition to these advantages, non-woven fabrics are also recognized by many automobile companies as economical materials due to their high strength and durability. As the use of nonwovens in automobiles continues to grow, competition among web manufacturers participating in this market is also intensifying, and research and development efforts in this area are also increasing.
Klaus Troeger, sales manager of the Schwarzenbach/Saale Automotive Affairs Division of Sandler AG in Germany, said, “In recent years, the requirements of automobile manufacturers have promoted the development of specialty nonwovens.” “These products are constantly improving and progressing. Newly developed Technology and materials have paved the way for industrial non-woven fabrics to continue to break through the fields traditionally occupied by fabrics.” Consumers’ requirements for automotive non-woven fabrics are mainly low-cost, efficient filtration and sound-absorbing materials.
As new automotive nonwovens continue to be introduced, automakers are studying the use of these products to replace higher-cost materials such as leather seats. Often unnoticed by drivers or passengers, non-woven fabrics hide under seats or carpets, or are sewn together with other fabrics for strength and durability. Mr. Edward Merchlinsky, general manager of the industrial fabrics branch of Amoco Fabrics and Fibers, a supplier of needle-punched fabrics, believes that needle-punched fabrics are particularly suitable for replacing real leather for seats because they are more economical and easy to operate during the process of pulling, gluing and sewing. , suitable for sewing.
Non-woven fabric becomes stronger
The environmentally friendly characteristics of non-woven fabrics allow them to replace foam products in automobiles. According to Dan Kamat, vice president of Precision Custom Coatings, automakers are increasingly aware of the environmental advantages of nonwovens compared to other materials. This can be seen in the growth of the PCC needlepunched and thermally bonded nonwovens business, with these materials increasingly used in bonnet linings, headliners, dashboards and other small acoustic and thermal insulation interior trim parts. The more.
Automakers want to stop using non-recyclable foam, which has led nonwovens manufacturers to develop materials that can replace foam and be recycled. In addition, they can be particularly firmly combined with fiberglass and recycled materials. When stretched, the color is uniform and free of wrinkles and tears.
Eswegee’s conformable nonwovens are produced through hot-melt lamination and can be effectively used to replace more traditional flame-bonded woven fabric-foam sandwich materials and are fully recyclable. The company’s Techtex stitchbonding line in Mittweida produces Multiknit and Kunit nonwovens that can replace foams up to 8mm thick.
eswegee Vliesstoffe, a German company that specializes in the production of chemically bonded, mechanically bonded and thermally bonded non-woven fabrics for automobiles, has also felt the trend of non-woven fabrics replacing fabrics, and new stitched products have been developed for automotive interior decoration. parts, such as a roof or glove box. Other environmentally friendly stitchbonded fabrics are also being developed to replace foam in conforming materials used in seats.
Laminates can utilize glass, carbon and aromatic fibers, as well as combinations of these fibers, to produce multi-axial nonwovens with a weight per square meter of 200-2800.
Non-woven fabrics give cars many advantages and are quickly replacing traditional fabrics, but the needs of automakers and consumers fundamentally determine the styles and sizes of popular cars. Naturally, the number and variety of cars sold in a year will have a great impact on nonwoven manufacturers. Amoco’s Mr. Merchlinsky believes that trends in car styles, sizes and materials can change so quickly that the time cycles can be measured in months.
For example, some car manufacturers like bucket seats. This demand will spread rapidly throughout the automotive industry chain, making participation in this market extremely competitive, and manufacturers must therefore follow suit.�Be able to respond to this change and provide suitable products anywhere.
The shortened product development cycle has put forward new requirements for enterprises, causing them to invest more and more in product development and increase their interaction with OEM manufacturers.
In order to provide a more efficient filter, Kureha chose the ideal combination of synthetic fibers and adhesive materials such as water-soluble resins to design thermally bonded non-woven fabrics for vehicles. For applications such as engine filters. This type of filter material can be shaped to fit specific filters. Colbond also offers Colback, a thermally bonded nonwoven fabric for cab filters. Colback is used as support media for cab filters and as backing material for molded automotive carpets and felts. Colback uses a two-component filament with a polyester core and a nylon polyamide sheath. It has good thermal and mechanical stability. Its polyamide sheath can be used as a binding layer and has good affinity with various dyes and coatings. Good affinity ability.
The main advantage of Colback as a carpet is that it can be pre-formed and joined to the pile and has good wear resistance. When used as support media within filters, it has high toughness, breathability and homogeneity. Cost is the main driving force for the growth of non-woven fabrics in the automotive market, but it has also become a major obstacle for non-woven fabric manufacturers. Due to the global economic downturn in the past few years, OEMs have exerted tremendous pressure on first- and second-tier automotive suppliers, thus This affects players throughout the supply chain, including coil manufacturers, as they also struggle with high-priced raw materials.
Mr. Verbakel of Colbond said that sometimes excessive attention to the cost of a single component leads to neglect of the entire cost or the quality of the final product. We have noticed that latecomers in the automobile manufacturing market have shown a tendency to believe that they can be used High output to meet the needs of excess capacity in their fleece production lines. This is bad for everyone, not just because of the high price pressure, but also because of logistics and quality requirements. Every minute of downtime on an OEM line costs thousands of dollars, and neither roll-stock producers sell the material at thin margins nor automakers buy the materials at below-market prices to compensate for these high risks.
Another trend Mr. Verbakel has noticed is online car auctions, where buying a car, once considered a lengthy research process, has become an anonymous online bidding and gambling exercise.
Environmental factors
In addition to price factors, non-woven fabric suppliers are also working hard to produce products that comply with automobile recycling regulations that took effect in Europe in 2006. It requires that 1% of cars can be recycled, thus opening up a lot of opportunities for recyclable non-woven fabrics. Doors of opportunity.
Car recycling is taken more seriously in Europe than in the United States, mainly due to the European law that is about to take effect. But nonwovens manufacturers around the world continue to assure customers that their products are recyclable. North America also has a penchant for recycling, but since it is not mandatory, it is not as important or demanding as in Europe. European membrane producers involved in the automotive industry are implementing new quality management systems to deal with these regulations.
For example, eswegee has implemented a new quality management system to meet the quality standards of DINEN ISO9001 and DINEN ISO14001, VDA6 and EU environmental requirements. In order to standardize the benefits provided to customers, the company’s global branches have implemented this system.
Of course, some non-woven fabric manufacturers have not yet completely switched to the production of recyclable automotive products, but experts believe that this will be a trend in the next few years. Recyclability is not only good for automotive, as demand for high-loose, binder-free pure polyester nonwovens will increase, but it also provides a safer nonwoven production process.
Both automakers and nonwoven manufacturers are constantly adjusting to adapt to changes in the automotive industry, and their R&D activities show no signs of slowing down.
In the next few years, sound insulation materials may be the most attractive non-woven fabrics for automobiles. Sandler has launched sawasorb plus and sawaform products for this purpose. The former is made of pure polyester material, has low weight per square meter and low combustion performance. Future products will be market-oriented, combining traditional research and development with customer customization. More complex non-woven fabrics will be used in high-tech fields, so we must be familiar with future needs and requirements in advance and incorporate them into multi-functional fabrics. .
Formed Fiber Technologies, Inc. (FFT) is a major thermoforming and nonwoven system solutions provider and first-line supplier to North American automotive OEMs. Currently, FFT supplies more than 40% of trunk decorative linings to the North American automotive trunk interior market, and the company is also seeking to continue to expand its market share in this market and other interior decorative components.
In 2003, FFT was acquired by Morgenthaler Partners, which intended to use the sub-system as a platform to acquire other fiber solution providers and build a one-stop fiber product and system provider that dominates the automotive and non-automotive markets. FFT also produces spin-dyed polyester fiber produced from 100% industrial and consumer recycled materials for industrial fabrics.
In addition, automobiles also replace rubber products and are widely used as reinforcing materials for rubber plate skeletons, lamination with rubber to make steel ring sheaths, automobile steering gear connecting rings, sealing strips, and composites with modified rubber. In the fenders and tire pads, and in the floorboards. It can improve the strength, wear resistance and flexibility of components and prolong their service life.��Lifespan.
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