NEEDLE PUNCHING PROCESS – A
TECHNOLOGICAL REVIEW
R.Senthil Kumar,
S.Gowri,
S.Sundaresan,
Department of Textile Technology,
Kumaraguru College of Technology,
Coimbatore-06
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1. Introduction:
The basic concept employed in making a nonwoven fabric is to transform fiber based
materials into two-dimensional sheet structures with fabric-like properties such as
flexibility, porosity, and mechanical integrity. The nonwoven manufacturing process
can be basically consist of web laying and web bonding. Among the web bonding
methods needle punching is a very exciting and diverse trade involving technology
for natural, synthetic fibres and their blends. Needle punched fabrics are extensively
used in automobiles, geotextiles, filtration, insulation and roofing materials. This
paper give a broad outlook about the needle punching process, parameters influencing
the process, different needle structure, advances in technology and application of the
needle punched product in various field.
2. Bonding Technology in the Nonwoven process:
Fig.1 – Classification of bonding in Nonwoven process
A fabric consisting of an assembly of textile fibres (oriented in one direction or in a
random manner) held together (1) by mechanical interlocking; (2) by fusing of
thermoplastic fibres, or (3) by bonding with a rubber, starch, glue, casein, latex, or a
cellulose derivative or synthetic resin. Mechanical bonding can be classified into
hydro entanglement and needle punching process.
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3.0 Needle Punching – Definition:
A physical method of mechanically interlocking fibres webs by using barbed needles
to reposition some of the fibres from a horizontal to a vertical orientation. Thousands
of needles interlock fibers in a web
3.1 Needle Punching - Process Sequence:
The Process sequence of needle punching process is as follows:
Fig.2 – Needle Punching - Process Sequence
4.0 Principle of Needle Punching Process
A needlepunched nonwoven is a fabric made from webs or bat