Process for the pretreatment of fibrous material, pretreatment chamber and fiber molding plant
The present disclosure relates to a process for the pretreatment of fibrous material in a production process for producing three-dimensional products, to a pretreatment chamber for the pretreatment of fibrous material, and to a fiber molding plant having at least one pretreatment chamber. By pretreating relatively dry fiber material, the shaping step in a manufacturing process can be significantly improved and the choice of product geometries can be increased.
1 . A process for pretreatment of fibrous material having a water content of less than 30% by weight in a production process for producing three-dimensional products, wherein the fibrous material is subjected to product-specific pretreatment before at least one process step of shaping three-dimensional products, wherein the at least one process step takes place directly after the pretreatment of the fibrous material, and wherein the product-specific pretreatment includes selectively moistening the fibrous material to provide different moisture content in different regions of the fibrous material.
2 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein during the product-specific pretreatment, the fibrous material undergoes at least one temperature, moisture, and/or steam treatment and/or the fibrous material undergoes an additive treatment.
3 . The process according to claim 2 , wherein the pretreatment comprises at least two pretreatment steps that include at least two of the temperature, moisture, and steam treatment.
4 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fibrous material is supplied for pretreatment in the form of one of: separate preforms of the fibrous material, as a sheet of the fibrous material, or as a continuous web of the fibrous material.
5 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein, during the selective moistening, only regions that are deformed in a subsequent process step are moistened.
6 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pretreatment is carried out on a surface of the fibrous material at least from one side.
7 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pretreatment is carried out in a plurality of pretreatment steps.
8 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pretreatment takes place within a pretreatment chamber in which the fibrous material is at least temporarily protected from external influences.
9 . The process according to claim 8 , wherein at least one portion of the pretreatment chamber has properties that are different from a region around the pretreatment chamber, and wherein the properties include pressure, temperature, and/or moisture.
10 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the product-specific pretreatment includes selectively providing additives to the fibrous material in different portions of the fibrous material.
11 . The process according to claim 10 , wherein the portions are different in size than the regions that are selectively moistened.
12 . The process according to claim 10 , wherein the regions that are selectively moistened overlap with the portions that are selectively provided additives.
13 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fibrous material is moistened directly before the at least one process step is initiated.
14 . A pretreatment chamber for pretreatment of fibrous material that has a water content of less than 30% by weight, wherein the pretreatment chamber is part of a fiber molding plant for producing three-dimensional products, wherein product-specific pretreatment of the fibrous material is configured to be carried out in the pretreatment chamber, and said pretreatment chamber has at least one pretreatment device with which the fibrous material introduced therein undergoes at least one temperature, moisture, and/or steam treatment and/or undergoes an additive treatment, wherein the pretreatment chamber includes at least one portion where the fibrous material is selectively moistened to provide different moisture content in different regions of the fibrous material.
15 . A fiber molding plant comprising at least one pretreatment chamber according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one pretreatment chamber is arranged upstream of at least one molding station.
16 . The pretreatment chamber of claim 14 , wherein the pretreatment chamber includes at least one additional portion where the fibrous material is selectively treated with an additive in different portions of the fibrous material.