ApplicationIndustrial & Manufacturing
Paper Machine Fabric Cleaning
Paper machine brushes keep the forming fabric draining, the press felt open and the dryer screen clear while the machine runs. Use full-width PA66 rolls on 304 stainless cores for the forming and press sections. Narrower brushes go on the edges and seams. The dryer section needs a fill rated for its heat.
- Cleaning target
- Pulp Fibers/Fillers/Adhesive Residue
- Working environment
- Wet Indoor Area
- Cleaning method
- Wet Brushing
- Requirements to check
- Equipment-Maintenance SOP; Hydrolysis- and Chemical-Resistance Requirements
Catalog brushes made for this job
2 brushes in the catalog
Why do paper machine fabrics need brushing?
Every part of the machine clothing has openings that must stay open. The forming fabric drains water from the stock, the press felt takes water out of the sheet, and the dryer screen lets steam escape. Fibers, fillers, pitch and stickies fill those openings a little at a time. A plugged area drains or dries differently, and it shows in the sheet as a wet streak, a mark or a break.
Showers do most of the cleaning. Brushes add a mechanical action where showers alone leave fines in the weave, and on rolls and doctor areas where build-up prints back into the sheet.
The fabrics are expensive and easy to damage. The brush has to clean them at machine speed without wearing them out early.
Where are brushes used on a paper machine?
| Part or area | Residue type | Cleaning requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Forming Fabric | Fiber and filler plugging the fabric | Open the weave from the correct side at machine speed without wearing the fabric. |
| Press Felt | Fines and pitch filling the felt | Lift fines and pitch from the felt surface without damaging the batt. |
| Dryer Screen | Stickies and fiber on the dryer screen | Clear stickies and fiber from the screen openings in dryer heat. |
| Roll and Doctor Area | Fiber and pitch build-up at the roll | Keep fiber and pitch from building up at the roll. |
| Edge and Seam | Debris at the fabric edge and seam | Even contact at the fabric edge and seam as the fabric runs. |
Sizes from the paper machine brushes we make:
| Parameter | Typical range |
|---|---|
| PA66 roll, one example | 150 mm diameter, 1,400 mm face |
| Working width | 200–5,000 mm |
| Roll outside diameter | 80–350 mm |
| Filament diameter | 0.15–0.80 mm, finer for forming fabric, heavier for dryer screens |
| Trim length | 10–80 mm (30–40 mm typical on PA66 rolls) |
| PA66 continuous temperature | About 85°C |
Which brush suits each section?
| Cleaning target | Recommended brush type | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Forming Fabric | Roller and Conveyor Brushes | A forming fabric has to keep draining, so a full-width brush is mounted against it to stop the drainage openings plugging with fines. |
| Press Felt | A felt is compressible and cleaned while it runs, so a brush loaded lightly across the full width works fines out of the batt without crushing it. | |
| Dryer Screen | A dryer screen plugs in the openings themselves, so the brush is sized for its tips to enter the mesh and push the fill back out. | |
| Roll and Doctor Area | The doctor area is where sheet and coating build on the roll, so a brush riding the roll takes it off before it prints back into the sheet. | |
| Edge and Seam | The fabric edge and the seam carry the heaviest build-up, so a narrower brush is set at that band rather than treating the whole width the same. |
Rolls are built with multi-spiral or channel fill for even contact and debris release, on 304 stainless cores with quick-change couplings. The journals, keyways and coupling are copied from the existing drive.
Work with the fabric supplier on brush position and contact. The clothing warranty may set limits on what touches it.
Which fill suits each section?
| If the condition is… | Filament to start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Forming fabric, fine weave | PA66 Nylon | Filament from the fine end of the range opens the weave without wear |
| Press felt and roll cleaning | PA66 Nylon | 0.50–0.80 mm, springs back in wet service |
| Edges and seams | PA66 Nylon | Narrower brushes with stiffer filament for the heavier band |
PA66 is limited to about 85°C continuous. Dryer sections and other hot positions need PBT, PPS or metal filament, chosen to the measured temperature.
How should paper machine brushes be run?
- Set light, even contact across the width; a felt crushes under load.
- Run showers with the brushes, so loosened fines are carried away.
- Check fabric wear and drainage profile after fitting new brushes.
- Lock out the section before any brush change.
- Re-set contact as the fill wears.
What do we need to quote paper machine brushes?
- Section and position: forming, press, dryer, roll or edge.
- Fabric type and width, and the machine speed.
- Temperature and chemistry at the position, including cleaners.
- Shaft, journal and coupling drawing.
- Quantity per design: 100 pieces for rolls.
When is a brush not the answer?
Heavy plugging of forming fabrics and felts is cleared by high-pressure showers and chemical cleaning programs. Stickies that keep returning point to the stock preparation, not the brushes. A worn or damaged fabric needs replacing.
What mistakes damage machine clothing?
- Loading a brush heavily against the press felt.
- Running PA66 brushes in the dryer section above their temperature limit.
- Brushing without showers to carry the fines away.
- Using coarse filament on a fine forming fabric.
Questions buyers ask about Paper Machine Fabric Cleaning
Can nylon brushes be used in a paper machine dryer section?
PA66 is limited to about 85°C continuous. Dryer sections and other hot positions need PBT, PPS or metal filament, chosen to the measured temperature at the brush.
How hard should a brush touch a press felt?
Lightly and evenly across the full width. A felt is compressible and crushes under load. Run showers with the brush so loosened fines are carried away.
Guides that go deeper on this
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Recommended Reading & Related Brush Resources
Paper Machine Nylon Roller Brush
Rotating nylon brush rollers for paper machine forming fabrics, press felts, dryer screens and rolls. Working widths 200–5,000 mm; custom core and fill.
See the specification
150x1400mm PA66 Paper Machine Roller Brush
150mm x 1400mm PA66 roller brush on 304 stainless steel core for forming fabric, press felt, and roll cleaning. Quick-change coupling for fast replacement.
See the specification
Paper Machine Fabric Cleaning Brush
Filaments set so only the tips engage the moving fabric, clearing fiber, coating residue and pitch from formers, press felts, dryer fabrics and rolls.
See the specification
Custom Roller and Conveyor Brushes
A roller brush turns on its own axis and holds an even line of contact across the full width of a belt, sheet, screen or moving product.
See how this type is builtCustom Manufacturing RFQ
Discuss This Application
Share the working surface, residue, dimensions, material direction, interface, quantity and drawing or sample photo.
We reply to every request within 24 hours, with a quotation or with the questions we need answered first. If the brush can be made on our existing tooling, we make the sample directly. If it needs new tooling, we quote a sample fee and a tooling fee, and the sample fee is credited against the bulk order. Need an NDA first? We sign yours before you send drawings, and the files you send are never shown to other customers.
- MOQ500 pcs for small hand-held brushes, 100 pcs for medium and large ones
- SampleTypically 3–7 days
- ProductionFrom 7 days after sample approval, by size and quantity
- Payment30% deposit and 70% before shipment above US$10,000; smaller orders on agreed terms
“We need a brush to remove wet residue from a stainless steel conveyor, about 800mm wide. The current brush wears quickly. We can send photos.”
“We sell drinkware and need a cleaning brush to include with the product. Quantity around 5,000 pieces.”