BTMA - British Textile Machinery Association

Dynamic in-line mixers for the mixing and/or aeration of chemicals and substances for the coating and finishing of fabrics or carpets are the special field of Blackburn-based AutoFoam Systems.

Building on over 40 years of experience in the business of foam generation and application, Autofoam acquired the well known mixer manufacturer Cowie & Riding two years ago, enhancing its position as a complete solution provider for the generation and application of foam and coating finishes.

Autofoam produces a range of mixers with foam output capacities of between one and five hundred litres a minute, employing a patented twin rotor mixing head which produces a very stable structure with a 200-400 micron bubble size.

These mixers can be used as an addition to an existing coating line or can be combined with Autofoam’s patented profile applicators. A programmable automatic control system monitors the input and air mass flow rates and adjusts mixer and air to maintain the correct foam production for the required wet pick up at actual line speed.

Applicators are supplied in a number of configurations and can range from 0.5 to five metres in width.

The standard applicator can be used for knits or woven fabrics, with foam being delivered to the application profile via a slot manifold.

For higher solid content, such as products employing latex or SBR (high solids styrene butadiene), the company's 'standard traverse pipe' applicator is used for the delivery of foam to the application profile.

Autofoam's Advance carpet applicator is specially designed to supply foamed chemicals - stain release agents, moth proofing etc. - under pressure, and impregnate the pile side of carpets.

Applying chemicals via the foam medium can result in energy savings of up to 50% and chemical savings of up to 15%. It also helps increase production throughput, improves product quality and helps reduce the environmental impact of excess chemical usage.

Typical applications include:

• Stain repellents
• Soil/water/oil repellents
• Insect-resistant chemicals
• Anti Static agents
• Softeners
• Flame retardants
• Latex binders
• Acrylic resins
• Crease-resist and dimensional stability chemicals.