DESCRIZIONE
Fabrics in papermaking machines wear out and must be replaced. To produce improved fabrics, uniaxial polymeric strapping material is taught which has improved tensile modulus. The industrial fabric has one or more spirally wound strips of polymeric material. The polymeric material is an industrial strapping or ribbon material. The strapping or ribbon material has at least twice the tensile modulus of a biaxially oriented material and up to ten times the modulus of an extruded material. The industrial strapping or ribbon material includes a reinforcing material oriented in the MD of the fabric and selected from: thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting polymers, glass and carbon. The melting temperature of the strapping or ribbon material is lower than the melting temperature of the reinforcing material.
An industrial fabric, belt or sleeve and a method of making the fabric, belt or sleeve are disclosed. The industrial fabric, belt or sleeve is produced by spirally winding strips (16) of polymeric material, such as an industrial strapping or ribbon material, and joining the adjoining sides of the strips (16) of material using ultrasonic welding or laser welding techniques. The fabric, belt or sleeve may then be perforated using a suitable technique to make it permeable to air and/or water.