Product Development:
Micrex is focused on helping our customers develop new products utilizing Micrex
technology. Our development process has been refined over the last decade
of work with R&D teams from leading global roll good manufacturers and product
goods companies.
Micrex’s development methodology is built around four
principles:
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Quick response and rapid prototyping as a requirement
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Ability to rapidly go from a lab-scale prototype to global sourcing of
Microcreped product
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Understanding the importance of cost at all stages of a development
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A rigorous respect for the IP and confidentiality of our customers
How We Work:
The Micrex Process has a minimum of 27 different points of adjustment.
Each of these "points" has from two to almost infinite levels of adjustment.
Simply put, this allows for potentially millions of different sets of process
settings. Further complicating matters is the reality that the recipe of
the incoming material is probably more critical to the performance of the
process than the adjustments to the machine itself.
This means that there is no reliable predictive model on how a particular
substrate will process on a Micrex/Microcreper. For this reason, Micrex
technology is applied using an empirical model based on
trials. In our production facility we have three lab scale machines on
which we can produce all nine configurations of Micrex/Microcreper. This
allows us to efficiently test a wide range of conditions to quickly arrive
at a go / no go gate toward further development.
 Based
on success of these initial "screening trials", we are configured to seamlessly
move through developmental and then production trials, all the time using our
knowledge of the technology to optimize the final product constant with
our customer's objectives.
Very often we are able to suggest modifications to the base substrate which
while geared toward improving performance on the Micrex/Microcreper, will
actually result in system-wide lower costs.
Critical to success is a close working relationship with our customers.
Successful
firms have learned that even when one round of product development is completed,
it is crucial to continue to integrate Micrex in subsequent generation of
products.
Almost without exception -- no company has been able to successfully innovate
new Microcreped products on their own production equipment.
New Technology:
Micrex technology is always advancing. Whether by inventing new
configurations of Micrex/Microcreper, or by expanding the operating envelope
of an existing configuration, we are committed to expanding the usefulness of
Micrex technology.
Screening trials - even unsuccessful ones help guide our research work.
While in 1988 there were only two versions of the Micrex/Microcreper, now there
are nine.
Micrex/Microcreper
Configurations:
There are five base configurations of the Micrex/Microcreper, and four advanced
configurations (which are only available in-plant to our contract converting
customers).
The base configurations are Comb Roll, Rigid Retarder, Bladeless,
Flat Blade and Two Roll.
This system -- utilizing two drive rolls and two retarding blades, is at the
core of the Micrex/Mark II technology.
Designed to minimize damaging heat at high speed, this system
processes low melting point substrates such as polypropylene or polyethylene.
The
Comb Roll configuration is widely
used to soften hydro-entangled nonwovens, and crepe high basis weight
substrates.
The Bladeless configuration is widely used to
soften light weight nonwovens, bulk gauze, and a wide range of
shrink proofing
applications. Designed to compact less structured materials, the bladeless
cavity is used in a wide range of applications that could not withstand the
forces of the Rigid Retarder cavity.
Picture of the
underside of the package
The Rigid Retarder configuration is widely used to soften
wet laid products, crepe paper, and process a wide range of nonwovens.
The Micrex/Microcreper equipped with a
Flat Blade Cavity is designed to give the textile finisher maximum
flexibility to respond to a competitive style-driven marketplace.
A poly/cotton material can be made into a whole series of
rich decorative styles. Many decorative styles are
possible, plisse, crepe, and seersucker all can be accomplished on the same
basic material within minutes.
The process utilizes a
notched blade
made from spring steel, which selectively compacts the fabric. New styles
can be configured by the operator using scissors, simply by cutting patterns
in a steel blade. The spacing is limitless and is solely up to the finisher.
The Micrex/Microcreper is able to impart a myriad of patterns with a
relatively short changeover time, typically 2-3 minutes. In one case of a
shower curtain manufacturer, the customer specified a 5 inch wide
"pucker" with a 1/4 inch compacted width.
To learn more about the machinery. |
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Contact Us
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Micrex is located
45 minutes from Boston or Providence RI
Click here for
directions
Learn more about
current Micrex applications by reviewing recent issues of our
Technical Newsletter
The best way to learn about Micrex is to
visit us for a trial
Our website has a number of
downloadable documents in Adobe
Acrobat PDF format
Important information
Micrex Terms
and Conditions of Sale as well as our
Service Policy.
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