The availability of meltblown technology has been high on the nonwoven agenda over the last year given its critical usage in medical grade textiles throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including Type II and Type IIR face masks, FFP2, FFP3 and N95 respirators, and PPE more generally. NIRI’s upgraded laboratory and pilot system from Fibre Extrusion Technology (FET) is capable of processing a wide range of polymer types often involving difficult-to-process materials, including standard polymers; engineering polymers; high temperature polymers; corrosive and aggressive polymers, as well as sustainable and biomedical polymers.

Dr Matthew Tipper, CEO at NIRI explains,

“We were mindful when specifying the new equipment that we wanted to invest in the most flexible and adaptable technology available, to enable the development of a wide range of nonwoven structures - with the potential to develop unique filament and mechanical properties to further facilitate our clients’ R&D and prototyping.”

NIRI’s new meltblown equipment includes a cutting-edge computerised control system for monitoring and managing all parameters, including temperature, pressure, speed and recipes. The software associated with the control system features quality verification for the entire process, as well as highly flexible reports and a combined display of data, alarms and events to trace cause and effect, offering the greatest range of options for R&D and prototyping.

Found across numerous sectors, the applications of meltblown technology are varied, from use within the specialist biomedical field for the manufacturing of medical devices, tissue support and surgical meshes, to use within the healthcare field for sanitary products, including feminine hygiene products and adult incontinence aids. Filtration applications (both liquid and gaseous) include clean room filters, industrial respirators and automotive cabin filters.