Papermaking fabric, in particular for use in the forming section of a papermaking machine

A quadruple papermaking fabric (100), in particular a forming fabric for use in the forming section of a papermaking machine, having at least one fabric repeat unit (104) and comprising:

• a set of warp machine direction (MD) top yarns (1-12);
• a set of weft cross machine direction (CMD) top yarns (37-42) interwoven with the top MD yarns to form a top fabric layer (101);
• a set of central MD yarns (13-24);
• a set of central CMD yarns (43-48) interwoven with the central MD yarns to form a central fabric layer (102);
• a set of bottom MD yarns (25-36);
• a set of bottom CMD yarns (49-58) interwoven with the bottom MD yarns to form a bottom fabric layer (103);
• wherein in the fabric repeat unit (104) the top layer (101) is bound only to the central layer (102) and the bottom layer (103) is bound only to the central layer (102) by respective independent binding patterns (105, 106), formed by respective distinct sets of yarns arranged in the cross machine direction;
• the first binding pattern (105) being formed by a set of pairs of binder yarns (55-66), each pair being positioned between two adjacent top CMD yarns (37-42) and having at least one yarn that interweaves with both the top MD yarns and the central MD yarns;
• the binder yarns (55-66) of each pair being twisted with respect to each other and vertically superimposed and positioned between two adjacent top CMD yarns;
• the second binding pattern (106) being formed by at least some central CMD yarns (43-48) that interweave with the central MD yarns (13-24) and also with the bottom MD yarns (25-36), but not with the top MD yarns (1-12), so as to define respective stitching yarns that bind the central layer (102) and the bottom layer (103).