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Smart Surface Technology

New Dryer fabrics based on Smart Surface Technology™ (SST)

AstenJohnson is leading the way with structured surfaces in our dryer fabrics. These surfaces help keep the fabric cleaner, hence prolonging the life of our product. We have over 2,000 successful installations of this design, MicroTec™, worldwide. You can count on AstenJohnson to develop new products to benefit your operations!

The Smart Surface Technology™design in MicroTec™ utilises longitudinal grooved monofilaments in the machine direction. This takes advantage of the well known controlled surface roughness effect for improved contamination management in the dryer section.

The micro-grooved yarns create a Lotus Leaf effect

Contamination Management

The controlled roughness of microstructures on «cleanability» (Lotus leaf effect) is found to be duplicated in the «cleanability» of Smart Surface Technology™ fabrics as well.

In the early stage, the fine structured shape of the MD yarns provides an effective deterrent to contamination by reducing the surface for the adhesion of dirt particles.

Furthermore, thanks to the modified fabric surface of the patented AstenJohnson MicroTec™ design, smaller particles tend to detach in the early stages of agglomeration (self cleaning effect). Once a critical size of dirt agglomeration is reached, this could lead to problems of uneven sheet quality. This easy-to-clean surface is also strengthened by grooved channels, which help to evacuate the dirt particles. All of these results in a fabric with a longer lifetime on the paper machine.

Successful Further Developments

In the meantime, AstenJohnson’s Smart Surface Technology™ product family has extended to include new designs CleanTec™and SpeedTec™. In the case of CleanTec™, the fabric construction has been modified so that the dryer fabric offers a higher number of contact points and a pronounced surface topography. Thereby improving the management of particularly persistent contamination.

CleanTec

CleanTec Surface


CleanTec Contact Points

CleanTec Contact Points

In a first field trial, CleanTec™ was installed on a modern, testliner and fluting paper machine with a speed range of 1100-1400 mpm in the 6th single tier position. As it was the first position in the dryer section without a high pressure cleaning system, there was an issue with the high amount of contamination that was permanently deposited on the fabric. By using the CleanTec™ design, not only was the accumulation of dirt reduced, but the lifetime was doubled as well! This is because the decrease in air permeability in CleanTec™ could be delayed significantly.
CleanTec Maintains Permeability

CleanTec Maintains Permeability

In a more challenging application of bleached MG-Kraft paper (65gsm) production, the additional chemical fabric cleaning in the 1st Uno Run position could be made redundant by using CleanTec™ and its accompanying contamination management benefit.

CleanTec on 1st Uno Run

CleanTec on 1st Uno Run

In a coated fine paper application, CleanTec™ prevented the problem of passing on contamination to the outside roll in the critical 3rd position – as compared to predecessor designs – and also ensure a perfect cleanliness of the dryer fabric.

CleanTec on 3rd Position

CleanTec on 3rd Position

Due to these extremely positive field trials the air permeability range of CleanTec™has been expanded so that the application spectrum could be enlarged. Here the contact surface for the expanded perm range is kept constant through constructive techniques.

First Class Products and Services

These new dryer fabric developments strengthen AstenJohnson’s reputation as an innovative manufacturer of high performance dryer fabrics, meeting the demanding and complex requirements of modern paper machines day after day. AstenJohnson offers a wide range of customized products for any challenge in the dryer section.