Multilayer Creping Belt Structure for Higher Caliper Tissue
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing creping structures, whether woven or polymeric, face limitations in forming diverse opening sizes and shapes, leading to constraints in achieving higher caliper and softness in paper products, while also allowing unwanted fiber passage that affects production efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A multilayer creping belt with a flexible thermoplastic top layer and a supportive bottom layer, allowing for diverse opening configurations and preventing fiber passage, is used to crepe the nascent web.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If woven structuring fabrics are used for creping, then strength and dimensional stability are improved, but the variety and size of openings are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The belt is divided into multiple layers: a woven fabric layer that provides strength and dimensional stability, and a thermoplastic layer that can be formed with diverse opening patterns. This segmentation allows each layer to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining woven fabric and thermoplastic materials. The woven fabric provides mechanical strength while the thermoplastic layer, which can be extruded or molded with various patterns, provides the desired opening configurations for web shaping.
2Shape
If openings are made larger in polymeric belts, then caliper and softness are improved, but fiber passage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The belt structure transitions from a two-dimensional woven fabric to a three-dimensional multilayer construction. The thermoplastic layer is molded or extruded to create domed regions with controlled openings, adding vertical dimension and allowing larger openings without compromising the underlying fabric's ability to retain fibers.
3Ease of manufacture
If monolithic polymeric material is used for belt structure, then ease of manufacture is improved, but strength and stretch resistance are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The belt is divided into multiple layers: a woven fabric layer that provides strength and dimensional stability, and a thermoplastic layer that can be formed with diverse opening patterns. This segmentation allows each layer to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining woven fabric and thermoplastic materials. The woven fabric provides mechanical strength while the thermoplastic layer, which can be extruded or molded with various patterns, provides the desired opening configurations for web shaping.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A method of creping a cellulosic sheet The method includes preparing a nascent web from an aqueous papermaking furnish, depositing and creping the nascent web on a multi-layer creping belt that includes (i) a first layer (502) made from a polymeric material having a plurality of openings (506), and (ii) a second layer (504) attached to a surface of the first layer, with the nascent web being deposited on the first layer, and applying a vacuum to the creping belt such that the nascent web is drawn into the plurality of openings, but not drawn into the second layer.