Manufacturing process for papermaking belts using 3D printing technology
AssigneeStructured I, LLC
InventorsJames E. Sealey, II, Bryd Tyler Miller, IV, Justin C. Pence, Taras Z. Andrukh, Shane Ervin Hayes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A papermaking belt including zones of material laid down successively using a 3D printing process. The zones include at least a pocket zone configured to form three dimensional structures in a paper web by applying vacuum to pull the paper web against the pocket zone. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the zone also include at least one vacuum breaking zone configured to limit an amount of paper fibers pulled through the pocket zone by the applied vacuum.
Claims19
A papermaking belt comprising:
- zones of material laid down successively using a 3D printing process, wherein the zones comprise:
- a pocket zone configured to form three dimensional structures in a paper web by resulting from vacuum applied to pull the paper web against the pocket zone;
- and
- at least one vacuum breaking zone configured to limit an amount of paper fibers pulled through the pocket zone by the applied vacuum, wherein the vacuum breaking zone has a thickness less than 50% of a total thickness of the papermaking belt as measured in cross section.
A papermaking belt comprising:
- zones of material laid down successively using a 3D printing process, wherein the zones comprise:
- a pocket zone configured to form three dimensional structures in a paper web resulting from vacuum applied to pull the paper web against the pocket zone;
- and
- at least one vacuum breaking zone configured to limit an amount of paper fibers pulled through the pocket zone by the applied vacuum, wherein the vacuum breaking zone has a thickness less than 30% of a total thickness of the papermaking belt as measured in cross section.
A papermaking belt comprising:
- zones of material laid down successively using a 3D printing process, wherein the zones comprise:
- a pocket zone configured to form three dimensional structures in a paper web resulting from vacuum applied to pull the paper web against the pocket zone;
- and
- at least one vacuum breaking zone configured to limit an amount of paper fibers pulled through the pocket zone by the applied vacuum, wherein a caliper of the papermaking belt is reduced less than 5% after 350,000 cycle under a press load of 20 to 100 kN/m.
A papermaking belt comprising:
- zones of material laid down successively using a 3D printing process, wherein the zones comprise:
- a pocket zone configured to form three dimensional structures in a paper web resulting from vacuum applied to pull the paper web against the pocket zone;
- and
- at least one vacuum breaking zone configured to limit an amount of paper fibers pulled through the pocket zone by the applied vacuum, wherein the vacuum breaking zone has a surface energy of 37 to 60 dyne/cm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.