Freudenberg Performance Materials, a leading manufacturer of technical textiles, will present its latest developments for high-tech wiping at the IDEA 2016 show that takes place from 3-5 May in Boston, MA.

Originally designed as a durable fabric with outstanding properties, Evolon has been used for more than a decade as heavyweight high-tech cleaning cloths aiming to withstand hundreds of wash cycles at constant performance.

Freudenberg has worked on the basis of those strengths to combine the benefits of microfilaments and the convenience of disposable items to develop its range of lightweight wipe substrates. With these Evolon lightweight wipes, Freudenberg aims to consolidate its position on the industrial cleaning segment.

Industrial environments

Evolon wipes are designed to offer the best cleaning performance in their category thanks to the fineness and density of the microfilaments. Dry or pre-impregnated, Evolon lightweight wipes are set for highly demanding applications requiring the best surface preservation, and are currently being qualified by the automotive and aerospace industries.

Endless microfilaments make Evolon lint-free, strong, mechanically stable and isotropic, providing extended durability and stability-in-use for dry or wet disposable and semi-disposable lightweight wipes, the company reports.

With a microfilament size ca. 10 times thinner than standard microfiber, wipes using the Evolon technology are said to provide an outstanding streak-free cleaning performance and absorb up to 4 times their weight of water and 8 times their weight of oil. These are all key features which prove to be highly beneficial in high tech industrial environments, according to the manufacturer.

Lightweight wipes

According to the company, down to 30 gsm, Evolon microfilament wipes are 1.5 to 2 times lighter than the lightweight wipes traditionally obtained using conventional processes. Design and patterning flexibility include: flat, mesh or the new 3D structures, to fulfil the need for differentiation expressed by the customers.

“The pattern was originally a more stringent subject in consumer markets, but we are more and more required by the industrial market to provide unique-looking products with superior cleaning performance. Evolon is fit for this too,” explained Jean-François Kerhault, business segment manager Evolon.

Impregnation

Many customers pre-impregnate Evolon substrates to provide the task-specific light wet wipes required by a more and more segmented industrial market. Thanks to the microfilament structure, the impregnation remains stable over the product lifetime to ensure constant liquid release. The composition of Evolon microfilament textile is compatible with a multitude of pre-impregnation cleaning lotions, solvents and IPA.

“Evolon is also resistant to peroxide-based disinfectant, unlike some other competitive materials. This brings a significant advantage to our customers, by allowing them to use a wider variety of cleaning agents,” said Kerhault.

Evolon lightweight substrates are easy to convert in a large variety of formats: flat wipes, perforated rolls, pull-ups and interfold are just as easy to make. Evolon fabrics range from 30gsm to 240gsm and are certified Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Product Class I.

www.freudenberg.com