Inotis Algeria & Dinotis France : Spunlace nonwovens production

Production environment control

Our standards | Lab testing | Ecological perspective

What sets INOTIS apart from nearly all other nonwoven producers is the fact that the plant is entirely dedicated to the markets for contamination control fabrics. The whole production environment has been designed to be able to satisfy quality standards necessary for supplying fabrics for the operating theatre and for cleanroom and extreme clean production environment wiping. This is achieved not only by using the latest and best production technology presently available in the world, but also by making sure the production takes place in the ideal environment. INOTIS is very conscious that the quality of the air in which production takes place and of the water used in the production process have a significant influence on the suitability of the final fabric. Without the right quality of air and water the customers final product will not be able to satisfy to EN 13795 and other relevant industry norms.

Inotis products are continuously tested on their reliability in terms of particle release and contamination levels. Licial® cleanroom fabrics have outstanding purity and cleanliness due to:

the absence of binders and adhesives
an exceptional control of linting resulting from the powerful fiber hydroentangling process used and various types of lint removal technology strategically inserted at various places along the production chain
an exceptional control of residual particles resulting from the use of clean air during production (special air filtration systems and over-pressurization in the production area)
very low ion content as a result of the use of extreme clean water (reverse osmosis process)

PROCESS AIR CLEANLINESS

The production hall is separated from the rest of the plant in order to be able to maintain a ‘near cleanroom’ environment at the location where the fabric is exposed to air. Incoming air as well as circulating air is continuously being filtered and washed before release in the production hall. For this purpose air is collected at various locations in the production hall and processed in a dedicated air treatment equipment with FFU’s.

Wiessner process air treatment

Process air engineering represents an essential factor for optimization of quality and efficiency of the production line.
The system combines suction, filtering, air conditioning and controlling into an integrated system. It conditions the process air for machines and production processes and connects the production machines directly with the treatment systems. It minimizes the influence of environmental conditions on the production process. It improves the product and reproducibility of the product quality by compliance with steady production conditions

PROCESS WATER CLEANLINESS

By necessity the nonwoven hydroentangling process uses large quantities of water. For the surgical area but even more for the cleanroom wipe type applications it is of vital importance to have an ideal control of contaminants potentially present in water. To be sure to be able to manage the necessary level of quality control, INOTIS decided to invest in extensive recycling of water. This way it would ‘own’ up to a very high degree its own water. At present 95 % of the water usage is recycled water. It makes the plant more independent from outside influences whereas at the same time it takes care of a potential important ecological issue also.

Reverse Osmosis Equipment

Incoming and used water is being filtered in several phases in different ways. In the latest phase it gets to the reverse osmosis unit. Reverse osmosis, also known as hyperfiltration, is the finest filtration known. This process will allow the removal of particles as small as ions from a solution. Reverse osmosis is used to purify water and remove salts and other impurities. It is used to produce water that meets the most demanding specifications that are currently in place.
Reverse osmosis uses a membrane that is semi-permeable, allowing the fluid that is being purified to pass through it, while rejecting the contaminants that remain. The reverse osmosis technology uses a process known as crossflow to allow the membrane to continually clean itself. As some of the fluid passes through the membrane the rest continues downstream, sweeping the rejected species away from the membrane. The process of reverse osmosis requires a driving force to push the fluid through the membrane, and the most common force is pressure from a pump. The higher the pressure, the larger the driving force. As the concentration of the fluid being rejected increases, the driving force required to continue concentrating the fluid increases.
Reverse osmosis is capable of rejecting bacteria, salts, sugars, proteins, particles, dyes, and other constituents that have a molecular weight of greater than 150-250 daltons. The separation of ions with reverse osmosis is aided by charged particles. This means that dissolved ions that carry a charge, such as salts, are more likely to be rejected by the membrane than those that are not charged, such as organics. The larger the charge and the larger the particle, the more likely it will be rejected.