Basis weight is measured by cutting and weighing a set area of fabric, and it is the primary spec on nearly every nonwoven. Hygiene spunbond runs as light as 8 to 15 g/m2, wipes about 30 to 80 g/m2, and needlepunched geotextiles and felts from 100 to well over 1,000. Customers usually specify both an average and a limit on variation across and along the roll.
Basis weight is 1.5 grams heavy on the operator side, so we're giving away polymer on every roll.
Cut weight samples across the full width, not just the middle; the edges are where weight usually wanders.
Also heard as
- grammage
- weight
- fabric weight
Related terms
gsm
Grams per square meter, the shorthand unit for nonwoven basis weight on specs, labels and the line.
CV
Coefficient of variation: standard deviation divided by the mean, the yardstick of nonwoven uniformity.
MD
Machine direction: the direction a nonwoven travels through the line, along the length of the roll.
Roll goods
Nonwoven fabric sold in rolls to converters, as opposed to finished products made from it.