Fraunhofer Institute To Demonstrate Fibre Dynamics Simulation Software For Nonwovens

New Products and Innovation

Fraunhofer Institute To Demonstrate Fibre Dynamics Simulation Software For Nonwovens

Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics (ITWM) in Kaiserslautern, Germany, has developed a special type of software called Fibre Dynamics Simulation Tool (FDYST), designed to make the production of nonwoven products more efficient and flexible.

The innovation will be demonstrated at INDEX17 exhibition which is scheduled to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from April 4 to April 7.

FIDYST has made it possible for the first time to simulate the movement of fibres in turbulent air currents. In the production of nonwoven materials, fibres or threads are stretched with the aid of air and deposited onto a conveyor belt.

Depending on the speed and temperature of the air stream, a nonwoven product with the desired structure, density and strength results is achieved. FIDYST computes how precisely fibres move in the airflow and in which orientation they land on the conveyor belt.

After simulating the airflow, users merely have to enter the material properties of the fibres in the software which simulates the dynamic behaviour of thousands of fibres. Even fibre mixtures can be simulated with the software. The result can be visualised in a 3D representation.

Equipped with this data, manufacturers can improve the air flow in a targeted manner. This results in a nonwoven fabric with the desired specification while at the same time reducing energy and raw material consumption, according to researchers.

The software simulation can calculate that by changing the configuration of the machine, fewer fibres are needed to produce a nonwoven fabric with the desired structure and strength.

The Fraunhofer tool not only benefits the textile manufacturers who want to precisely configure their machines for every desired nonwoven product. Mechanical engineers can also use it to create machines which are as efficient and flexible as possible, according to Dr Simone Gramsch, FIDYST Project Manager at ITWM.