Spiral construction for a long nip press belt

A method for manufacturing a belt for use as a long nip press belt on a long nip press in a papermachine comprising the steps of:

• providing a first process roll and a second process roll, said first process roll and said second process roll being rotatable about their respective axes;
• positioning said first process roll and said second process roll at a fixed distance from one another, said axes of said first process roll and said second process roll being parallel to one another;
• providing an elongated strip from which said belt may be manufactured, said elongated strip having a beginning, a first edge and a second edge, a constant width, and a uniform thickness, said elongated strip including a reinforcing web having a first side and a second side, wherein said first side is coated with a first coating of a first polymeric resin, said first coating being uniformly smooth, and wherein said second side of said reinforcing web is coated with a second coating of a second polymeric resin, said second polymeric resin having a hardness value greater than that of said first polymeric resin, said second coating having at least one groove in a longitudinal direction along said elongated strip;
• forming a first coil of a closed helix from said elongated strip by extending said beginning of said elongated strip in a taut condition from said first process roll, around said second process roll, and back to said first process roll, said first coating of said elongated strip facing said first process roll and said second process roll;
• joining said first edge of said elongated strip at said beginning of said elongated strip to s id second edge of said elongated strip on said first process roll to close said first coil;
• rotating said first process roll and said second process roll in a common direction to form additional coils of said closed helix by winding said elongated strip onto said first process roll and said second process roll, while joining said second edge of said elongated strip being wound onto said first process roll and said second process roll to said first edge of said elongated strip already wound thereon at said first process roll, until said closed helix has a desired width on said first process roll and said second process roll;
• cutting said elongated strip not wound onto said first process roll and said second process roll from said elongated strip previously wound to form said closed helix;
• and
• removing said closed helix from said first process roll and said second process roll to obtain said belt.