High-Performance BICO Line Nonwoven Manufacturer - Customized Functional Fibers - BOSTONE
BOSTONE supplies BICO Nonwoven Lines, supporting Sheath/Core or Side-by-Side configurations like PP/PE, PET/PE. We specialize in high-elasticity, ultra-softness, and low-temperature thermal bonding applications, enabling product upgrades for premium medical, hygiene, and functional apparel markets.
Main Models and Technical Configurations
BICO Fiber Structures And Material Combinations
Bicomponent Integrating Fabrics (BICO) technology is one of the most groundbreaking innovations in the field of nonwoven fabrics, enabling us to fuse two polymers with different physical or chemical properties into a single fiber. By precisely controlling the arrangement and ratio of these two polymers, Boston’s production lines can provide you with composite functionality that is unmatched by traditional monocomponent fibers.
Sheath/Core: This is the most common BICO structure. The sheath is typically made of a low-melting-point polymer (such as PE), which acts as a “hot melt adhesive” to achieve low-temperature bonding during hot rolling, giving the nonwoven fabric excellent softness and reducing energy consumption; while the core layer is made of a high-melting-point polymer (such as PET or PP) to provide the necessary strength and support. This structure is the preferred choice for high-performance medical and hygiene surface layers and thermally bonded pads.
Side-by-Side: This structure involves extruding two polymers side-by-side. As the fibers cool, they spontaneously crimp permanently due to the difference in thermal shrinkage rates between the two materials. This natural crimping allows for the production of nonwoven fabrics with high elasticity, high bulk, and excellent resilience, making them ideal for thermal insulation fillings and ultra-soft fabrics.
Bostone’s expertise lies not only in structure but also in the stability of melt processing and material formulation. Our system can reliably process and formulate the following mainstream two-component materials to meet your diverse needs:
- PP/PE (Polypropylene/Polyethylene): The most commonly used combination, used to achieve low-temperature thermal bonding and flexibility.
- PET/PE (Polyester/Polyethylene): The core layer PET provides high strength and heat resistance, while the outer layer PE provides low-temperature bonding.
- PP/PP (Different Melting Points): Utilizing the differences in molecular weight or melting point grades of the same polymer to achieve self-adhesion and high strength.
By partnering with Bostone, you will gain access to a production system that allows for flexible switching of structures and material formulations, helping you maintain technological leadership in the ever-evolving high-end nonwoven fabric market.
Key Technical Advantages of BICO Lines
Our BICO production line is focused on addressing the complex challenges of bicomponent extrusion and spinning, ensuring your line consistently and reliably outputs high-quality composite fibers.
High-Precision Dual Extrusion and Metering System
- Dual Independent Control: Utilizes two sets of independent, high-precision extruders and metering pumps to achieve nanogram-level precision control over the output of the two polymer melts.
- Melt Stability and Consistency: Addressing the differences in melting points and viscosities of the two distinct polymers, the system ensures precise melt distribution and temperature control, laying the foundation for the formation of subsequent composite structures.
Complex Flow Channel and Melt Combination Technology
- Precise Microstructure Forming: The spinning box and components employ specially designed complex flow channel technology, ensuring that the two melts are accurately combined into the desired complex structures, such as "Sheath/Core" or "Side-by-Side," precisely at the moment before the spinneret hole, preventing mixing.
- Temperature Gradient Management: Enables fine zonal temperature control of the spinning components to accommodate the processing windows of different materials, guaranteeing the integrity of the composite structure.
Optimization of Low-Temperature Thermal Bonding and Shaping Process
- Protection of Fiber Integrity: The production line can fully leverage the characteristics of PE or low-melting polymers to complete thermal roll bonding at a lower temperature (compared to pure PP products). This maximally protects the internal structure of the fibers, resulting in a final product that is softer and flatter.
Precise Control of High Elasticity and Bulkiness
- Crimp Quantifiable Management: Specifically for the Side-by-Side structure, the production line can quantitatively manage the fibers' potential crimp degree and shrinkage rate through precise control of process parameters.
- Product Differentiation: Ensures that the manufactured nonwoven fabrics possess industry-leading high elasticity and high bulkiness, making them perfectly suited for high-end hygiene materials, fillings, and specialized acoustic insulation materials.
Supporting facilities and system configuration for PET/PLA spunbond nonwoven production lines
The complexity of bicomponent (BICO) production lines in terms of supporting facilities and system configuration is far greater than that of single-component spunbond lines. It requires extremely high precision control over melt metering, distribution, and flow channel assembly.
The following is a detailed configuration list of supporting facilities and systems for a BICO Line Nonwoven Fabric Line:
Melt Preparation and Dual Extrusion System
| No. | Equipment Name | Function and Composition | Specifics for BICO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dual Independent Extrusion System (A/B) | Two independent sets of extruders (A/B) are responsible for melting two different polymers (such as PP and PE) separately. | [Independent Temperature Control] Ensures each polymer is precisely temperature-controlled according to its specific melting point and viscosity curve, preventing degradation or viscosity loss during extrusion. |
| 2 | Dual Independent Melt Filter | Two independent sets of high-precision melt filters are used to filter impurities and gels from both A/B polymer melts. | [Melt Cleanliness] Ensures both polymer melts entering the assembly component achieve extremely high cleanliness, preventing impurities from affecting the BICO structure formation precision at the spinneret holes. |
| 3 | Dual Independent High-Precision Metering Pump | Two independent high-precision gear metering pumps precisely control the output volume of the A/B melts, respectively. | [Ratio Control Precision] This is key to the BICO line. The metering accuracy (e.g., $\le \pm 0.5\%$) ensures the two polymers are extruded with **precise ratios** (such as 50:50, 80:20), which determines the accuracy of the final fiber structure. |
Melt Combination and Spinning System
| No. | Equipment Name | Function and Composition | Specifics for BICO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Dual Flow Channel Spinning Box | The interior of the box has two independent melt flow channels, and the combination occurs inside the spinning assembly. | [Flow Separation] The flow channel design is highly complex, ensuring complete separation of the two melts before entering the assembly hole to prevent premature mixing, which is the foundation of BICO structure formation. |
| 5 | BICO Dedicated Spinneret | The flow channel of the spinneret plate features special splitter plates or flow guides. | [Structure Forming] This is the core of the BICO line. Through special design, the two melts are formed into geometric structures like Sheath/Core, Side-by-Side, or Islands-in-the-Sea at the spinneret exit. |
| 6 | Multi-Zone Side Blowing Device | Provides precise, zoned cooling airflow to address the solidification differences of the different polymers. | [Differential Cooling] Ensures the two polymers solidify and stabilize simultaneously on the same fiber. For Side-by-Side fibers, precise control of the cooling speed is key to achieving stable crimping. |
| 7 | High-Speed Drawing and Fiber Conveying | Provides stable and uniform high-speed airflow for the initial drawing and orientation of nascent fibers. | [Tension Balancing] The drawing system requires precise control of airflow strength to avoid excessive deformation or breakage of high-elasticity or high-shrinkage BICO fibers while stretching them. |
Post-Processing and Winding System
| No. | Equipment Name | Function and Composition | Specifics for BICO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | New Web Former | Assists in laying fibers to form a web. Equipped with an efficient suction and airflow equalization system. | [Bulkiness Control] Optimized the suction system design to handle BICO fibers with high bulkiness and high crimp, ensuring the uniformity and retention of the web's bulkiness. |
| 9 | Low-Temperature Hot Calender | Performs thermal pressing and shaping of the fiber web. | [Low-Temp. Bonding] The hot calender features a wider range of low-temperature precise control. It utilizes the low melting point characteristics of the BICO fiber sheath (e.g., PE) to complete bonding at a lower temperature, protecting the core structure and imparting an ultra-soft touch to the product. |
| 10 | High-Precision Tension Control Winder | Slits and winds the final product. | [Elasticity Adaptability] The winder is equipped with high-sensitivity tension sensors and an automatic adjustment system, suitable for handling highly elastic and easily deformable BICO nonwovens, ensuring flat and stable winding. |
Have Anything To Ask Us?
Please fill in your email in the form and we’ll get back to assist you soon!