In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates generally to a method for needling a spiral textile to create a needled preform, the method comprising receiving the spiral textile on a bed plate of a circular needle loom, engaging a positional structure of the spiral textile, rotating the spiral textile around the circular needle loom, depositing a predetermined number of layers of the spiral textile on the bed plate, and needling the spiral textile to create the needled preform. Moreover, the present disclosure also provides, in various embodiments, a method for creating a circular needled preform from a spiral textile, comprising attaching sacrificial fibers to at least one of the weft tow and the plurality of warp tows proximate at least one of the inside diameter and the outside diameter, and engaging the sacrificial fibers with an engagement mechanism on a circular needle loom.

In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates generally to a method for needling a spiral textile to create a needled preform, the method comprising receiving the spiral textile on a bed plate of a circular needle loom, engaging a positional structure of the spiral textile, rotating the spiral textile around the circular needle loom, depositing a predetermined number of layers of the spiral textile on the bed plate, and needling the spiral textile to create the needled preform. Moreover, the present disclosure also provides, in various embodiments, a method for creating a circular needled preform from a spiral textile, comprising attaching sacrificial fibers to at least one of the weft tow and the plurality of warp tows proximate at least one of the inside diameter and the outside diameter, and engaging the sacrificial fibers with an engagement mechanism on a circular needle loom.

A non-woven covered roller comprising a resin-saturated seamless non-woven tube on a shaft and a process for making the non-woven covered roller comprising non-woven fibers and a shaft surface completely covered with at least the same resin wherein the resin-saturated non-woven tube has a hardness of at least 40 wet Shore A. It also has an outer surface configured to both trap metal debris from a metal web during primary metal fabrication operations and temporarily compress to allow larger metal debris associated with the metal web to pass by without permanently damaging the outer surface of the non-woven covered roller. Furthermore, it has an inner surface sufficiently bonded with the same resin to the outer surface of the shaft to permit satisfactory life of the resin-saturated non-woven covered roller during primary metal fabrication conditions similar to that of conventional shafts that are covered with rubber, urethane, or vinyl, and have not been exposed to the metal debris.

A dry method for manufacturing a non-woven fabric from tanned leather scraps involves providing tanned leather scraps in the form of compact material, subjecting the tanned leather scraps to opening to tear the compact material into fiber, and subjecting the torn material to carding. Textile fibers are added during carding to obtain a web of mixed fibers, the textile fibers including wool fibers. The dry method further involves subjecting the web of mixed fibers to needling to obtain a felt. The web of mixed fibers is free of impregnating agents and includes a leather fiber component composed of tanned leather fibers having a diameter of between 4 ?m and 70 ?m and a length of between 4 mm and 20 mm. The leather fiber component is comprised in a weight percentage greater than or equal to 50% of a total weight of the fibers in the web of mixed fibers.

A dry method for manufacturing a non-woven fabric from tanned leather scraps involves providing tanned leather scraps in the form of compact material, subjecting the tanned leather scraps to opening to tear the compact material into fiber, and subjecting the torn material to carding. Textile fibers are added during carding to obtain a web of mixed fibers, the textile fibers including wool fibers. The dry method further involves subjecting the web of mixed fibers to needling to obtain a felt. The web of mixed fibers is free of impregnating agents and includes a leather fiber component composed of tanned leather fibers having a diameter of between 4 ?m and 70 ?m and a length of between 4 mm and 20 mm. The leather fiber component is comprised in a weight percentage greater than or equal to 50% of a total weight of the fibers in the web of mixed fibers.

A filter assembly includes a filter pad comprising fibers including natural, synthetic and/or hybrid fibers. A stabilizer frame formed of a non-metallic material may be imbedded in the filter pad. The stabilizer frame may be configured to provide support to the filter pad to maintain the filter pad in a generally flat configuration. In accordance with a particular embodiment, the filter pad may be comprised of at least first and second fibrous mats that are coupled together. In this embodiment, the stabilizer frame may be disposed between and coupled with the first and second fibrous mats.

A filter assembly includes a filter pad comprising fibers including natural, synthetic and/or hybrid fibers. A stabilizer frame formed of a non-metallic material may be imbedded in the filter pad. The stabilizer frame may be configured to provide support to the filter pad to maintain the filter pad in a generally flat configuration. In accordance with a particular embodiment, the filter pad may be comprised of at least first and second fibrous mats that are coupled together. In this embodiment, the stabilizer frame may be disposed between and coupled with the first and second fibrous mats.

An automotive carpet is described having a needlefelt structure which can be low in weight but having good abrasion resistance. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention the automotive carpet comprises at least a needle punched facing layer as top layer made of staple fibers, wherein the staple fibers comprise at least 50% by weight of solid multilobal fibers, and at least a partial binding. A process for making this automotive carpet is described comprising the steps of: conveying a fibrous card web to a crosslapping machine and crosslapping the card web into a batt of material, wherein the multilobal nonwoven crosslapper travelling distance is less than 20% and larger than 10% bigger than the final width of the needle punched facing layer.

An automotive carpet is described having a needlefelt structure which can be low in weight but having good abrasion resistance. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention the automotive carpet comprises at least a needle punched facing layer as top layer made of staple fibers, wherein the staple fibers comprise at least 50% by weight of solid multilobal fibers, and at least a partial binding. A process for making this automotive carpet is described comprising the steps of: conveying a fibrous card web to a crosslapping machine and crosslapping the card web into a batt of material, wherein the multilobal nonwoven crosslapper travelling distance is less than 20% and larger than 10% bigger than the final width of the needle punched facing layer.

An event or exhibition carpet is described having a needlefelt structure which can be low in weight but having good abrasion resistance. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention the event or exhibition carpet comprises at least a needle punched facing layer as top layer made of staple fibers, wherein the staple fibers comprise at least 50% by weight of solid multilobal fibers, and at least a partial binding. A process for making this event or exhibition carpet is described comprising the steps of: conveying a fibrous card web to a crosslapping machine and crosslapping the card web into a batt of material, wherein the multilobal nonwoven crosslapper travelling distance is less than 20% and larger than 10% bigger than the final width of the needle punched facing layer.