Press felts are needled fiber batt on a woven base, built to soak up water in the nip and give it up to suction boxes. Felt condition sets how much water leaves the sheet, its density and its surface texture, and felt marks can show as a pattern in the finished paper. Felts are changed on a schedule because a filled or compacted felt loses dewatering and starts crushing the sheet.
Third press felt is filled up, the sheet's coming off wet and we're slowing down to dry it.
Also heard as
- press felt
Related terms
Felt side
Face of the sheet that was away from the forming wire, also called the top side.
Couch
Suction roll at the end of the forming section where the wet web is dewatered and leaves the wire.
Wet end
Front section of a paper machine, where stock is formed into a sheet and most of the water is drained and pressed out.