Designed Specifically for Tissue Grades

With a unique Warp Self Binding (WSB) triple-layer design, FILCON’s TT-800J was developed to help tissue-makers increase their productivity and performance. The combination of “High Fiber Support” and “High Drainage Capability” offered by the TT-800J is reflected in benchmark performances on over 100 high-speed tissue machines worldwide. It also offers improved sheet formation by reducing both “Pin Holes” and “Fiber Carry Back.” For these reasons FILCON’s TT- 800J has received high accolades from many customers.

Best Match to Today’s High-speed Machines

The key feature of gap type tissue machines, such as Crescent Formers and Twin Wire Formers, is the ultra-fast formation of the sheet. As the furnish is injected via the headbox, the impingement is captured and formed in the fabric instantaneously. Within this ultra-fast forming process, critical sheet quality properties, such as formation, tensile strength and porosity, must be developed. FILCON’s research team reveals that the ideal forming fabrics for high-speed machines should provide two performance-specific attributes; “Very High Fiber Support” and “High Drainage Capability under hydraulic load.”

Advantage 1: Better Drainage

- Removing a drainage inhibitor (binding weft yarn, retarded drainage binder)

Achieving better drainage is FILCON’s top priority throughout its design processes. In WSB designs, the warp is used as the binding yarn that brings together the sheet side and machine side layers. Because of this weave structure, WSB offers immense flexibility to improve sheet side mesh structure and yarn diameter that are critical to ensuring required grade and property. In a common SSB (Shute Supporting Binder) type triple-layer design, by contrast, the Shute (weft) is used as the binding yarn between sheet side and machine side layers. This binding yarn structure disturbs drainage through the layers. The Fig. 1 illustrates the structural differences between WSB and SSB, demonstrating smoother and improved drainage provided by WSB.

Fig. 1: Drainage Path of WSB and SSB

TT-800J WSB

Common SSB

Advantage 2: Better Fiber Support

- More sheet side shute yarns, correct pitch, and a long float yarn system

Fig. 2: Fiber Length Distribution

Fig. 3: Long Float Yarn System

WSB design allows for a significant increase the number of shute yarns. One important result of this is enhancement of fiber support properties. While designing the TT-800J specifically for tissue grade, our R&D team focused on fiber length and orientation. For LBKP, a key component of the furnish, the length of short fibers ranges from 0.25－1.5mm with an average approximately 0.9mm (Fig. 2). Based on the finding that fibers >0.4mm occupy over 96% of all fibers including NBKP (long fibers), the team designed the weft yarn pitch so that the sheet surface can be formed over two weft yarns for fibers >0.4mm (Fig. 3). Fibers >0.60mm, which occupy over 80% of the total furnish, are formed over three shute yarns. This results in a tissue fabric structure with stable fiber support.

For the paper side, our R&D team designed a long float yarn system (Length: 0.96mm), using a ratio of one sheet side shute to three warp yarns (1/3 structure, also referred to as “Satin Weave”). This long float yarn system greatly improves MD fiber orientation (a key characteristic in tissue paper). This creates a huge advantage in terms of strength in the formed sheet. In order to meet ever-increasing demands for better drainage and sheet quality, TT-800J incorporates a combination of optimum weft yarn pitch (number of yarns) and long float yarn system. This makes it possible for short LBKP fibers to get onto the weft yarn in a stable manner (Bridge effect).

Proven Performance

Fig. 4: Improved Sheet Formation

Fig. 5: FCB Reduction Improves Operation

One of the world’s leading tissue makers decided to switch from a conventional SSB to Filcon’s TT-800J triple-layer WSB for their Crescent Formers. Today, the TT-800J enjoys 100% share for the company’s key tissue machines. We owe this success to improved sheet formation with less Pin Holes and Fiber Carry Back.

Example 1
– Improved Sheet Formation Index: Reduced Pin Hole count
Extensive trials demonstrated that TT-800J’s WSB structure results in formation index improvements by 35% over SSB while maintaining adequate drainage capability. These positive results on improvement (Fig. 4) on a range of tissue machines has led to several production teams changing over to our TT- 800J fabric.

Example 2
– Reduced Fiber Carry Back (FCB)
TT-800J design characteristics are a combination of low void volume, low obstruction, high drainage, and excellent fiber support. Data collected from several machines proved that the percentage of FCB was significantly lower on machines running our TT-800J. Compared to other fabric designs, the TT-800J reduced FCB by 66－77% (Fig. 5), which contributes to more stable machine operation.

Future R&D Initiatives

In an ongoing effort to meet the ever-changing needs and expectations of our customers, FILCON FABRICS continues to undertake R&D initiatives toward next generation fabric designs. Leveraging the advantages of established with the TT-800J, we will further accelerate R&D efforts to be the industry’s technology leader.