Groz-Beckert, the leading manufacturer of industrial machine needles and precision engineering, introduces new EcoStar felting needle.

With 13% less cross-sectional area than a standard felting needle, and with its stabilising edge profiles, the new EcoStar is said to require less penetration strength. It is also expected to provide a longer service life, a more even product surface and improved fibre transportation.

The needle features a lower needle cross-section while maintaining stability thanks to its edge profiles, a newly-designed RF barb with an improved grip on the fibre and thus more compact fabric integration and a reduced wear.

Production effective

Field tests have proved that in comparison to standard needles, the EcoStar felting needle has far better wearing characteristics: ‘wear and tear’ on the barb is significantly lower than with a standard product, the company reports.

The 13% smaller needle cross section on the EcoStar is also said to be advantageous thanks to the stabilising edge profiles: its breaking and bending properties are identical to those of a standard felting needle but, as a result of the lower penetration forces, there is less stress on the EcoStar during the production process. This is expected to provide longer needle life overall and also extended performance, due to lower wear on the barb.

Sustainability

The special shape of the needle – the convex working part core and the three edge profiles evenly staggered around the needle core at 120° intervals – reduces the needle cross section by 13%.

This means that less penetration force is required during operation, so power consumption is also reduced. According to the company, major part in this energy saving is played by the special form of the barbs in the edge profiles, which enable an even tighter looping angle of the fibre at the undercut.

As a result, with high fabric weights the EcoStar is said to enable power cost savings of up to 7% in relation to a standard felting needle. Overall it can mean up to one kilowatt hour of energy savings per machine, which eventually may result in EUR 328 of energy savings annually, the company reports.

More compact and better-looking

The newly developed EcoStar is also said to be able to contribute to an improvement in product quality as compared to the standard needle. Due to its new edge geometry the RF barb is differently formed, resulting in lower material distortion at the sides of the barb. This, the company reports, results in a tighter looping angle of the fibres: the yarn is gripped better and the felts produced by the EcoStar are more compact.

The reduced needle cross-section are also said to enable the smaller penetration holes, as well as the reduced material displacement during penetration. This is said to give the product surface a far more even, high-quality look.

Universal in application

According to Groz-Beckert, in all areas of application so far tested, standard felting needles could be replaced by its EcoStar with minimal setup, and without any negative effects on product properties.

New EcoStar is said to be suitable for various sectors, including automobiles, filtration technology, synthetic leather, domestic textiles, apparel textiles, geotextiles, medical or waste fibre products.

www.groz-beckert.com