Fibre Extrusion Technology installs Spunbond melt spinning system at University of Leeds

Fibre Extrusion Technology Ltd. (FET, Leeds, U.K.) has completed the installation and commissioning of a new FET laboratory spunbond melt spinning system for the University of Leeds.

Now an integral part of the research facilities of the CCTMIH (Clothworkers’ Centre for Textile Materials Innovation for Healthcare) led by Prof. Stephen Russell based in the School of Design, University of Leeds, the spunbond system “is perfectly suited to our academic research work, and is already proving itself to be extremely versatile and intuitive to use,” according to Russell. 

The melt spinning system also reportedly complements existing research lab facilities at the university, which covers all areas of fiber and fabric processing, physical testing and characterization. It forms part of a wider investment in facilities to support fundamental, academic research on “future manufacturing” for medical devices, where the focus is on studying small-scale processing of unconventional polymers and additive mixes to form spunbond fabrics with multifunctional properties.

Key to this research is developing the underlying process-structure-performance relationships, based on the measured data, to provide detailed understanding of how final fabric performance can be controlled during processing. Leveraging mono, core-sheath and island-in-the-sea bicomponent technology, the Leeds University team is working with polymer and biomaterial research scientists, engineers and clinicians to explore the incorporation of unusual materials in spunbond fabrics, potentially widening applications.

Building a reputation in melt spinning technology over three decades, with expertise in nonwoven processes for difficult-to-process materials, FET believes this step represents a significant technological development and a continuation of the company’s drive for innovative excellence. The spunbond system is one of several global projects FET is involved in with research institutions and manufacturers.