Design and Development of Modular and Small-Scale Needle Punching Mechanism Non-Woven Machine

Abstract

Natural fibers like cotton, coconut, and bamboo are finding new life in needle-punched non-woven fabrics, creating eco-friendly alternatives for applications ranging from car interiors to gardening mats. Regular testing is essential to ensure the quality of multi-fiber non-woven production. However, the current testing process often requires needle changes, which can be time-consuming. Therefore, this project aims to streamline the needle adjustment process. A small-scale prototype was developed to explore and understand structural aspects, conduct testing and simulations, gather valuable data on prototype behavior, and visually investigate the results. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was conducted during the design stage to determine the Von Mises stress, strain, and displacement of the machine structure. Operational testing involved varying the needle punching speed at a fixed feed rate to study fiber entanglement formation. The needle punching speeds tested were 300 rpm, 200 rpm, 150 rpm, 100 rpm, and 60 rpm. Results showed that 300 rpm produced the finest fiber entanglement and yielded a smoother and more uniform surface appearance in the fabric. FEA simulation results indicated that under a needle punching force ranging from 3N to 9N, the Von Mises stress (1692.66 N/m) , displacement (1.3703 × E-10 m), and strain (1.8395 × E-8) were within acceptable limits. Overall, results from the operational tests and simulation analysis demonstrate that the prototype performs effectively within failure limitation.