Guiding or tracking issues during stock-on, stock-off events on a packaging machine are not uncommon — especially on the modern, wide, and fast Fourdrinier machines. During start-up or shutdown events, the forming fabric tends to “run off the rails” until it settles into a range that can be handled by the machine’s automatic guides. In bad cases, operators work feverishly to manually adjust the hand guides until the fabric settles in, and there is some risk of losing an expensive forming fabric or damaging the machine.

The solution is a patented innovation from AJ called TruTrac™. TruTrac modifies the twill pattern on the machine side of the fabric to eliminate guiding problems on machine positions that are sensitive to high hydraulic flows.

On conventional forming fabrics, there is an imbalance in the twill angles of the yarns, creating the wear surface on the bottom side. TruTrac creates a perfect balance, with the same number of CD yarn floats going in both directions, to ensure that when stock is put on or taken off, the forces generated by each set of twills will cancel each other out. This enables the fabric to guide straight on even the most guide-challenged machines.

TruTrac™ guides straight on even the most guide-challenged machines.