Batson Expands Nonwovens Machinery Line
Greenville, SC: In a move to expand their services to the nonwoven industry, Batson Group, Inc., recently announced their newly formed sales relationship with Fleissner, GmbH. Batson through their sales association with American Truetzschler, will now market, in the United States and Canada, Fleissner's spunlace and chemical bonding systems as well as their belt and perforated drum ovens. Fleissner, together with Truetzschler GmbH and Erko-Truetzschler GmbH, forms a powerful trio of manufacturers well known in the nonwovens industry.
Founded in 1848, Fleissner has a rich history amongst German manufacturers. Hans Fleissner led his company into the nonwovens arena in 1929 after obtaining his first through-air dryer patent. Many years of research, development and manufacturing in other industries eventually lead to the 1995 release of Fleissner's AquaJet spunlace system. It has been used successfully since then for the bonding of all kinds of nonwovens, light-weight to heavy-weight. Working widths range from 1.2 meters to 5.4 meters. For working widths of more than 5 meters, Fleissner developed the Jumbo AquaJet.
Advantages of the AquaJet and Jumbo AquaJet spunlace systems include production of nonwovens from natural fibers, synthetic fibers and spunbond webs; a weight range of 20 to 80 grams/meter²; and a standard speed range from 5 to 300 meters/minute. However, speeds of up to 900 meters/minute are possible for spunbond applications.
Ten years later in 2005, Fleissner released the highly efficient LeanJet which was specifically designed for the majority of applications with production speeds of up to 150 meters/minute. The LeanJet offered an attractive investment cost, a shorter payback period and the same quality end product as their AquaJet model.
Other LeanJet features include working widths of 1.2 meters, 1.8 meters, 2.6 meters and 3.6 meters; lower energy consumption due to optimized injector and jet strip geometry; a highly efficient filtration system for PET, PP, and viscose; and a modified filtration system for cotton and other fibers.
The newest member of the Fleissner hydroentanglement family is the MiniJet. Nicely priced, the MiniJet services the needs of institutes and other companies requiring research and development work, producers in niche markets as well as newcomers to the nonwovens world.
Container-built for easy transportation, the MiniJet minimizes the cost of erection and commissioning. And it accommodates all synthetic and natural fibers. Other MiniJet features include working widths of 500 to 1,000 mm; and speeds of up to 55 meters/minute.
For many years, Fleissner has also supplied components, such as foam padders and dryers, for standard chemical bonding processes. Recently they introduced a higher speed chemical bonding system that has proved to be very successful. The process involves light pre-entangling of card webs with the Fleissner AquaJet, de-watering of the web by suction and then chemical bonding with a foam padder. Other features include production speeds of up to 200 meters/minute, higher tensile strength of the web and better distribution of the binder in the dewatered moist web. Existing lines can be upgraded to this new high speed version.
Finally, for thermobonding processing, Fleissner manufactures a line of belt ovens for high loft products and materials with poor air permeability. Nominal working widths range from 2,200 mm to 7,200 mm. Gas, oil or steam heating is available. And, the temperature uniformity across a web width is ± 1.5%. Applications include coating substrates, fiberfill webs, upholstery webs, industrial nonwovens, automotive nonwovens, geotextiles, household wipes, textile finishing and more.
The Fleissner perforated drum systems can also be used for thermobonding, heatsetting, with or without needle rings, and for drying processes. Depending on the application, the omega type or multiple drum design can be selected. These systems allow air-permeable fabrics up to 3,000 g/m², fabric thickness up to 50 mm and speeds of more than 1,000 meters/minute.
Family-owned and operated for six decades and three generations, Louis P. Batson Company, along with its affiliates Batson Group, Inc., and Louis P. Batson Incorporated, is a full-service provider of industrial machinery, accessories, spare parts, plant supplies and technical service.
For more information on the Fleissner product line plus Batson's complete array of products, visit our website at www.lpbatson.com.
