Business

Dilo Innovations Focus On Versatile Applications, Better Productivity, Higher Automation

As at previous ITMA exhibitions, DiloGroup showcased a fully functional needling line on a booth space of 1.150 m². Needle felting technology has become the most important webforming and consolidation process for staple fibres. Needled products can be found in many applications such as floor covering, automotive interior linings, technical needlefelts, filtration media, geotextiles, mattress, bed and upholstery, wipes and paper machine felts. Any type of fibre material can be processed, short or long staple, fineness from 1 up to several hundred dtex and area weights from 30g to several kg/m². This wide range of parameters generates a great variety of products, a unique feature of needle felting technology. By large investments in research and development, DiloGroup contributes significantly to the exploitation of new applications based on increase in production capacity, improvement of quality features and increased efficiency in the production process. At ITMA in Barcelona, the company set a new focus on the further development alongside existing well-known technical components. After ITMA these machines will be available in its Textile Research Centres for trials and demonstration. Efficient Fibre Preparation with I4.0 Modules Fibre preparation with further developments and modifications to improve operation of the bale opener (fast fibre changeover), carding willow and fibre dosing. [caption id="attachment_17051" align="alignleft" width="150"] Card Feeder FRS-P and VQC Card[/caption] Universal Card Feeder “UniFeed” with Fine Opening Stage The UniFeed vibration chute principle includes components for a precise fibre distribution in cross and longitudinal direction and requires low space in width and height including the fine opening stage. The cross profile of the web mat before the card ensures a precise matching of the edges in the longitudinal profile of the crosslaid web. In combination with the VQC card with double transfer and double doffer rolls, these components can be seen in its extended Textile Research Centre after the show. High-Speed Crosslapper with Precision Laydown Technology [caption id="attachment_17050" align="alignright" width="250"] Hyperlayer HLSC 30/40 “NT”[/caption] The card is followed by the refined crosslapper HyperLayer “NT”, an example of high speed, high precision crosslapping design. The precision of the laydown even at high speed up to about 190 m/min. and a layering width of about 4 m makes this extraordinary machine very suited for use in hydroentanglement lines. Currently there is no comparable crosslapping technology which can achieve these values in regard to speed and precision and also for viscose fibres. [caption id="attachment_17049" align="alignleft" width="250"] FC II and 3D-Lofter[/caption] Compensation Apron FC-II A high speed crosslapper needs aprons to compensate for speed differences between cross apron of the lapper and constant infeed of the needleloom. This high-frequency start-stop adjustment is realised by the new “FC-II apron” with double arrangement. New Web Forming Technology – really innovative A series of individual web forming units which operate according to the aerodynamic web forming principle shows how fibre masses can be placed with 3D topology on a base web so that the correct amount of fibre is placed at the positions where in technical parts, such as automotive, stretch and strain concentration can be expected. Thus thin areas following the moulding process can be prevented and strain concentration in the force transmission area can be balanced. This Dilo development is in conjunction with the research project “optiformTex” of Chemnitz University, the STFI (Sächsisches Textilforschungs Institut e.V.) and further companies including VW and Sachsenleinen. [caption id="attachment_17048" align="alignleft" width="190"] The DILO 3D-Lofter[/caption] This 3D-Lofter technology can also be used “inversely” to fill in thin areas in web mats before the card, especially when these are fed to “direct cards” without crosslapper or aerodynamic web forming unit. This improvement to the web mat leads to a more uniform fibre mass distribution in the web leaving the card or the airlay machine. According to theoretical considerations it is possible to increase the uniformity by about 40 %. The study is continued under the name “IsoFeed” in the enlarged Textile Research Centre of DiloGroup in Eberbach. Another possible application of this 3D-Lofter technology could be in extended colour patterning of floor coverings, in the mattress and bed industry, in apparel and shoe production. This innovation opens a wide potential of web forming possibilities by “additive textile manufacturing”. [caption id="attachment_17047" align="alignleft" width="150"] DI-LOOM HαV Hyperpunch[/caption] Hyperpunch – Progress for Better Economy and Higher Stitch Distribution Uniformity A new and more simple realisation of the kinematic needle beam movement for reducing detrimental draft and increasing the throughput speed makes the current elaborate Hyperpunch technology also interesting for universal use. Revolutionary Needle Patterns [caption id="attachment_17046" align="alignleft" width="300"] Stitching plate “6000X”[/caption] The combination of Hyperpunch with the new needle pattern “6000X” results in a more uniform stitch distribution at preneedling. In a complete needle felting line this effect of more evenness can be further improved by using the new needle pattern “8000X” which can be considered as a breakthrough for a considerably improved stitch distribution evenness. Especially when producing flat needle felts which are used as decorative material in the automotive interior, this great advantage will be evident. Diloline 4.0 – Internet of Things DiloGroup showcased several development modules to illustrate the future potential degree of automisation in nonwoven production. The I4.0 modules are meant to facilitate operation and to improve data transparency in production, operation control, quality and maintenance. The solutions offered by DILO, “Bale Timer”, “Smart Start” for a fully automatic starting aid or “DI-LOWATT” for energy savings, are supplemented by Siemens based solutions which can be chosen via app and data Cloud “MindSphere”.