The manufacturers of protective suits are currently pushing extra shifts. The protective nonwovens are produced on sieve and fabric belts such as those used by Siebfabrik Arthur Maurer GmbH & Co. KG in Mössingen-Öschingen.
Christoph Leppla, managing director of the Siebfabrik, explains the process: According to him, the material for protective suits is a special non-woven fabric made of synthetic material which is very thin, light, extremely tear-resistant and breathable. Depending on the design, it offers high resistance to water, abrasion, aging and prevents the penetration of bacteria and viruses. Special nonwovens are produced with the so-called meltblown process. The sieve belts of the sieve factory play a key role here as process belts that perform their function reliably and without interruption. In the meltblown process, polymers are melted and then sprayed onto the collecting belt as ultrafine microfibres via spinnerets. The high-temperature resistant sieve belts of the sieve factory ensure that the microfibers are deposited homogeneously and the desired surface and structure is created.
"The screens are produced in Germany on modern precision looms," says Leppla. In the field of research, the sieve factory works, for example, with the German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF), the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM and Nanoval GmbH & Co. KG (Berlin). In order to ensure a high degree of supply availability and to be able to meet the increased demand from customers, the company has ramped up its production and is maintaining forward-looking warehousing. The sieve factory also plays it safe when it comes to service and has a contingent of qualified fitters on hand for its customers.