FET
(Source: FET)
As an integral part of the research facilities of the CCTMIH, Fibre Extrusion Technology Ltd. (FET), Leeds/UK, has completed the installation and commissioning of a new Laboratory Spunbond system for the University of Leeds.
This system complements existing research lab facilities at the CCTMIH (Clothworkers’ Centre for Textile Materials Innovation for Healthcare), based in the School of Design, which covers all areas of fiber and fabric processing, physical testing and characterization. It forms part of a wider investment in facilities to support fundamental, academic research on ‘future manufacturing’ for medical devices, where the focus is on studying small-scale processing of unconventional polymers and additive mixes to form spunbond fabrics with multifunctional properties.
Key to this research is developing the underlying process-structure-performance relationships, based on the measured data, to provide detailed understanding of how final fabric performance can be controlled during processing. By leveraging mono, core-sheath and island-in-the-sea bicomponent technology, the Leeds University team is working with polymer and biomaterial research scientists, engineers and clinicians to explore the incorporation of unusual materials in spunbond fabrics, potentially widening applications.