Raleigh, North Carolina — December 14, 2018 — North Carolina State University (NWI) and the Hills Inc. Nonwovens Research Institute in West Melbourne, Florida are pleased to announce the delivery of Hills LBS-300 to NWI. The LBS-300 is an extremely versatile and compact machine-covering an area of ​​approximately 5 feet by 5 feet, and a height of approximately 8 feet-designed for research and development related to filament, fiber, and non-woven products . This design allows LBS-300 to quickly and easily adapt to almost any fiber extrusion process. A basic LBS-300 device only needs 8 grams of polymer chips to simply extrude, quench and wind unstretched fibers. However, NWI's LBS-300 is equipped with many optional LBS accessories for conversion to many additional extrusion processes. Such options included with the machine include:

1. The perforated multifilament spinneret can produce the following external fiber cross-sections: a) solid circle; b) hollow circle; c) trilobal shape.

Spinnerets for extruding almost any other external fiber cross section can be added later.

2. Spinning multifilament bicomponent fibers with metering/distributing plates to produce the following internal fiber cross-sections:

a) Sheath/core; b) Side x side; c) Inclined trilobal shape; d) 16-segment cake; e) 36 islands; f) Used to reduce spinning holes from 72 to various lower The baffle assembly with the number of spinning holes.

Multi-component metering/distribution plates for extrusion of almost any other internal cross section can be added later.

3. Monofilament extrusion capabilities for extrusion, water quenching and winding of homopolymers and bicomponent monofilaments, including:

a) Spinnerets for extruding solid round, hollow round and trilobal cross-sections. b) Two-component metering/distributing plates for extruding skin/core, side-by-side and trilobal cross-sections with pointed ends.

Additional spinnerets and metering/distribution plates can be added later to extrude almost any other cross section.

4. Used for extruding homopolymer and two-component melt-blown fibers, as well as melt-blown fabric forming, bonding and winding equipment. It is also possible to produce fabrics with fiber diameters less than 250 nanometers.

5. Spunbond open system aspirator, used for high-speed stretching of spunbond fiber and spunbond fabric forming, calendering, bonding and winding equipment.

6. The spinning height can be adjusted to suit the spinning of various fiber sizes and polymers.

7. High temperature extrusion to 450°C.

8. Special materials to adapt to the extrusion of corrosive polymers.

9. An adapter for coating almost any type of threaded thread previously manufactured.

10. Specially designed to adapt to the use of existing NWI equipment to produce fully oriented yarns.

11. HillsWare HMI is used to store and analyze data from spinning test.

LBS-300 is a special research and development tool that is often used in NWI, but in the hands of NWI, it will also be an excellent educational tool for training NWI students and industry personnel in fiber extrusion and melt-spun nonwoven fabric production.

Hills and NWI intend to expand their cooperation by adding more features to LBS when future needs arise.