Chances are most paper makers have had the task of changing a dryer fabric during the middle of the night. Chances are if it was unscheduled, the dryer section was still hot and the dryer cans were still steamed up. With today’s less experienced machine crews, changing a dryer fabric can be a major task, both from a safety and efficiency standpoint.

Dryer fabric seam technology has advanced in the last 5 years, with laser-welded technology that provides several benefits over standard woven seams. From a safety standpoint, laser welded seams join faster, meaning less time in the dryer hood and less people to help install. Traditional woven seams have a weave back area, where the MD yarn that wraps the coil is woven back in to the body of the fabric. Laser-welded seams eliminate the need for a weave back, making them error-proof as far as installing backward, or in the wrong direction. Lastly, laser-welded dryer fabric seams open the door for innovative weave patterns and materials that in the past have been impossible with a traditional woven seam.