Magazine March 2012

All the latest information from the textile world

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Formed automotive carpeting from Colbond

A shared basis for successful synergies. Like Groz-Beckert, the Dutch company Colbond is a long-standing partner of the tufting industry. For almost 40 years now, tufters have relied on the high-performance nonwoven primary backings from Colbond, sold under the brand name of Colback®. Find out more about the technical details and the production process of state-of-the-art formed carpets!

The Groz-Beckert Tufting System and Colback®

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For optimum-quality molded car carpets

With tufting systems for the production of automotive carpeting, Groz-Beckert takes a systematic approach. Consistent developments are geared toward the constantly changing requirements of the industry where precision and processing safety are concerned. Through the controlled and coordinated selection and combination of materials and the functional interplay of all system components, the Groz-Beckert tufting system brings you measurable benefits! The tufting process achieves high-quality, economically impressive results.

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The quality of a tufted carpet depends not only on the Groz-Beckert tufting system and further production machinery but is also largely determined by the primary backing. It acts as a carrier throughout the manufacturing process and contributes to the stability and performance of the finished product during service life. In particular during molding, the primary backing is a crucial factor in the final appearance of the tufted carpet. The nonwoven backing ensures regular pile-yarn formation and also makes the product tear-resistant. Its unique design delivers properties that make Colback® the preferred choice - for tufted car carpet as well as for premium carpet tiles and dust control mats.

Colback® Pro – The backbone for molded carpet

Just an imageColback® nonwoven primary backing; © Colbond bv

Building on the performance of Colback®, Colback® Pro is the brand name of a whole range of nonwoven backings specifically designed for the automotive industry. This product is being used for the manufacture of carpet for almost all premium car brands (e.g. BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz).

After the tufting process, Colback® Pro can hold extreme elongations that are enforced when molding the carpet to complex platforms while keeping the tuft construction reliably in shape. These high elongation capabilities of Colback® Pro facilitate raw material savings by pre-stretching the carpet prior to molding. Since it can be molded at lower temperatures and helps to reduce cycle times, the system also contributes to higher output volumes - and costs are lower than with conventional solutions.

Colback® Pro: Advantages at a glance

Just an imageMolded car carpet, tufted on Colback®; © Colbond bv

  • Excellent moldability at low temperatures
    → gives excellent appearance of the molded car carpet
    → contributes to excellent climate-control test values
    → enables short molding cycles and energy savings

  • High stability at low weight
    → facilitates pre-stretching, resulting in reduced material consumption

  • Excellent tuft lock
    → maximizes the quality of finished car carpet

In-house R&D committed to raising the bar ever higher

Colbond is building on vertical and horizontal industry partnerships with Groz-Beckert and other members of the carpet value chain, and continually developing the Colback® product range further. The company maintains a Development and Application Center at its head office in Arnhem, Holland and a Development Laboratory in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. Both facilities have the latest equipment at their disposal for the development of new products as well as for application research. They are the key to the launch of each new product optimally tailored to suit specific customer needs and end-uses.

Environmentally-friendly primary tuft backings

Colbond launched the industry's first nonwoven carpet backing made of recycled polyester in 2007. Following intense research & development work, Colbond now is producing a range nonwovens comprising bi-component filaments with a post-consumer recycled bottle scrap PET core and rPA6*-skin generated from carpet waste. Colback® Green has been well received by leading carpet manufacturers. Colbond is currently working on development of new, environmentally sustainable nonwoven variants for the automotive industry.

* rPA6 is a recycled Polyamid 6 material.

Focus on corporate social responsibility

As a leading technical textile producer and a global supplier, Colbond is determined to uphold the highest standards of health & safety and environmental awareness. The company's overall strategy is influenced strongly by its environmental culture and philosophy. Actively exploring opportunities in sustainability is one of the key themes of Colbond's environmental policy.