The market for hygienic products sees an increase in demand for Tissue paper and nonwovens with high softness and bulkiness. However, it is not enough to obtain these characteristics during the production process: it is also necessary to preserve these qualities even in the so-called end-of-line, i.e. in the rewinding, packaging and handling phases, up to the shipment.
Therefore, it becomes essential to process these materials with solutions specially designed and built to preserve their characteristics. An incorrect or inaccurate rewinding process, for example, can cause an elongation or a crushing of the wound material with consequent substantial loss of the desired characteristics. Furthermore, this same material could benefit from alternative processes to rewinding, depending on the needs of the end customer.
For these reasons A.Celli has developed a series of solutions capable of preserving the softness, bulkiness and high thickness of these materials from the end of the production line to the shipment.
All this is enriched by the consultative approach of our Sales Managers, who are responsible for understanding the precise needs of each customer in order to propose tailor-made solutions for the entire end-of-line.
Tissue paper is a material characterized by high softness, a quality given by various factors. Let's see, in a nutshell, the 5 main qualities of Tissue paper:
The bulkiness of Tissue paper is defined by the volume occupied by a certain quantity of product. This is an important property as it is closely correlated with absorbency and softness, and is influenced by the technology with which the Tissue paper is obtained (e.g. TAD technology) and by the type of fibers used.
An obviously very important quality for Tissue products used to quickly absorb liquids. The level of absorbency can be controlled thanks to the type of fibers used, the refining, the creping, the number of plies of the sheet and the additives.
Tissue paper is exposed to various mechanical stresses, both during production and during use. To obtain a high Tissue strength, three factors come into play: the strength and arrangement of the fibers, the level of the molecular bond between the fibers themselves and the presence of additives.
This is the strength that Tissue paper exhibits when wet or moistened. This feature depends, as in the previous case, on the fibers of the sheet and the addition of specific additives.
Softness can be defined as a sensory response to a material, which must be pleasant to the touch and communicate a sensation of delicacy. Softness is a very important property sought after by consumers, especially in products dedicated to the hygienic and facial cleansing industries.
These five qualities of Tissue paper are obtained during the production process, but must obviously be preserved during all subsequent phases, from rewinding to processing and packaging.
To produce and process soft and bulky Tissue with high crepe ratio, A.Celli is able to supply its customers with complete turnkey systems, iDEAL® pope reels and Tissue machines and a wide selection of unwinders and rewinders of the E-WIND® product range, all to satisfy any need in terms of speed and production capacity.
In order to preserve the characteristics of the Tissue paper obtained, A.Celli has developed numerous solutions for its iDEAL® pope reels:
It is applied on the secondary arms of the pope reel and is crucial for maximizing the softness of the Tissue paper roll, keeping the nip between the latter and the drum at the minimum value necessary for a correct winding as the diameter of the roll itself varies.
This is a system, usually applied to the secondary arms of the pope reel, which reduces the sheet crushing by the nip, thus minimizing the stress in the tissue sheet itself and maintaining its softness.
As regards the rewinding of Tissue paper, A.Celli provides a wide variety of solutions, included in the E-WIND® range, suitable for all types of widths, budgets and production needs. The models currently available are the T80S, T90, T100, T100S, T200 and T200S rewinders, developed for shafted or shaftless winding (the latter marked with the letter S).
The solutions that can be installed on our machines in order to manage particularly bulky Tissue papers are the following, divided by section of the rewinder where they are applied:
This type of control allows you to automatically adjust the tension of the Tissue paper sheet, keeping it at the minimum values necessary for the process requirements without transmitting excessive stress to the sheet itself and thus preserving its characteristics.
The solution in question consists in imparting motion to the roll by acting directly on the shaft without the use of belts, thus eliminating the mechanical action harmful to the properties of Tissue paper.
A solution that allows to relieve a part of the weight of the reel being wound, thus avoiding product crushing and a consequent alteration of the characteristics of the Tissue material.
Thanks to this solution the rider roll is lightened to avoid product crushing during the growth of the reel being wound.
By using larger and stronger shafts, it is possible to further lighten the reel during the rewinding process.
In addition to the solutions dedicated to the world of Tissue paper, A.Celli is also able to process and manage particularly soft nonwoven materials of any size and diameter. This is thanks both to the technical solutions applied to our winders and rewinders and to two different intermediate processes for the preparation of the final product as alternatives to the rewinding itself: spooling and festooning.
These two processes, alternative to each other, are taken into consideration when the finished reels of soft nonwoven may require processes other than rewinding or when it is more convenient, both from the logistical point of view and for the density of the finished product, if the needs and possibilities of the downstream converter allow it.
In fact, a delicate material such as soft nonwoven runs the risk of not being able to be wound adequately while maintaining its characteristics using the traditional winding process, thus giving rise to excessively bulky reels and with little wound material. It is precisely in cases like this that the spooling and festooning processes come into play, technologies present in the F-LINE® range which complete the range of A.Celli end-of-line solutions for the management of soft nonwoven materials.
The F-LINE® spooling line allows you to wind particularly soft nonwovens strips, giving birth to a finished reel with an overall width larger than the single strip itself.
A Spooling line ideally includes three sections: unwinding, slitting and actual spooling. Therefore, starting from the mother rolls, we obtain a number of nonwoven strips equal, at most, to the number of spooling heads with which the line is equipped and of a considerably smaller width, which will subsequently be wound around a shaft.
The peculiarity lies in the fact that, during the winding process, the shaft moves transversely thus allowing, with a process ideally similar to the winding of fabric yarns, to obtain finished reels containing a greater number of meters of material than a standard reel, with obvious advantages in terms of reliability in the subsequent converting phase.
The F-LINE® festooning line is used as an alternative to spooling according to the specific characteristics of the soft nonwovens to be processed. Unlike spooling, the material is not wound in reels but, thanks to specific Festooning heads, the strips are deposited with a zig-zag oscillating motion on a mobile platform, giving life to cubic boxes formed by stacked strips. The result is a finished product that lends itself to greater ease of storage and handling, perfect for optimizing, for example, the space in containers during shipments. Furthermore, with this solution it is possible to have access to both ends of the strips, allowing the converter to prepare the necessary joints in advance and obtain tangible advantages in terms of productivity.
Aware of the processing needs of the products dedicated to the hygienic market, particular attention is paid to products like High Loft nonwovens, particularly soft and bulky materials used for top sheet and back sheet applications in diapers, products dedicated to feminine hygiene and adult incontinence products.
For this purpose A.Celli developed a dedicated package for the E-WIND® range which provides for the implementation of a wide range of technological solutions on the various components of the machinery involved, from the unwinder to the slitting unit, up to the rewinder, to best process this nonwoven fabric and preserve its particular characteristics.
Whether it's solutions for paper, Tissue or Nonwoven, A.Celli's modus operandi always provides for a consultative approach that favors working side by side with its customers, giving life to machines with design and construction optimized according to the specificities of the product to be treated.
Furthermore, the analysis in question does not stop at this level but also takes into consideration the needs and assets of the converter. By doing this, for example, the alternatives analyzed above for the management of soft nonwovens may vary in relation to the machinery available to the converter itself, thus enabling us to provide the best solution based on the needs of all stakeholders. As for Tissue paper, on the other hand, A.Celli rewinders are able to handle any width and diameter on the market, making them suitable both for lines dedicated to large productions and for machinery used for "niche" products.
All this is combined with our "one source, one responsibility" philosophy, which allows us to guarantee you perfect management and care of your product at all stages of the end-of-line. Automatic transfer of the product between various lines or within the factory, winding, unwinding, rewinding and packaging, not to mention the automation of the warehouse and Industry 4.0 digital solutions: A.Celli is able to offer you all this and much more.
Contact us and you will find trained qualified personnel at your disposal who can help you choose the best solution for your needs. Click on the banner to request a consultation!
