50 years Perlon®-Monofilaments in Dormagen
The history and the triumphant advance of man-made fibers began with the epoch-making invention of polyamide 6.6 (Nylon) by Wallace H. Carothers in 1935 and of polyamide 6 (Perlon®) by Paul Schlack in 1938. Today, man-made fibers make up more than 50 % of world fiber consumption and their share is constantly increasing. The most important types of chemical fibers are polyester, polyamide, polypropylene and polyacrylonitrile.
As early as in 1939, the first monofilaments were produced from the new polyamide fibers and one year later the production of filament yarns (synthetic silk) began.
Due to their outstanding properties, in particular the high tenacity, elasticity and abrasion resistance, the products were soon used in very different textiles and technical items, e.g. in hosiery products, clothing, carpets, tires, safety belts.
The Bayer AG Dormagen site already had a long tradition as the "Weaver on the Lower Rhine" and regenerated cellulose fibers were produced under the brand name Cuprama® since the twenties. So it was not a surprise that man-made fibers were first developed and produced once again in Dormagen.
In 1949 – i.e. more than fifty years ago – the first one hundred tons of Perlon® monofilaments left the works, mainly as fishing lines and bristles. These two fields of application have dominated the production for more than 20 years. But every year new products were added: e.g. tooth brushes, zippers, hawsers, ropes, nets and pretensioned synthetic wires for agriculture.
Already at the beginning of the sixties, inventive engineers investigated the possibility of replacing the wool used for paper machine clothings by another material.
They found that the ideal material for the press section were Perlon monofilaments and Perlon fibers of Perlon-Monofil GmbH. But it took nearly ten years until the idea was finally materialized and the first fully synthetic press felts were produced on a commercial basis. Woven fabrics and fibers of Perlon by Perlon-Monofil GmbH became the synonym of first-class press felts for paper machines.
Today, Perlon-Monofil GmbH, with its wide range of polyamide monofilaments is one of the leading manufacturer of press felts for paper machines. In addition to press felts made of polyamide 6, we also offer monofilaments of polyamide 6.6, polyamide 6.10 and copolyamides.
The global position as a manufacturer and supplier has been further expanded following the commissioning of a new production line in March 2008. With this expansion in capacity, rising demand for monofilaments for paper-machine-clothing, particularly in Asia, and the growing trend towards finer diameters on the European market can be served. The new production line increases total annual capacity to well above 5,000 t.
An efficient and selective working team constantly monitors the changing requirements of the market and thus ensures that Dormagen will continue to produce monofilaments to meet the continuously increasing demands of our worldwide customers long into the future.
