The investment supports client product development, sustainability and manufacturing innovation.
Nonwoven Innovation & Research Institute (NIRI) has completed an upgrade to their existing meltblown system, installing new equipment and expanding their extensive facilities to further help clients across a whole host of applications.
NIRI
The meltblown system will be of particular relevance for R&D; pilot projects; sampling and prototyping; proof of concept testing, as well as designing cost-effective products.
The availability of meltblown technology has been high on the nonwoven agenda during the last year given its critical usage in medical-grade textiles throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including Type II and Type IIR face masks, FFP2, FFP3 and N95 respirators, and PPE more generally.
NIRI’s upgraded laboratory and pilot system from Fibre Extrusion Technology (FET) can process a wide range of polymer types often involving difficult-to-process materials, including standard polymers; engineering polymers; high temperature polymers; corrosive and aggressive polymers, and sustainable and biomedical polymers.
Dr Matthew Tipper, CEO at NIRI explained: “We were mindful when specifying the new equipment as we wanted to invest in the most flexible and adaptable technology available, to enable the development of a wide range of nonwoven structures — with the potential to develop unique filament and mechanical properties to further facilitate our clients’ R&D and prototyping.”
NIRI’s new meltblown equipment includes a cutting-edge computerised control system for monitoring and managing all parameters, including temperature, pressure, speed and recipes. The software associated with the control system features quality verification for the entire process, as well as highly flexible reports and a combined display of data, alarms and events to trace cause and effect, offering the greatest range of options for R&D and prototyping.
Found across numerous sectors, the applications of meltblown technology are varied, from use within the specialist biomedical field for the manufacturing of medical devices, tissue support and surgical meshes, to use within the healthcare field for sanitary products, including feminine hygiene products and adult incontinence aids. Filtration applications (both liquid and gaseous) include cleanroom filters and industrial respirators.
The thermal insulation properties of meltblown nonwovens make them particularly suitable for both general and functional fabrics within apparel, including disposable industrial apparel.
Dr Ross Ward, NIRI’s new business development manager, said that the company is "keenly interested in exploring the wider opportunities for meltblown nonwovens, such as developing products from bio-derived polymers, chemically recycled polymers and novel masterbatches with enhanced functionality".