Albarrie is committed to innovations in needlepunch nonwoven fabrics. We’ve been committed for 40 years and offer high level customization to many industries.
Whether exploring new designs or getting competitive quotes, Albarrie partners with companies to design fabrics specific to their requirements in demanding industrial applications. We are committed to advancements in nonwoven technical fabrics using high-temperature fibers, advanced needlepunch technology, and a variety of finishings and treatments. We create a customized, repeatable process to ensure quality standards are met, make it simple to reorder on demand, and form a trusting partnership.
Relationships are where we shine. We don’t want to just sell you fabric. Instead, we want to solve your problem. We’ve developed a dedicated and trusted technical sales and customer service team that works diligently with you to select the most suitable fibers, answer technical questions, and support every aspect of our relationship with you from the moment of contact.
Albarrie’s in-house team of scientists and textile engineers are committed to developing distinctive textiles for demanding applications. Our team creates hundreds of solutions for customers. Albarrie’s fabricated product lines include baghouse filter bags, materials for high-heat conveyance, and secondary oil containments systems. Our team consults on fibers, treatments, manufacturing processes, and conducts tests and trials to ensure maximum satisfaction with the finished product.
Production doesn’t begin until a fiber is selected. Albarrie uses the highest-quality fibers for its fabrics. We offer both generic and brand-name fibers. Whether a low-temperature or high-temperature material is required, our fabric experts will advise you on fiber selection and the various finishes and treatments needed for the fabric’s best performance.
Needlepunching fibers into fabrics are the most common and traditional method of manufacturing nonwoven technical fabrics. The process involves prepping loose fibers by opening and carding them, then needling the fibers together through a needle loom. The loom punches through the fiber’s layers with barbed needles, mechanically
entangling them into a dense web at high speed. The web entanglement process produces a strong bond between fibers to create a high-density fabric.
With several production lines available, Albarrie can produce nonwoven needlepunch technical textiles from six to 123 ounces per square yard (203 gsm to 4,200gsm) in narrow or wide-width formats. In addition, we provide textile rolls up to 16 feet (5 meters) wide, which customers can have trimmed with our slitting capabilities.
Using an advanced Rontex spiral needle loom, Albarrie creates seamless felt tubes in a wide array of fiber combinations. Seamless felt tubes are used in fabricating Albarrie’s conveyor roller covers, protective packaging, insulation, and gaskets. Seamless felt tubes are also used for high temperature critical finish conveying, fluid applicators and liquid filtration. We can make tubes up to a maximum of 50 in (127cm) in length; tube sizes with inner diameter from 33mm to 127mm, with wall thickness from 3mm to 10mm.
Manufacturing nonwoven technical textiles with specialized performance or mechanical characteristics is achieved by layering or blending fibers.
In fabric layering, each fabric is created separately, layered, and needle-punched together to create a bond. Blending is achieved by mixing two or more different fibers before the needlepunch process begins to create the desired fabric outcome or performance.
Heat-treated textiles stabilize the fabric by increasing its resistance, resiliency, and elasticity. The mechanical process includes putting the material through a stenter frame’s oven for short durations to improve the stability of the fabric’s performance. The fabric changes during heating, enhancing its strength during use.
Albarrie produces a consistent, smooth fabric finish through mechanical calendaring. We can create a soft surface with high luster by subjecting the fabric to moisture, heat, and pressure during the final finishing process. This process is often used in creating technical textiles for industrial air filter media and fluidization fabrics. The smooth surface allows dust or powder to easily slide across the fabric’s surface.
Singeing is a mechanical finishing process that exposes the needle-punched fabric to a flame. It burns off protruding fibers from the fabric’s surface, creating a rough texture that helps trap dust particles in industrial air filtration applications.
Joining two fabrics together is achieved through sewing or welding. Fabric welding involves applying heat and pressure at the fabrics’ seams, fusing them with a tight invisible bond. However, some limitations exist in some products, such as scrim-supported baghouse filter bags. Widths can range from 4.5 to 11 in. (11.5cm 30cm) dependent on fabric types.
Albarrie offers different types of machining, such as milling, routering, and drilling to cut, trim and shape final products into irregular profiles. These finished profiles include concave or convex shapes, beveled edges, or holes. Albarrie utilizes a variety of different equipment to fabricate its custom Fullback Rollers, Separator Rollers, Durafiber Boards, and Hard Felt Pad.
Albarrie’s unique chemical impregnation process includes fully submerging fibers into a resin to produce a hard, durable product that’s similar to wood. This process allows the fabric to be machined if needed. Albarrie uses chemical impregnation in its production of Durafiber Boards, Stiffened Felt Pads, and Rollers to Roller Covers.
Membranes are a finishing process that provides additional protection to fabrics. Selecting a membrane depends on the benefits required for the material’s performance. Albarrie can improve your fabric’s performance with film and membrane lamination like fire-rating, oil and water repellency, and a PTFE membrane to create a smooth, non-stick finish.
Albarrie can produce any size or shape through a flash-cutting or water-jet cutting process.
Flash-cutting needs a special die and is used with a high-pressure machine to cut through the fabric, producing a uniform shape and size with high tolerances. We can work with fabric sizes up to 60 x 80 in. for soft fabrics only.
Water-jet cutting offers more precise cutting abilities and flexibility in size and shape, with tighter tolerances and a smoother edge. We can work with max size of 25 x 61 in for chemically stiffened fabrics.
Slitting fabrics can make large quantities easier to handle, re-manufacture, and create special sizes for the intended application. Albarrie has a variety of slitting capabilities, depending on fabric sizes and type. Generally, we can slit as narrow as half an inch (1.27 cm) with tolerances plus or minus a one-eight inch (.32 cm).