Carver Non-Woven Technologies—a supplier of innovative and high-quality, single- and multi-layer/material nonwoven products – will shortly begin commercial production of pre-impregnated, preconsolidated glass-mat thermoplastic (GMT)-type composite products using its versatile nonwoven mat technology. The company is finishing installation of a new double-belt laminator/press from Sandvik TPS Composite Solutions division of Sandvik AB (Sandviken, Sweden) at its production facilities here. The new equipment will begin commercial production in mid-August and will enable Carver to supply preconsolidated continuous roll goods and precut sheets to the half of its customer base using infrared (IR) heaters prior to molding non-wovens with thermoplastic matrices into three-dimensional (3D) shapes.

Double-belt laminators are widely used to produce prepregs and unidirectional tapes with fiberglass or carbon fiber reinforcement. Such equipment also is used to consolidate glass fiber and carbon fiber mats, webs, or cross-ply reinforcements (including fabrics and nonwovens using commingled polymer-based fibers) with thermoplastic or thermoset matrices.
 
When older IR ovens are used with traditional nonwovens, fibers are exposed to heat throughout the thickness of the web (not just on top and bottom surfaces) and for a longer duration than typically is seen with contact heating, the preferred method. This can prove problematic for unconsolidated non-wovens – especially thermally sensitive formulations containing natural fibers (which can burn/carbonize) or thermoplastic fibers like polypropylene (which can shrink, sag, or even melt) during the preheating cycle. In cases where molders cannot justify the capital expense of installing contact heating systems, changing to pre-impregnated and preconsolidated non-wovens provides several benefits. First, thermoplastic fibers experience less shrinkage, so molders need not buy as wide a roll or sheet of product, thereby saving money. Second, the preconsolidated products heat faster, which reduces both time and energy requirements during preheating and molding while reducing risk of damage to the materials.