Customized Wet Felt Constructions

Appleton Millsabric division of Appleton Mills provides a series of customized wet felts for modern paper machines. The Am Mesh is a flexible, single-layer, batt-on-mesh felt that provides excellent drainage, stability, and runnability, according to the company. By using various batt compositions and needling procedures, it can be applied to many different positions and paper grades. Am Flex1 is an extremely durable, single-layer batt-on-mesh design using cabled monofilament in the cross direction for a tough but pliable and flexible felt with extra void volume and compaction resistance.

Am Flex 2 is a double-layer batt-on-mesh design also using cabled monofilament in the cross direction. It is more flexible than most double-layer felts and has extra void volume and compaction resistance. It is a suitable design to handle large volumes of water. The Am Flex 2S is a double-layer batt-on-mesh with cabled monofilament in the cross direction. It provides 50% more sheet side yarns and a uniform pressing surface for improved sheet finish and drying. The more open spacing of the roll-side yarns ensures excellent water removal.

The Am Flex 3S has a triple-layer weave pattern that provides a smooth, uniform sheet side surface and a coarser, more open roll side surface. The resulting felt gives excellent startup and drying rates, yet maintains its void volume and water handling capabilities. The open roll side structure resists contaminants. The Pinnacle felt has a surface layer of non-woven cellular materials to create a more uniform pressing surface. This layer provides a high degree of contact and leads to improved sheet smoothness and higher sheet dryness levels.

Am Plus is a double-layer, batt-on-mesh fabric woven with cabled monofilament or multifilament in the machine direction and monofilament in the cross direction. Either design minimizes compaction and filling. The two-layer weave gives added void volume for improved water handling. The Am Plex 2 and Am Plus Plex constructions provide superior finish and a uniform pressing surface for optimum water removal. They have an ability to bridge across suction holes and grooves in the press roll. Am Plus 2S is a double-layer batt-on-mesh design with single monofilament in the cross direction. A stratified weave pattern provides 50% more sheet side yarns for improved sheet finish and drying. The more open spacing of the roll side yarns provides void space and flow channels for excellent water removal.

Am Seam is a multi-layer, batt-on-mesh incorporating a pin seam to ease installation. This construction should be considered on applications requiring a great deal of time for felt changes or those requiring high void volume. The AM PLI Series is one of the new multi-base style press felts. Improved needling technology and a new generation of batt fibers and base yarns provide improved toughness and energy absorption to eliminate press variation. AM Comb 3 is a triple-layer, batt-on-mesh design with two independent base fabrics. The cross direction yarn can be single monofilament or cabled monofilament.

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