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Friction Is In Demand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Simply put, extruded synthetic fiber filaments resembling fishing lines are heated, mechanically twisted and stretched during texturing. That means they come out of the unit faster than they were fed into it. At enormous speed, the threads are conducted over several rotary running discs with rough surfaces as though they were on a slalom course. These rotating discs, called friction discs, come from FST.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To create them, the Lead Center in Schwalmstadt applies a polyurethane (PU) covering all around a circular plastic carrier part. The two components \u2013 carrier and PU \u2013 claw into one another mechanically. \u201cWe developed the PU especially for Temco, and we are continuing to improve it,\u201d said \u00adWebelhuth. Initially, the discs\u2019 lifespan was a few weeks. \u00adToday, they can function for two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In technical terms, the main challenge facing polyester is called avivage, an agent used to enhance the spinning process. Before being processed, polyester yarn is soaked in the agent. But it attacks classic polyurethane aggressively. To combat the problem, FST has identified a suitable material that withstands avivage. A slight swelling of the material compensates for the mechanical abrasion of the disc. When viewed through a microscope, the polyurethane surface that provides the traction has a so-called \u201corange peel\u201d look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A word about the magnitude of the business.: Four to six rotary discs from FST are at work in each of the Temco units. In a single texturing machine, there are about 2,500 of these units, bringing the total to 10,000 to 15,000 FST parts. In turn, each yarn producer has hundreds of these mega-machines. So it is no surprise that FST has been providing several million texturing discs just to market leader Temco annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Staying On Track<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It could soon be even more. Until now, \u00adTemco has focused exclusively on the texturing of polyester, the most commonly used synthetic fiber in clothing. Thanks to a further development of FST\u2019s polyurethane, the texturing disc can also be used for polyamide yarns. The impact on the business has been positive: In more and more textile machines, Temco friction discs from FST are replacing the ceramic discs currently in use for polyamide. Here as well, the \u201cmade by Freudenberg\u201d PU discs are impressive for their convenient handling, good value for the money, and their robust, reliable performance over the long haul. That ensures high yarn quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAvivage, which has been so challenging for our polyurethane, is not used with polyamide. But here we have another tough task,\u201d said Thomas Weber, the Account Manager responsible for Temco at Sales General Industry. Without avivage, the disc\u2019s initial roughness is polished smooth after just a few weeks of use. \u201cIt is as if you had put wet-weather tires on a Formula 1 car racing on dry pavement. After a few circuits, the tread and the traction are gone, and you slide out of the next turn,\u201d Weber said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the Lead Center has also found a solution for this problem. It includes a tiny additive in the polyurethane \u2013 its exact nature is not being disclosed. These minuscule particles are not bonded firmly into the PU matrix. During operation, they break away and keep the surface from becoming smooth from the abrasion. \u201cWe maintain a surface that resembles a rough moonscape under the microscope and reforms again and again when there is more abrasion,\u201d said \u00adWebelhuth. Field tests and comparative studies show a minimum lifespan of 24 months for the discs, which Temco markets as Nanodiscs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn addition to technical expertise, development work in the textile industry requires stamina over a period of years,\u201d Weber said. \u201cWe have that, and it is starting to pay off with polyamide as well.\u201d The approach is efficient and practical: The Lead Center can process the new discs for use with polyamide in Schwalmstadt, using the same tools that it uses for the standard discs for polyester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So next time you are getting dressed in the morning and standing in front of a mirror, give some thought to a real possibility: The synthetic fibers woven into your clothing might well have come into contact with friction discs from Freudenberg.<\/p>\n