Method of manufacturing a multiple layer directionally oriented nonwoven fiber material

A method for manufacturing a nonwoven fiber material, the method comprising:

• providing a three-dimensional forming wire comprising a screen and vertical protuberances projecting from the screen;
• dewatering a first plurality of chopped nonwoven fibers from a slurry such that they lay directionally aligned in at least three directions in a plurality of corresponding intersecting linear formations between the protuberances and on the same linear plane, a length of the protuberances determining a thickness of the linear formations, wherein the linear formations having substantially the same thickness as the thickness of the linear plane;
• and
• dewatering a second plurality of chopped nonwoven fibers from the slurry substantially simultaneously with the dewatering of the first plurality of fibers such that the second plurality of fibers lay randomly dispersed coextensive with the first plurality of fibers.