MICROSTRUCTURED BELT CONTACT SURFACE

Abstract

A transport belt, in particular for machines for the production of web material such as paper or paperboard, has, on a web material contact side, depressions of which the majority has a depression opening with a dimension smaller than 20 μm in at least one direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

The current invention is further described the detailed description which follows. The present invention is described by way of a non-limiting example of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein:

The FIGURE shows a partial sectional illustration of a transport belt according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A transport belt for machines for production of web material, comprising: a web material contact side having depressions,wherein a dimension of depression openings of a majority of the depressions is less than 20 μm in at least one direction.

2. The transport belt according to claim 1, wherein the majority of the depressions is essentially all of the depressions.

3. The transport belt according to claim 1, wherein the depressions on the web material contact side are arranged, at least in some regions, in an essentially regular pattern of depressions.

4. The transport belt according to claim 1, wherein the depressions on the web material contact side are arranged, at least in some regions, in an irregular pattern of depressions.

5. The transport belt according to claim 1, wherein the depressions are created by at least one of mechanical, thermal and chemical methods.

6. The transport belt according to claim 1, wherein the web material is one of paper and paperboard.

7. A method for producing a transport belt, comprising: forming depressions on a web material contact side of a belt, wherein at least one dimension of a depression opening for a majority of the depressions is smaller than a fiber diameter of fibers in a web material to be transported.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the web material is one of paper and paperboard.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the forming is by at least one of mechanical, thermal and chemical methods.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the fiber diameter is greater than approximately 20 μm.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one dimension of the depression openings is less than 20 μm.

12. A method for producing web material, comprising: forming depressions on a web material contact side of a transport belt, wherein at least one dimension of a depression opening for a majority of the depressions is smaller than a fiber diameter of fibers in a web material to be transported; andtransporting the web material on the web material contact side of the transport belt.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the web material is one of paper and paperboard.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the forming is by at least one of mechanical, thermal and chemical methods.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the fiber diameter is greater than approximately 20 μm.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one dimension of the depression openings is less than 20 μm.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: guiding the transport belt and the web material through a press nip.