Polar fleece is manufactured using a specific process involving multiple steps and different types of yarns. The process described involves weaving face yarns and bottom yarns, followed by several finishing treatments.
The Manufacturing Process of Polar Fleece
According to one manufacturing method, polar fleece is created through a sequence of steps that transform raw materials into the final soft fabric.
The key stages include:
- Weaving: Face yarns and bottom yarns are woven together.
- Brushing: The fabric surface is brushed to raise the fibers.
- Carding: This process further aligns and separates fibers, often enhancing the fluffy texture.
- Shearing: The raised fibers are sheared to a uniform length, creating a consistent pile.
- Swinging: This step is part of the finishing process, potentially involving tumbling or agitation to improve softness and bulk.
Below is a summary of the primary production steps:
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Weaving | Interlacing face and bottom yarns |
| Brushing | Raising fibers on the fabric surface |
| Carding | Preparing fibers for texture enhancement |
| Shearing | Trimming fibers to a uniform height |
| Swinging | Finishing process for softness/bulk (example) |
Materials Used
The manufacturing process specifically utilizes face yarns and bottom yarns. The reference highlights that the bottom yarns are silk covered yarns.
These silk covered yarns have a particular composition:
- They consist of nickel-chromium alloy.
- The alloy has a specified diameter ranging from 0.035 to 0.018 millimeters.
- The alloy is combined with other yarns which form a silk covered... (the reference is incomplete here regarding the full composition of the silk covering itself).
This combination of materials and steps contributes to the unique texture and properties of polar fleece.
Key Components
- Face Yarns: Form the surface of the fabric.
- Bottom Yarns: Provide structure and, in this specific method, incorporate special properties via the silk-covered alloy.
- Nickel-Chromium Alloy: A metallic component within the bottom yarns, specified by a diameter range (0.035-0.018 mm).
- Silk Covered Yarns: The composite structure of the bottom yarns.
These materials are critical to achieving the desired structure and performance characteristics of the polar fleece fabric produced by this method.
