PJL-22

A.Celli Nonwovens S.p.A. creates the ”Wingformer”: a new technology for Airlaid formation

In Lucca, the largest paper district of Europe, a lot of companies deal with technology and services for the world of paper and tissue. As far as machinery, one of the world leading companies in the field of nonwovens winders and slitters is born: A.Celli Nonwovens S.p.A., “twin sister” of A.Celli Paper S.p.A.

Perini Journal


Perini Journal has recently interviewed Alessandro Celli, A.Celli Nonwovens’ Managing Director, soon after the presentation in Sorrento (Italy) of Celli’s latest creation: the Wingformer. This new machine has been generated by a new technology that may revolutionise the world of airlaid production. We asked Alessandro Celli some questions aimed at better understanding how this vocation for nonwovens was born and how it developed.


WHEN AND WHY DID A.CELLI START TO INVEST IN THE FIELD OF NONWOVENS?

The Nonwovens winders and slitter rewinders became part of the production range of A.Celli about 30 years ago, when we had the idea to apply a superior, faster, more evolved and reliable technology like paper technology to nonwovens machinery, which was a traditionally textile-related industry. The idea was very successful because we overcame all the speed limitations, performance and reliability problems related to the textile winders used then in the nonwovens industry.


WHAT IS THE COMPANY PROFILE OF A.CELLI AND WHICH ARE THE MAIN PRODUCTS WITH WHICH IT ENTERED THE MARKET, GAINING A WORLDWIDE SHARE OF 60%?

Following the establishment of the two separate companies, A.Celli Nonwovens can count on a 100-people staff; it is located on a 13,000 square metre production facility and has a turnover that exceeded 18 million Euro in 2003.

Last year we achieved the important goal of 300 nonwovens machines delivered; 150 nonwovens lines using our winders and slitter rewinders with the automatic “Slittomatic” positioning system are currently active worldwide. Today, with more than 30 patents filed, we are world leader in the production of winders, slitters, complementary equipment and software for the automation of high productivity lines in the field of light nonwovens (5 to 400 g/square metre).

Nonwovens are used for hygiene products, wipes, filtration, products for the field of farming and many others. They are produced through a variety of technologies such as spunbond, meltblown, spunlace, through-air-dried, carded and airlaid. For the latter we have created a revolutionary technology as far as the forming process is concerned.


WHY AIRLAID? AND WHY CELLI?

This is probably the most common question I have heard since we started promoting our innovative Airlaid Forming system, “The Wingformer”.

Well, we had a scope: “Making Airlaid forming a better technology, a technology which could benefit from the many evolutions, field experiences and years of development coming from the best paper technology”. This is exactly what we had already done with great success in the field of winders and slitter-rewinders, applying paper technology to nonwovens machinery. Airlaid has many similarities to paper making except for the fact that the medium to deposit the fibres is air instead of water. Our water-based pulp formers are far more sophisticated than airlaid ones and have many more controlling and monitoring systems installed on board in order to guarantee capacity, quality and uniformity.


HOW DID YOU REACH THE CONCLUSION THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO INVEST IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE NONWOVENS FIELD? WHICH STRATEGIES DID YOU PUT INTO PRACTICE BEFORE CREATING A RESEARCH PROJECT?

We were encouraged to do this also through our close relationship with Airlaid producers such as Buckeye, Concert and Duni, who already use our winders and slitter-rewinders for their production lines.

They often complained about the low productivity and efficiency levels of their previous formers and for the airlaid web profile, which they would have liked to improve.

In addition to this, many of our tissue making customers and nonwovens making customers demonstrated a strong interest in airlaid and airlaid combined fabrics prompting us to consider the development of this technology. So the idea came natural to us: why not apply a superior and more evolved technology – deriving from paper making – in order to overcome all those issues affecting current airlaid formers?


WHICH WERE THE FIRST STAGES OF THE WINGFORMER PROJECT?

We performed an airlaid market analysis focussing on technologies available and patents. Special care was paid to avoiding potential patent infringement. Most importantly, we had to embark on a radically different development strategy in order to produce something really innovative.

After completing the analysis of current technology, we carried out a survey interviewing airlaid producers in order to better understand their needs and requirements.


WHAT FEEDBACK AND INFORMATION DID YOU RECEIVE FROM YOUR CUSTOMERS? From this survey we obtained very interesting results that confirmed our impression of the need for a new technology in order to improve several issues. The need for a more stable formation quality and better uniformity of deposit was one of the most pressing issues. The ability to use a wide range of fibres, with particular focus on the possibility to use longer fibres was also very frequently requested.

Productivity of course was a key factor, related to capacity of deposit and efficiency of the system. Another strong need that emerged was for a higher degree of automation, with better monitoring and controlling systems of the main working parameters. Reliability stood out as one of the key factors as it relates strongly to the efficiency of the whole production line, to maintenance and labour costs and to the costs generated by production losses.

The need for a self-cleaning system to avoid fibres clogging into the system was also clear. In summary, the cost factors related to operating costs of energy, labour, and capital investment were declared of great importance in today’s highly competitive market.


WHICH WAS THE DEVELOPMENT TIME OF THE PROJECT AND WHICH RESOURCES DID YOU USE?

The project officially started in the second quarter of 2000, even if preliminary studies took place long before that. With such ambitious targets in mind, we set up a research team working full time in our R&D center.

The team was composed of paper technology experts whose main job was to adapt the most sophisticated paper knowledge to air forming. Experts with direct experience in airlaid making were also involved in our team. The knowledge of years of field tests and practical applications and a group of young mechanical, electronic and software engineers with an open and fresh mind were also brought in, to foster the innovation capabilities of our R&D Team.


WHEN DID YOU GET THE FIRST RESULTS?

The research and development work finally led to our definitive project by the middle of 2002, when we applied for three international patents covering the entire system, the “Wingformer” as we named it.

As we completed also all the construction drawings, we started the manufacturing phase of two formers, that brought us to have them fully built and erected in our workshop at the beginning of 2003, ready for pre-testing.


WHAT RESULTS IS THE WINGFORMER HAVING IN THE WORLD OF NONWOVENS?

We would like to take this chance to thank the Rieter Group and in particular Rieter Perfojet who immediately recognised the value of our “Wingformer”. With them we have started a very important cooperation for the testing of our pilot former installed at their Technical Center in Montbonnot, Grenoble, France. One of the two formers was, in fact, delivered to Rieter-Perfojet in the first quarter of last year.

The new 1,200 square meter Rieter Perfojet showroom has today two pilot machines, one for spunbonded fabrics and the latest and newest for spunlacing-airlaid testing.

This new Center represents today a unique facility where spunbonded, carded, spunlaced, calendered, through-air dried, and airlaid technologies can meet and be extensively tested in any combination possible. We are proud to be part of this ambitious project and prestigious Technical Center and also very satisfied with the cooperation established with Rieter.

Both lines working in the Center are equipped with A.Celli winders, while the new spunlaced-airlaid line is also equipped with the innovative “Wingformer” from A.Celli Nonwovens.


WHICH RESULTS DID THE TESTS ON THE PILOT MACHINE PROVIDE?

The pilot machine was fully erected in June 2003 and that is when we started our extensive tests. Today we can say that we are ready to present our system to the market and show it and test it with our customers.

“The Wingformer” up to now has been working primarily with cellulose fibres of different types, treated, semi-treated and untreated. The results with pulp have been very promising and under many aspects beyond our highest expectations.

Productivity with semi-treated exceeds 450 Kg/h/meter and the rate is even higher with treated pulp. Remarkable results have been achieved in terms of 3D fibre deposit. To do this we are using an integrated scanning system working in a closed loop, that checks out fibre deposit in terms of basis weight profile and humidity and automatically adjusts the appropriate working parameters. The ambitious aim of producing a forming system which could effectively use a wide range of fibres including pulp, synthetic, natural and bi-component fibres has always been very clear in our priorities. Particular focus was paid to using longer fibres and powder-like products such as SAP.


HAVE YOU BEEN SUPPORTED BY RESEARCH CENTRES IN CARRYING OUT YOUR STUDIES? HOW MUCH HAVE YOU BROUGHT IN FROM THE WORLD OF PAPER?

Distribution of fibres has been studied through a mathematical model, thanks to the support of the “Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna” of the University of Pisa. Fiber distribution is analysed and then adjusted at several phases: before entering the “Wingformer”, at the entrance, during the distribution to the former, in the former, at the distribution wings and finally during deposit on the forming wire.

Key factor to produce a unique randomisation of fibres and confer a very good CD/MD tensile strength to the formed fabric is constituted by the wings.

Paper technologies in general have been used considering dimensioning of all parts with extra accurate, low tolerance machining on numerically controlled tooling equipment for all major components. The cleaning system is a very important device designed to keep fibers from clogging in any part of the machine during the forming phases. Here again we have taken advantage of our extensive knowledge.

The result is a superior construction, something which the airlaid industry was not used to.


WHICH DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST RELEVANT AND DECISIVE ASPECTS OF THIS NEW AIRLAID FORMING TECHNOLOGY?

First of all the higher production capacity and the enhanced wire profile, which result in the possibility to form light sheets with a very good fiber randomisation at a very high production rate. Further advantages are represented by the Wingformer’s reliability and reduced maintenance, achieved thanks to this project’s patented innovations and to the excellent mechanical structure and electronics-software integration.


CAN WE CONCLUDE THAT THE WINGFORMER REPRESENTS A SORT OF LINK BETWEEN PAPER AND NONWOVENS?

Definitely, airlaid is half-way between paper and nonwovens, having characteristics of both products. The Wingformer itself represents the trait d’union between paper and nonwovens: and this is exactly what A.Celli is today! •

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