Wool Content
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Wool percentage is based off of new wool in the felt. The remaining fibers are made of something called card waste this can consist of anything including recycled wool, cotton, rayon/viscose (wood fibers) and even bits of vegetable matter and synthetics. This material is used as filler to either reduce the cost of the felt or impart certain desired characteristics to the finished material.
Tolerances
Tolerances in SAE felts are based off of the wool content and density of the fiber. Wool is prone to contract or swell slightly depending on temperature, changing the thickness and weight of the fiber. Cutting the wool can also shrink the fiber creating a slight dimensional tolerance.
Durability
Wool fibers have small barbs on them, which allow them to interlock when being felted. The more friction, moisture and pressure is applied during the felting process, the denser and more durable the felt becomes. High density SAE felts have the ability to withstand long periods of wear and pressure.
Color
SAE felts are made from natural sheep wools and not dyed. Similar to human hair, sheep hair comes in a variety of colors, shades and textures. This means that SAE felt colors will vary from lot to lot. For designer applications requiring consistency in color and finish we recommend using 100% wool designer felt instead of SAE felt.
F-1
SAE F-1 Felt has the highest durability of any industrial felt. Highly resilient, F-1 felt is recommended for uses where impact, pressure, friction, and abrasion are constant. Washers, wicks, door bumpers, and polishing blocks are among its many possible applications. While not recommended if you require a soft or pliable material, F-1 is great for low viscosity oil absorption and retention.
Wool Content: Min. 95% wool
Density: High, 0.32-0.36 g/cm³ (539.4-606.8 lb/yd³)
Color: Off-White to Beige
Link: F-1 Industrial Felt
F-3
SAE F-3 Felt is one of the most durable industrial felts with an 85% wool content. F-3 serves the same general purposes as F-1 but is slightly less dense. Its advantages include excellent vibration absorption, resistance to abrasion and wear, and applications that require a coarse wool. F-3 felts is suitable for precision applications such as vibration mounts, precision lubrication wicking, oil seals, bumpers, gaskets, automobile, aircraft and machinery components.
Wool Content: Min. 85% wool
Density: High, 0.32-0.36 g/cm³ (539.4-606.8 lb/yd³)
Color: Natural Gray to Brown
Link: F-3 Industrial Felt
F-10
F-10 Felt is an SAE grade industrial felt made with a minimum wool content of 80%. F-10 is recommended when you require excellent grease and oil retention in your application. This felt is also great for dust shields under less severe operating conditions and where pressure and impact are not important factors. Its crafting uses include storyboard walls, seat cushions, and embroidery protection.
Wool Content: Minimum 80% wool
Density: Medium-Low, 0.17-0.20 g/cm³ (286.5-337.1 lb/yd³)
Color: Off-white to Beige
Link: F-10 Industrial Felt
F-15
SAE F-15 Felt is suitable for the same applications as F-10 felt, but has a slightly lower wool content. Applications include sound deadening chassis strips, spacers, dust liners, and for mechanical purposes where abrasion and wear are not important factors. Other applications include acoustic panels, protective padding (such as saddle pads, blankets, and cutting table protectors) absorbers, packing material, sound dampening insulation, and cushioning material.
Wool Content: Minimum 55% wool
Density: Low, 0.17-0.20 g/cm³ (286.5-337.1 lb/yd³)
Color: Natural Gray to Brown
Link: F-15 Industrial Felt
F-26
SAE F-26 Felt is an industrial wool felt with low density. While this grade of felt is not recommended for mechanical applications, it is ideal for packing or padding when held in place between other materials. Non-mechanical applications include crate liners, sound absorption, sports equipment padding, and padding between parts.
Wool Content: Minimum 45% wool
Density: Low, 0.14-0.17 g/cm³ (236-286.5 lb/yd³)
Color: Natural Gray to Brown
Link: F-26 Industrial Felt
F-50
SAE F-50 industrial wool felt is a highly dense felt, similar in density to F-1, and best suited to applications that require an accurate, thin, smooth high-grade felt. This felt grade is also used for ball and roller bearing oil retainer washers and small dust-excluding washers. Use this felt in installations where it will not be compressed, for feeding low viscosity or light oil, and where strength, durability, and hardness are required.
For more information, please visit automotive felt supplier.
Wool Content: Minimum 95% wool
Density: High, 0.32-0.36 g/cm³ (539.4-606.8 lb/yd³)
Color: Off-white to Beige
Link: F-50 Industrial Felt
F-51
SAE F-51 Felt is a high-density 92% gray wool industrial felt. F-51 felt is similar to F-3 felt but made in thicknesses less than 1/8 inches and used where a thin, high-grade wool felt is required. Common applications include ball and roller bearings, oil retainer washers, and smaller dust excluding washers. We recommend it for applications where an accurate, coarse felt is required.
Wool Content: Minimum 92% wool
Density: High, 0.32-0.36 g/cm³ (539.4-606.8 lb/yd³)
Color: Natural Gray to Brown
Link: F-51 Industrial Felt
F-55 Black
SAE F-55 felt is a moderate-density felt used for anti-squeak strips and for lining cemented to fiberboard or metal panels. F-55 felt is also used in similar applications as F-7 felt, when the thickness required is less than 1/8 inches. Other applications include dust shields, gaskets, lubricators, acoustic material, wicks, and wipers.
Color: Black
Wool Content: Minimum 80% wool
Density: Medium-High, 0.25-0.27 g/cm³ (421.4-455 lb/yd³)
Price: $$
SAE industrial felt, or technical felt, is nonwoven wool felt used in technical applications. There are two methods of manufacturing industrial felt: wet felting or dry needle punch felting.
Technical felts are produced in a variety of thicknesses, densities, and compositions to meet a wide range of needs. The SAE, formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers, mandates the standards of measurements applied to nonwoven wool felts used in:
At Bouckaert, we custom manufacture our SAE industrial felt using the needle punch method. Before discussing the differences between manufacturing methods, here are the characteristics of SAE felts and nonwoven wool felts in general.
Felt is a versatile fabric explicitly engineered for high-pressure applications in specialized industries. With the natural benefits of using wool fiber (click here for our previous post on wool felt usages), here are some of the advantages to using industrial wool felt:
Industrial applications such as these require high levels of aversion to abrasion, oil and grease absorption, and wear and tear. To ensure the best application results, SAE felts are classified by their density, wool content, and durability.
To note, the color of SAE industrial felts will vary. Since the wool used is natural and undyed, there is no way to control color consistency from lot to lot. There are also strict tolerance requirements based on wool content and density combined. The shape of wool can change naturally (depending on temperature) or manually (from cutting the material); density and wool content need to be adjusted to consider tolerance issues.
All technical felts are produced under the same specs; the difference lies in the manufacturing process. Despite these “technical” differences, both processes in making SAE grade felt start the same way.
The wool fiber is first cleaned and blended with any additional synthetic materials before the carding process. The carding machine disentangles and mixes the fibers together to create a uniform web, aligning the individual fibers into a singular direction. Several of these webs are layered in alternating directions on a machine called a cross-lapper to build-up to the weight of the desired finished felt. This layered material will be much thicker (and less dense) than the finished product as it has not been densified yet. This material is referred to as a batt.
The wet felting manufacturing process is known as the more “traditional” way of producing nonwoven felts. It uses heat, moisture, and pressure to mat and densify the fiber together.
The batts are wetted with hot water and fed into a plate hardener. The plate hardener applies vibrational pressure to the wetted material using rollers to help the fibers interlock together. The hot water, added acid, and pressure eventually cause the batts to shrink down in size, creating the densely matted fibers of a pressed felt.
The wet felt is left with a sulfuric acid residue that is then neutralized in tanks filled with sodium chloride (soda ash) and warm water solution. Once the felt is neutralized, it goes through a refulling machine to smooth out any irregularities on the surface. The felt must then be dried either in a dryer or oven or hung and stretched in a drying room.
Here at BIT, we manufacture our SAE grade felts using the needle punch method. Needle punched SAE felt is marked with an “N” for “needled in the official designation (example F-7N). Here’s the difference in manufacturing:
As the name suggests, dry needle punch felting eliminates the use of moisture. Instead, the batts enter a needle loom; a precise machine that uses thousands of barbed needles mounted on a needle board to pierce the layered webs of fiber. The repeated punching of the needles entangles the fibers together to create the thick, dense felt.
Depending on the desired density, some needle punched SAE felts will then go through a heated press to further densify the material. Read more in-depth on the needle punch method here.
The use of chemicals in wet pressed felts gives the advantage of creating a smoother finish that allows the material to hold its shape better as it wears. The upside for needle punched felt is its economical and eco-friendly benefits; eliminating the use of harsh elements makes a cleaner production line that is more cost and time effective.
For exceptional sound insulation, needle punched felt is the go-to choice for acoustic paneling needs. But if there is one thing to remember when choosing between a wet felt or a needle punch felt, it is that both are produced under the same specs mandated by the SAE. The performance of needle punch felt is not compromised because of its manufacturing process.
Want to know how BIT can add value to your business by providing custom manufactured SAE grade industrial felts? Get in touch today!
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