FET Project

Applications:

• Melt spinning systems for multifilament
and monofilaments
• Melt blown systems for non-woven
structures
• Wet spinning systems for filaments and
fibres

Production methods:

FET customers manufacture high value textile materials, in demanding and precise environments. They expect FET to provide yarn and fibre engineering knowhow and extrusion equipment which will allow them to consistently produce fibres of the highest quality and to be able to meet required regulatory standards.

• Biomedical materials, such as resorbable polymers for use in medical devices

• Specialized novel fibres from exotic and difficult to process polymers

• Sustainable polymers, biodegradable and composting materials

• Melt spun fibres and yarns and textiles for a wide range of composites

• Functional textile materials, provided by polymer formulation or additives

Material used

The most important polymers used are: PGA, PLLA and their copolymers, but also others such as PDO, PHA, p(G-TMC) and PCL.

Description of the technology

Motan Colortronic (UK) Ltd has a long-standing partnership with FET as a system supplier and developer for peripheral equipment. Dry air dryers, dosing systems, conveyor systems and system components from Motan Colortronic are regularly used at FET.

The development of the first prototype of such a system dates back to 2012. At that time, FET was approached by a market leader about the possibility of offering a turnkey solution for biomedical materials, such as resorbable polymers for use in sutures and medical devices.

In collaboration with Motan Colortronic and in technical co-operation with suppliers of synthetic resorbable polymers, FET decided to develop this ground-breaking process.

With the newly developed system, high-performance yarns can be produced using the melt spinning process. This means that materials costing over £2500,- per kilogramme can be processed. Production takes place in a mostly clean room.

As absorbable polymers are very sensitive to degradation, a low and uniform moisture content of the material is required, among other things.

Description of the technology

FET attaches great importance to using standard components wherever possible. Dry air dryers, usually small dryers, are used for drying.

The dryer is placed outside the clean room for the usually low throughputs. Drying then takes place in batches. The dried material can then be placed in hermetically insulated glass containers from the motan portfolio on the extruder in the cleanroom without contamination. For this purpose, FET has developed a special quick-lock system that is adapted to the standard glass containers.

If dosing of additives is required, gravimetric dosing and mixing systems are used.

Design data

• Throughput: 3 to 8 kg/hr

• Drying: max 10 kg/h

• Operating voltage: 440 V/60Hz

Components

Conveying (if required)

  • METRO HBS

  • METRO G

Dosing and mixing (if required)

  • GRAVICOLOR

Drying

  • LUXOR dryer

Special challenges

The variety of applications is a particular challenge. Depending on the application, small dryers for low throughputs or drying systems with dew point and air volume control are used, for example. Depending on the requirements, materials are also supplied automatically with a conveying system or manually. If aggregates are required, a gravimetric dosing system is also used.

All these components must be optimally selected and harmonised for the respective requirements and for the overall process.

Comments

After finalising the new developments, the first system was installed and delivered to the customer's complete satisfaction. Since then, further systems have been and are regularly supplied to FET with the complete Motan accessory programme for their customers all over the world.