InFormTech
Analysis of the network properties and compensation mechanisms of air-laid fiber nonwoven materials and layered wet-laid nonwovens for the development of an innovative forming technology for the wrinkle-free production of packaging components with integrated functional elements
Wrinkle-free compression-drawn part with a ratio of diameter to forming height equal to 1.
The compression-drawing process allows paper and other fiber nonwovens to be formed, analogous to metal sheets and thermoformable plastics, into various three-dimensional, one-sided open hollow bodies. Thus, conventional plastic packaging can be replaced by fiber-based solutions, representing an innovative step toward sustainability, circular economy, and resource conservation. However, due to the lack of flow behavior in paper, achievable forming degrees are limited, and unwanted wrinkling occurs. In order to produce drawn parts with as few visible wrinkles as possible, this project investigates the formability of air-laid, porous fiber nonwovens as well as layered wet-laid nonwovens by deep drawing. In these nonwoven materials, the missing flowability of cellulose fibers within a mobile network structure can be compensated by fiber-to-fiber displacements or by shifting individual nonwoven layers relative to each other. This results in a comparatively energy-efficient alternative for producing recyclable, wrinkle-free packaging with a high forming degree (>1.0) and a low use of renewable raw materials. Furthermore, the high fiber mobility will allow additional functionalization of the deep-drawn semi-finished products, so that the manufactured deep-drawn parts can be examined and optimized in a subsequent functionalization step with regard to undercuts. In this way, fiber-based and recyclable functional packaging components, such as screw caps for glass containers, can be produced.
This research project is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, based on a resolution of the German Bundestag (IGF 01IF23715N).
Project duration
07.2025 – 06.2027
Contact
Project Leader: Prof. Jens-Peter Majschak
Project Management: Dipl.-Ing. Holger Schubert
© Nils Eisfeld
Processing Systems
NameDipl.-Ing. Holger Schubert
Forming of Fiber-based Materials
Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).
