Fabric Design and History

Before the invention of man-made fibers, dryer fabrics were made from natural materials such as cotton. 

Advances in chemistry saw the invention of polyesters and polyamides. These materials could be spun and formed into monofilaments. Polyester quickly became the preferred choice for dryer fabrics. 

State of the art dryer fabrics are made from either polyester based polymer derivatives or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). PPS material is inert to the environmental conditions encountered in a paper machine. This material would be used for the construction of fabrics running on the hotter, more humid machines, e.g. packaging machines. 

Dryer fabrics are woven as a continuous, flat fabric The machine direction warp yarns are held on canister spools at the back of the loom and passed through a series of reeds and sheds (spacers and pattern makers). During the weaving process sheds are raised and lowered according to the desired final weave pattern. 

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