CN107532352B

CN107532352B - Method and device for consolidating and structuring fibers into a nonwoven

Info

Publication number: CN107532352B
Application number: CN201680024077.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 乌里奇·姆恩斯特曼
Original assignee: Truetzschler GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Trutschler Group Europe
Priority date: 2015-04-28
Filing date: 2016-02-24
Publication date: 2019-12-27
Anticipated expiration: 2036-02-24
Also published as: EP3289131B1; CN107532352A; DE102015106490B3; EP3289131A1; WO2016173685A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for reinforcing and structuring fibers, comprising a first and a second endless conveyor belt which are arranged at least partially parallel for reinforcing and structuring fibers (2) into nonwovens and thus form a structured region (21), wherein at least one conveyor belt is designed as a press conveyor belt (5) having a plurality of openings (5a) providing a pattern, and at least one hydroentangling head (7) is arranged within the press conveyor belt (5) and within the structured region (21) for hydroentangling the fibers. The invention is characterized in that the structured zone (21) has a length of at least 0.2 m and the press belt (5) has micro-holes (5b) between the openings (5a) providing the pattern.

Description

Method and device for consolidating and structuring fibers into a nonwoven

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for consolidating and structuring fibers into a nonwoven.

Background

It is known from the prior art, for example from DE 102005033070 a1, to consolidate nonwovens by means of hydroentanglement between a conveyor belt and a rotary drum and to structure them simultaneously. In this case, the drum may have a pattern for forming structures on the nonwoven or have micropores for better drainage of water. It has proved to be insufficient to process, for example, wet fibers using a rotating drum, since a large amount of water is not sufficiently drained off. Further, the strength values of the nonwovens formed are insufficient.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the invention is to provide a device and a method of the type mentioned above, by means of which the fibers can be adequately reinforced and structured.

The device according to the invention for consolidating and structuring fibers comprises a first endless conveyor belt and a second endless conveyor belt, which are arranged at least partially parallel to the nonwoven for consolidating and structuring the fibers and thus form a structured region. At least one of the conveyor belts is configured as a press conveyor belt with a plurality of openings providing a pattern, and at least one hydroentangling head for hydroentangling the fibers is arranged within the press conveyor belt and within the structured area. The invention is characterized in that the structured area has a length of at least 0.2 m and the compression conveyor belt has micro-holes between the pattern-providing openings.

By means of the combination according to the invention, a longer dwell time for the structuring and spot consolidation of the nonwoven is achieved. The punctiform consolidation of the nonwoven by the micropores results in a duvet-type effect, by means of which the product obtains a high degree of bulk.

The compression conveyor belt preferably has 3 to 100 micro-holes per square centimeter between the openings providing the pattern, the micro-holes being arranged in a random or regular manner. The nonwoven thereby derives sufficient strength in both directions.

In this case, the micropores may have a hydraulic diameter of 0.2 mm to 2 mm, preferably 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm. It has been demonstrated that the effect of the water jet is too weak in the case of smaller hydraulic diameters. In the case of diameters greater than 2 mm, the micropores act like a structure or pattern. In particular in the case of fibers having a length of 10 mm to 40 mm, it has been found that the fibers are consolidated in a multiply punctiform manner.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one hydroentangling head is operated at a pressure of 30 bar to 80 bar, preferably at a pressure of 60 bar. This is significantly lower than the known hydroentangling process, in which the fibers are consolidated at from 100 to 400 bar on a hydroentangling drum with an open structured drum cover. A more uniform and stronger reinforcement in the Machine Direction (MD) and in the Cross Direction (CD) is surprisingly obtained in the preferred pressure range.

In a further embodiment of the invention, at least one further hydroentangling head is provided upstream and/or downstream of the structuring zone in the transport direction, which operates at a pressure of 10 to 25 bar and consolidates the unstructured upper side of the nonwoven.

Preferably, at least one further hydroentangling head is provided downstream of the structured zone in the conveying direction, which operates at a pressure of 10 to 60 bar, preferably 15 to 30 bar, and which consolidates the underside of the nonwoven.

In order to drain off water, for example originating from wetted fibers, it is advantageous if the structured region is inclined at 1 ° to 10 ° in the conveying direction. Thereby facilitating the drainage of water from, for example, wet fibers.

A further improvement is obtained by arranging a wetting device upstream of the one or more hydroentangling heads within the structured zone, which is responsible for the first stabilization of the fibers.

The method according to the invention for consolidating and structuring fibers into a nonwoven is carried out by means of a first and a second endless conveyor belt which are arranged at least partially parallel and thus form a structured region, wherein at least one conveyor belt is designed as a press-on conveyor belt having a plurality of pattern-providing openings, between which openings micro-holes are arranged, wherein the nonwoven is structured by means of water jets in the region of the pattern-providing openings and is cavitated and spot-consolidated over a length of at least 0.2 m in the region of the micro-holes. The pattern-providing zone of a length of about 0.2 m ensures the formation of a sharp pattern of fine patterns on the product by means of the parallel belt guides. Whereby on the one hand the nonwoven is structured to have a surface structure of a given pattern, whereas between said patterns point-like fastening is made, whereby a very bulky product is formed on the basis of the duvet-type effect, which can be used as a cotton pad, a wipe or as a cosmetic product (a wipe suitable for rinsing off).

The invention also relates to a method for reinforcing and structuring a cotton pad, for example, having a weight of 100 to 200 grams per square meter (g/m)²) Is made of the cotton.

The invention also relates to a method for reinforcing and structuring a nonwoven made of synthetic fibers or filaments, such as viscose, polyester, polypropylene, polyamide or lyocell fibers having a weight of 30 to 300 grams per square meter.

The invention also relates to a method for consolidating and structuring wet (wet-laid) nonwovens made of natural fibers, such as, for example, cellulosic materials, or synthetic fibers, such as, for example, polyesters, or chemical fibers, such as viscose or lyocell fibers (100% of which consists of one of the above-mentioned fiber components), or alternatively mixtures of the above-mentioned fibers. For all the aforementioned wet nonwovens, it has a weight of 30 to 120 grams per square meter, preferably 45 to 70 grams per square meter. In the case of use as a wipe, it preferably has a weight of 30 to 100 grams per square meter.

Drawings

The invention is further elucidated with the aid of the drawing;

wherein:

fig. 1 shows a schematic view of an apparatus according to the invention and according to a first embodiment;

fig. 2 to 2d show partial top views of the compression conveyor belt with different patterns and different numbers of pores, wherein fig. 2 shows an enlarged detail.

Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention;

fig. 4 shows a third embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention;

fig. 5 shows a fourth embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention;

fig. 6 shows a fifth embodiment of the device according to the invention.

Detailed Description

According to fig. 1, the fibers 2 are laid on a conveyor belt, for example by an inclined wire former, not shown, in the wet state and are transported to the structured zone 21 by the conveyor belt 3. Alternatively, the staple fibers may also be placed on a conveyor belt and processed. The fibers may also be used as a blanket or intermediate layer disposed between two fibrous layers, a spunbond nonwoven, a fabric or a knit.

The underlying conveyor belt 3 is designed as an air-permeable and water-permeable screen belt or hydroentangling belt and is deflected and actuated by a plurality of rollers 4a to 4 f. The fibres 2 laid in the wet state are laid from a not shown conveyor belt onto an inclined infeed area 20 of the conveyor belt 3 and consolidated by means of the compacting conveyor belt 5 after being conveyed to a flat structured area 21 as shown in fig. 1 or after being conveyed to a structured area 21 with a level decreasing in the conveying direction. The press belt 5 is also designed as an endless belt which is deflected around a plurality of rollers 6a to 6e and is actuated.

In this embodiment, a roller, for example roller 6b, can be moved horizontally in order to tension the hold-down conveyor 5.

As a parallel arrangement of the conveyor belts 5 and 3, also very small acute angles in the conveying direction are conceivable, in which case the conveyor belts form very small open gaps, for example of 0.3 mm to 2 mm, which is advantageous preferably when producing cotton pads or wipes. Thereby avoiding compression of the nonwoven, since the final product is to be realized as fluffy as possible. In the processing of wet fibers, the arrangement of the conveyor belt 3 and the pressing conveyor belt 5 as parallel as possible is advantageous. For this purpose, the roller 6e is arranged to be vertically adjustable.

The at least partially parallel belt guides of the conveyor belt 3 and the compacting conveyor belt 5 over a length of at least 0.2 m, preferably at least 0.5 m, particularly preferably at least 1 m, ensure cavitation or guidance of the fibers, which are laid in all directions, for example in the wet state. The parallel belt guides forming the structured zone 21 do not have the task of compressing the fibers in the conventional sense. In this region, only water should be drained off, the fibers are stabilized to a nonwoven and structured by means of at least one nozzle bar 7 in combination with the patterned openings 5a of the compression conveyor belt 5. The length of the parallel belt guides ensures a minimum dwell time for the drainage and for the cavitation of the fibers, which can be varied depending on the fibers to be processed at different transport or processing speeds, wherein for example the rollers 4b, 6a and 6e are designed to be horizontally adjustable. Although the structuring of the nonwoven is achieved by means of an array of water jets arranged in a linear or punctiform manner, the parallel belt guides with a minimum length of 0.2 m allow drainage while stabilizing the fibers.

Downstream of the compacting conveyor 5 in the conveying direction, a further hydroentangling head 11 with a suction system 12 can be arranged, which can achieve an additional and slight consolidation of the unconsolidated areas under low pressure conditions, for example 15 bar, without impairing the structuring. A drum 13, which is arranged downstream and can be configured as a hydroentangling drum, guides the fibers 2 consolidated into a nonwoven from the conveyor belt 3 via a further drum 15 to further processing, wherein a further hydroentangling head 14 can consolidate the nonwoven from the underside. In order to consolidate the nonwoven while maintaining the structuring of the nonwoven through the openings 5a, the hydroentangling head can also be operated under low pressure conditions, for example, from 15 bar to 30 bar. It is particularly expedient to use a structured water needle plate in the hydroentangling head 14, by means of which the strips are applied to the underside of the nonwoven. In the case of cotton pads, the apparatus can operate at a fiber weight of 100 to 250 grams per square meter. The fiber weight is preferably 45 to 70 grams per square meter in the case of wet-laid webs, and 30 to 100 grams per square meter in the case of wipes.

According to fig. 2 to 2d, the press belt 5 has a plurality of openings 5a which provide a pattern which imparts the desired surface structure to the consolidated nonwoven. For a clearer illustration, in fig. 2a to 2d, a ruler measured in centimeters is inserted at the lower edge, so that the size scale is shown more clearly. The openings 5a providing the pattern can be selected almost arbitrarily as long as the strength of the press belt 5 is not impaired. Between the openings 5a, which are provided with a pattern, a plurality of micro-holes 5b are arranged, which, in addition to improving the drainage, also serve for reinforcing the nonwoven. In fig. 2a and 2d, the pattern-providing openings 5a each appear as recesses communicating with themselves in the press belt 5, between which recesses a plurality of micro-holes are arranged. In fig. 2, 2b and 2c, a plurality of individual pattern-providing openings 5a together form a pattern, for example a flower, heart or triangle pattern, wherein a plurality of micro-pores 5b are also arranged within the entire pattern, i.e. between the plurality of individual pattern-providing openings 5 a.

Within the compacting conveyor 5, at least one, preferably two or three water jet heads 7, 8 are arranged, which jet fine water jets through the openings of the compacting conveyor 5 onto the fibers 2 under a pressure of, for example, 60 bar and thereby consolidate the fibers. In the areas of the openings 5a providing the pattern, the fibres 2 are consolidated, whereby the nonwoven is thinned at these locations. The adjacent regions not hit by the water jets acquire their loft due to the almost unchanged volume, whereby the nonwoven retains its original thickness. Only in the area of the pores 5b, the fibres 2 are consolidated in a punctiform manner, so that a duvet-like effect occurs. Arranged below the conveyor belt 3 are suction boxes 9, 10 which draw off water from the water stabs 7, 8. The conveyor belts 3 and the pressing conveyor belt 5 are oriented parallel or almost parallel to each other in the region of the hydroentangling heads 7, 8 and over a length of at least 0.2 meters, thereby forming structured areas 21 and consolidating the fibers in a local or point-by-point manner while hydroentangling. The micro-holes 5b have the additional advantage that the fibers 2 or the consolidated nonwoven do not stick to the conveyor belt 3 and are therefore easier to remove, so that minimal stretching occurs at the transition between the two conveyor units.

The compression conveyor 5 is made of a flexible synthetic material and has a thickness of 0.3 mm to 1 mm. Alternatively, the compression conveyor belt 5 as shown in fig. 2 is made of a flexible metal and with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.4 mm, preferably 0.2 to 0.3 mm.

The micropores 5b have a hydraulic diameter of 0.2 mm to 2 mm, preferably 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm. The pores are preferably round or oval in shape and are distributed in a regular or irregular and random arrangement on the conveyor belt, wherein the pores are at a distance of at least 0.5 mm from one another. In this case, 3 to 100 micro holes 5b may be arranged per square centimeter. The surface area (i.e., the free area) of the water drainage is within 50% in total, that is, the pattern-providing openings 5a and the micro holes 5b are in total.

In the prior art, the microporous drum interacts with the conveyor belt, in contrast to the residence time for structuring the nonwoven in the case of the inventive combination of the conveyor belt 3 and the microperforated press belt 5. In the case of wet fibers, for example, 15 mm in length, which are placed in a random arrangement, a punctiform reinforcement is obtained by the pores 5b, as a result of the fibers bridging the pores 5b, and thus a duvet effect. The result obtained is a very high bulkiness of the point-consolidated nonwoven which can be used as a cotton pad in the cosmetic field, as a wipe or a so-called washoff wipe.

The following table shows the differences from the prior art, where a and B are compression conveyor belts 5 according to the prior art, which do not have micro-holes 5B, but only have openings 5a providing the pattern. The compression conveyor belts 5, marked C, D and E, in addition to having openings 5a providing a pattern, also have micro-holes 5b according to the invention, which have different densities and sizes. A fibre mixture consisting of PET and viscose was tested with a weight of 45 grams per square metre at a conveying speed of 100 metres per minute (m/min), said fibre mixture being consolidated by means of a hydroentangling process.

Based on the duvet-type effect, it is shown that the compression conveyor belt 5 with micropores 5b and labeled C, D and E has a higher strength in the machine or transport direction (MD is the machine or transport direction) than the compression conveyor belt 5 without micropores, i.e., A, B.

The same effect is shown in the cross direction (CD is the cross direction). In the middle, it is shown that the nonwoven structured and consolidated with a foraminous compacting belt has about 20% higher strength in both directions compared to the nonwoven consolidated with a non-foraminous belt.

In the case of wetted fibers, the fibers preferably travel through structured area 21 at a speed of 50 to 250 meters per minute. In order to be able to drain off water, the conveyor belt 3 and the pressing conveyor belt 5 are inclined in the conveying direction within 10 ° relative to the horizontal plane.

In the case of cotton mats, for example made of cotton fibres, the transport speed of the fibres 2 through the structured zone 21 is preferably 40 metres per minute. In this case, the inclination of the conveyor belt with respect to the horizontal plane can be both in the conveying direction and against the conveying direction for the purpose of draining. It is also advantageous here if the inclination of the conveyor belt 3 and the pressing conveyor belt 5 is within 10 degrees with respect to the horizontal.

The previously described compression conveyor belt 5 can be used with the same function for the different embodiments of fig. 1 and 3 to 6. In this case, the same reference numerals are used for the same technical functions without other explanations.

In the embodiment of fig. 3, the press belt 5 and the conveyor belt 3 are exchanged so that the fibers 2 are placed on the conveyor belt and are transported into the structured zone 21 by the circulating press belt 5.

The upper conveyor belt 3 is designed as an air-permeable and water-permeable screen belt or hydroentangling belt with, for example, 60 to 100 meshes and is deflected and actuated by a plurality of rollers 6a to 6 e. The fibers 2 laid in the wet state are laid from a not shown conveyor belt onto an inclined infeed area 20 of the compacting conveyor belt 5 and consolidated by means of the compacting conveyor belt 5 after being conveyed to a flat structured area 21 as shown in fig. 3 or after being conveyed to a structured area 21 with a level decreasing in the conveying direction. The press belt 5 is also designed as an endless belt which is deflected around a plurality of rollers 4a to 4f and is actuated. Within the conveyor belt 3 there is arranged a moistening device 22 comprising at least one hydroentangling head 16 and at least one suction system 17. The moistening device 22 moistens the nonwoven fibrous web with a fluid medium which overflows the hydroentangling head under relatively low pressure conditions, for example at 2 to 15 bar, and moistens the nonwoven over the entire area in order to stabilize the fibers with respect to one another. The hydroentangling head 16 of the moistening device 22 can be constructed similarly to the hydroentangling heads 7, 8 for reinforcing or consolidating the fibers. However, the hydroentangling head 16 operates with a significantly lower pressure, a smaller volume of water, and a larger nozzle orifice.

Within the compacting conveyor 5, at least one, preferably two or three further water jet heads 7, 8 are arranged, which jet fine water jets through the openings of the compacting conveyor 5 onto the fibers 2 under a pressure of, for example, 60 bar and thereby consolidate the fibers. The fibres 2 are consolidated in the area of the pattern-providing openings 5 a. The adjacent areas not hit by the water jets acquire their fluffiness due to the almost unchanged volume. Only in the region of the pores 5b, the fibers 2 are pressed together in a punctiform manner, so that a duvet-like effect occurs. Arranged within the conveyor belt 3 are suction boxes 9, 10 which draw off the water of the water stabs 7, 8. The conveyor belts 3 and the compacting conveyor belt 5 are oriented parallel to one another in the region of the hydroentangling heads 7, 8 and over a length of at least 0.2 m, and consolidate the fibers simultaneously with the hydroentangling. The pattern-providing openings and micro-holes were made as recesses of 0.5 mm to 1 mm according to the water jet pressure in a cotton pad having a thickness of 3 mm. For example, in the case of a wet fiber thickness of 0.8 mm and a weight of 60 grams per square meter, recesses of 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm and providing a pattern are achieved.

Downstream of the compacting conveyor 5, a further hydroentangling head 11 with a suction system 12 is arranged, which permits an additional and slight consolidation of the unconsolidated areas under low pressure conditions, for example 15 bar, without impairing the structuring. A drum 13, which is arranged downstream and can be configured as a hydroentangling drum, guides the fibers 2 consolidated into a nonwoven from the conveyor belt 3 to further processing, wherein a further hydroentangling head 14 can consolidate the nonwoven from the underside. The hydroentangling head 14 can also be operated under low pressure conditions, for example, from 15 bar to 30 bar, in order to consolidate the nonwoven while keeping it structured through the openings 5 a.

Here, the press belt 5 is also embodied according to fig. 1 and 2 to 2d and has a plurality of openings 5a which provide a pattern which imparts the desired surface structure to the consolidated nonwoven. Between the openings 5a, which are provided with a pattern, a plurality of micro-holes 5b are arranged, which, in addition to improving the drainage, also serve for reinforcing the nonwoven. The micro-holes 5b have the additional advantage that the fibers 2 or the consolidated nonwoven do not stick to the conveyor belt 3 and are therefore easier to remove, so that minimal stretching occurs at the transition between the two conveyor units. According to the embodiment of fig. 3, the structuring of the nonwoven takes place from below, while the additional reinforcement takes place from above. This embodiment is particularly suitable for making cotton pads and wipes.

The embodiment of fig. 4 differs from the embodiment of fig. 1 only in that the nonwoven is structured and patterned on both sides. For this purpose, the structured zone 21 has an upper and a lower press belt 5, which each have a pattern-providing opening 5a, which is surrounded by a plurality of micro-holes 5 b. For this purpose, two hydroentangling heads 16, 18 are arranged in the upper press belt 5, which eject the nonwoven from above. The suction systems 17, 19 associated with the two water jet heads are arranged within the lower hold-down conveyor 5. Two suction systems 9, 10 are provided following the water jet heads 16, 18 of the upper press belt 5, which suction systems interact with the water jet heads 7, 8 of the lower press belt 5. In this case, each side may be provided with the same pattern (e.g., a flower-shaped pattern), or each side may be provided with a different pattern (e.g., a triangular pattern, a spaced-apart stripe pattern, etc.).

Downstream of the structured zone 21, a further hydroentangling head 11 with a suction system 12 is arranged, which permits an additional and slight consolidation of the unconsolidated areas on the upper side of the nonwoven under low pressure conditions, for example 15 bar, without impairing the structuring. A drum 13, which is arranged downstream and can be configured as a hydroentangling drum, guides the fibers 2 consolidated into a nonwoven from the conveyor belt 3 to further processing, wherein a further hydroentangling head 14 can consolidate the nonwoven from the underside. The hydroentangling head 14 can also be operated under low pressure conditions, for example, from 15 bar to 30 bar, in order to consolidate the nonwoven while keeping it structured through the openings 5 a. This arrangement is suitable for making wet laid products, cotton pads or wipes.

In all the foregoing embodiments, the number of nozzle beams may vary as long as there is installation space.

In the fourth embodiment of fig. 5, a reinforcing device 1 is provided upstream of a structured region 21 with an upper arranged compacting conveyor belt 5 and a lower arranged conveyor belt 3. The fibers 2 are placed in a feed region 20 on the conveyor belt 3 and are first consolidated between the conveyor belt 3 and a press drum 23. Inside the press drum 23, a hydroentangling head is arranged for wetting the fibers. Downstream of the pressing drum 23, one or two hydroentangling heads 16, 18 and associated suction systems 17, 19 are arranged. The hydroentangling head consolidates the fibers on the upper side into a nonwoven, for example with a pressure of 15 to 45 bar. The nonwoven is deflected on a drum 13, which is arranged downstream and can be designed as a hydroentangling drum, and is consolidated on its underside by means of one or two hydroentangling heads 14. The hydroentangling head also sprays water onto the fibers at a pressure of 15 to 45 bar. For the manufacture of cotton pads, it is preferred to use only one hydroentangling head 16 and 14 each. For making a wipe suitable for rinsing, two hydroentangling heads 16 and 18 and two hydroentangling heads 14 are most commonly used. The nonwoven is guided by further guide rollers not described further into a structured region 21 between the lower conveyor belt 3 and the upper press conveyor belt 5, where it is structured from above by way of the hydroentangling heads 7 and 8. The arrangement and technical design of the structured regions 21 substantially correspond to the exemplary embodiment according to fig. 1.

The fifth exemplary embodiment of fig. 6 differs from the exemplary embodiment of fig. 5 in that the drum 13 is configured as a patterned drum which, together with the hydroentangling head 14, structures the underside of the nonwoven. The downstream structuring zone 21 with the upper pressing belt 5, together with the hydroentangling heads 7 and 8, ensures that the upper side of the nonwoven is structured in a given pattern, wherein the duvet effect is achieved only on the upper side of the nonwoven.

The device and the method are particularly advantageous for further processing of wet fibers, since wet fibers, such as rayon, are less well structured. By point-like reinforcement of the wet fibers which are not arranged in a structured manner, a special effect, namely, the fluffiness can be improved, while the nonwoven is patterned.

List of reference numerals

1 reinforcing device

2 fiber

3 conveyor belt

4a to 4f roller

5 pressing conveyer belt

5a opening

5b micro-pores

6a to 6e roller

7 Water thorn head

8 Water thorn head

9 suction system

10 suction system

11 Water stabs head

12 suction system

13 rotating drum

14 water stabs head

15 rotating drum

16 water stabs head

17 suction system

18 water stabs head

19 suction system

20 feeding area

21 structured area

22 wetting device

23 compacting drum

Claims

1. Apparatus for reinforcing and structuring fibers, having a first and a second endless conveyor belt which are arranged at least partially parallel for the purpose of reinforcing and structuring fibers (2) into nonwovens and thus form a structured region (21), wherein at least one conveyor belt is configured as a press conveyor belt (5) having a plurality of pattern-providing openings (5a), and at least one hydroentangling head (7) for hydroentangling fibers is arranged within the press conveyor belt (5) and within the structured region (21), the structured region (21) having a length of at least 0.2 m, and the press conveyor belt (5) having micropores (5b) between the pattern-providing openings (5a), wherein the compacting conveyor belt (5) has between 3 and 100 micro-holes (5b) per square centimeter between the pattern providing openings (5a), the micro-holes being arranged in a regular manner or in a random manner, characterized in that the at least one hydroentangling head (7) operates at a pressure of between 30 and 80 bar.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the micropores (5b) have a hydraulic diameter of 0.2 to 2 mm.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the micropores (5b) have a hydraulic diameter of 0.2 to 0.4 mm.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the micro-holes (5b) have a mutual spacing of at least 0.5 mm.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the compression conveyor belt (5) is made of flexible metal or flexible synthetic material.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one hydroentangling head (7) operates at a pressure of 60 bar.

7. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a further at least one hydroentangling head (11) is provided upstream and/or downstream of the structured zone (21) in the conveying direction, which operates at a pressure of 10 to 25 bar and consolidates the unstructured upper side of the nonwoven.

8. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a further at least one hydroentangling head (14) is provided downstream of the structured zone (21) in the conveying direction, which operates at a pressure of 10 to 60 bar and reinforces the underside of the nonwoven.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one further hydroentangling head operates at a pressure of 15 to 30 bar.

10. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the structured zone (21) is inclined by 1 ° to 10 ° in the conveying direction.

11. An apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a wetting device (22) is arranged within the structured zone (21) upstream of the one or more hydroentangling heads (7, 8).

12. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a reinforcing device (1) is arranged upstream of the structured zone (21) in the conveying direction.

13. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a drum (13) providing a pattern is arranged upstream of the structured zone (21) in the conveying direction.

14. Method for consolidating and structuring fibers into a nonwoven, using a first and a second endless conveyor belt which are arranged at least partially parallel and thus form structured regions (21), wherein at least one conveyor belt is configured as a press-on conveyor belt (5) having a plurality of pattern-providing openings (5a), between which openings (5a) micropores (5b) are arranged, wherein the nonwoven is structured by means of water jets in the region of the pattern-providing openings (5a) and is cavitated and spot-like consolidated over a length of at least 0.2 m in the region of the micropores, wherein the nonwoven is consolidated in such a way that 3 to 100 points per square centimeter between the pattern-providing openings (5a), characterized in that the water jets hit the nonwoven at a pressure of 30 to 80 bar.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the water jets hit the nonwoven with a pressure of 60 bar.

16. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that the unstructured upper side of the nonwoven is consolidated by means of a hydroentangling head with a pressure of 10 to 25 bar before and/or after structuring and spot consolidation in the conveying direction.

17. Method according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the underside of the nonwoven is consolidated with a pressure of 10 to 60 bar after structuring and spot consolidation in the conveying direction.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the underside of the nonwoven is consolidated at a pressure of 15 bar to 30 bar.

19. Method according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the nonwoven is wetted in the conveying direction before structuring and spot consolidation.

20. Method according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the nonwoven is pre-consolidated upstream of the structured zone (21) by means of a consolidation device (1).

21. The method according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the nonwoven has been patterned at least on one side upstream of the structured zone (21) by means of a patterning drum (13).