Preparation of Fibrous Materials

Shredding, Defiberizing and Pulverizing of Fibrous Materials

Economical Preparation of Plants

Industrial processing of renewable new materials is being driven forward worldwide; whether it is for the usage of the fiber components, the pith for the production of fodder, for gaining ingredients such as proteins and vitamins, for the extraction of oil and alcohol or for the production of thermal energy.

PALLMANN has developed suitable processes and machines that allow the economical preparation of renewable raw materials.  Customer requirements are very diverse.  Vegetable matter is to be prepared for extraction into homogeneous end products without a high percentage of fines.

Cell structures are to be broken down in order to be able to better press the contents.  Fibers with a defined length or width are to be gained in order to increase the physical properties of composite materials.  Voluminous feed materials are to be processed automatically, if possible, in order to be able to feed downstream processes.

The waxen layer on steams must be roughened in order for glues and adhesives to stick.  Vegetable matter contains natural foreign objects such as sand and stones as well as other disturbing matter, i.e. metals and plastics that must be removed automatically during processing, if possible. 

This requires special machinery, for example, with ballistic discharge system components such a heavy gravity sifters, stone traps, over belt magnets and non-ferrous separators.

Machines with a high wear resistance that are not sensitive to feeding fluctuations are required.  Installed in process lines, the machines operate around the clock.  Scheduled downtime for maintenance is normally planned on an annual basis.  The machines used for these purposes distinguish themselves by their flexibility in the adjustment of technical process parameters and absolute reliability.

Defiberization of Cellulose

Important criteria during the production of hygiene products such as baby diapers, adult incontinence products, female sanitary napkins and tampons are the protection of the skin and the moisture absorption; for the production of paper and nonwoven products such as table cloths, napkins and cloths, it is good absorption and tear-resistance.

In order to meet this criteria, the cellulose sheet and rolls must be defiberized into long fibrous, nib-free disintegrated cellulose with a low percentage of fines.  For this purpose, Hammer Mills, Type PHM with a horizontal infeed system are used for preliminary size reduction and Double Stream mill, Type PSKM, are used for the nib-free final defiberization.

Recyclable material is disintegrated with PALLMANN Knife Mills in order to regain the drying agent SAP and to reuse the cellulose material.

Special separators divide the composition of cellulose and plastic film.

The Plast Agglomerator Systems process the remaining fraction of plastic film into a reusable, free flowing agglomerate with a high bulk density.

Preparation of Leather Fibers - LEFA

Leather fibers are produced from leather waste, natural  or chrome tanned strips as well as hides, tanned folds and leather edge trimmings from the show factories.  The leather fiber has specific characteristics which makes it well suited for the show industry, for example, for the production of insoles, intermediate soles, toe and heel cap material, shafts as well as sandal soles, first class liners, roll seams, heels and soles for light summer shoes.  Leather fiber has practically the same characteristics as natural leather.

The quality and the physical characteristics of the finished product and therefore also the competitiveness start with the preparation of the leather waste.  Depending on the process, if a longer or shorter material is required, they must in any case be disintegrated free of knots.

The leather fiber industry, together with PALLMANN is developing new technologies and better procedures.  Due continuous improvement in practical applications and intensive new developments, new directions for the defiberization of leather waste are opened, which allow preparation of any type of waste with the same machine regardless if dry, moist, or wet.  Knife mills as well as tooth disc mills and refiners were specially developed for the leather fiber sector.

In the first preparation step, leather waste is pre-fiberized into slurry by means of a special knife mill.  A downstream tooth disc mill quickly and thoroughly disintegrates the slurry.  In a third processing step, a corundum disc refiner performs defiberization.  This process distinguishes itself by means of a controllable material feeding allowing an automatic operation as well as linger tooth disc life.