New WYPALL® L wipers from KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL harness AIRFLEX® fabric for better performance and reduced costs

Kimberly-Clark Professional has launched a new range of disposable wipers in large roll format for the demanding industrial workplace and foodservice sectors. The new WypAll® L wipers are manufactured from patented AIRFLEX® fabric that dramatically increases absorbency and performance consequently reducing users’ overall expenditure on wipers.

While conventional paper manufacturing processes crush fibres creating a sheet that is flat and dense, AIRFLEX® fabric is over twice as absorbent because the larger air pockets absorb more liquid so fewer sheets are needed to complete the job in hand.

The patented technology provides a sheet that delivers unrivalled wet strength, and spills are cleaned up faster without the wiper falling apart or becoming soggy. WypAll® L wipers provide great hand protection as they are 19% more bulky than traditional paper wipers.

Kimberly-Clark Professional commissioned independent research to better understand the user perceptions of AIRFLEX® fabric versus wipers made using conventional tissue technology. With location tests in Stuttgart and Hamburg, 100 users in different industry sectors completed four different tasks (mopping up water, wiping up oil, cleaning a greasy wrench, and washing and drying hands).

WypAll® L40 3-ply wipers were compared against a competitor 3-ply wiper. The WypAll® L40 absorbed 144% more water and 37% more oil.

Due to the outstanding performance attributes of AIRFLEX® fabric, less sheets are used and the time taken to complete tasks, such as wiping a greasy wrench, is substantially reduced. Consumption can be cut by up to 15% consequently reducing the cost of disposal of used product.

The WypAll® L wipers range meets the demands of different tasks from heavy duty to general purpose and frequent wiping:

Slips, trips and falls are the most common form of accident in an industrial environment. By keeping wipers close at hands spills can be easily and quickly dealt with reducing the risk of accidents and keeping the workspace clean and safe. Kimberly-Clark Professional offers two large roll dispensers.

A mobile freestanding unit with bin bag attachment can be easily moved around the workspace. This unit is especially useful for busy environments where a large quantity of wipers will be used.

A wall-mounted large roll dispenser with bin-bag attachment is also available, designed for areas where wipers need to be constantly close at hand.

THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND AIRFLEX®

Kimberly-Clark Professional’s continual investment in research and development has enabled it to introduce the patented AIRFLEX® highly absorbent fabric.

Comparison of two technologies:

Conventional tissue technology uses pressure from a drying cylinder to remove moisture from a tissue sheet as it is formed. This requires a good sheet to cylinder contact for efficient drying call Wet Pressing. A vacuum pressure roll compresses the sheet against the surface of the cylinder. While this ensures efficient drying, the sheet is compressed adding density. Although this improves the strength of the paper, it also reduces both the bulk of the sheet and it’s water-holding ability.

The sheet is then scrapped from the drying cylinder (called “creping”) which recovers some of the sheet bulk lost (maximum of 50%) when compressed against the dryer. As a result, strength is reduced by up to 60%.

With AIRFLEX® technology, hot air passes through the sheet so there is no sheet compression and drying efficiency is maintained. This produces a sheet that is two to three times more bulky than conventional tissue and, has three times greater water absorbent capacity.

AIRFLEX® fabric is not creped so the strength of the bulky sheet is maintained.The patented process means that a distinctive pattern is imparted which an independent market survey showed was preferred by 80% of users.