What Raw Materials Are Used in Wet Wipes Manufacturing
A wet wipes machine is an automated device that produces finished wet wipes by conveying, folding, adding liquid, cutting, counting, and packaging non-woven fabrics and other substrates. The width, basis weight, and absorbency of the raw materials affect the machine’s operation; therefore, material characteristics, product specifications, and equipment configuration must be considered simultaneously when selecting a production line.
The main raw materials for wet wipe production include spunlace nonwoven fabric, wet wipe liquid, and packaging film. Spunlace nonwoven fabric is a common substrate; its fiber composition, basis weight, and thickness affect softness, absorbency, and processing stability. Different products may also use other types of nonwoven materials.
Wet wipe liquid is usually formulated according to the product’s intended use, such as daily cleaning, personal care, or baby care products. Its formulation should meet the relevant requirements of the target market. Packaging materials commonly include PE, PET composite films, and other suitable packaging structures, requiring consideration of both sealing performance and equipment heat-sealing requirements.
These materials are not entirely independent. Nonwoven fabric that is too thin or has unstable tension may cause folding misalignment and uneven cutting; a mismatch between the thickness and heat-sealing characteristics of the packaging film may increase the risk of poor sealing.
A complete wet wipes production line typically consists of the following parts:
1. Nonwoven Fabric Unwinding and Conveying System
The unwinding device is responsible for continuously releasing rolls of material, while the tension control mechanism helps the material smoothly enter subsequent processes. For multi-channel wet wipes machines, the material width and conveying status of each channel need to be kept stable; otherwise, inconsistent product dimensions or material feeding deviations may occur.
2. Folding and Cutting Device
The folding mechanism forms Z-folds, W-folds, etc., according to the product design, and the cutting mechanism then cuts the continuous material into specified dimensions. When selecting equipment, the range of processable material weights, folding methods, and cutting lengths should be checked, not just the nominal production speed.
3. Quantitative Liquid Dispensing System
The liquid dispensing system evenly distributes the wet wipe liquid onto the material through pumps, pipelines, and spray or other liquid supply mechanisms. The liquid dispensing amount needs to be adjusted based on the individual sheet size, material absorbency, and product formula, and the consistency of liquid supply between different production channels should be checked.
4. Counting, Stacking, and Packaging Equipment
After being cut, the wet wipes are sorted, counted, and stacked before entering the packaging machine for bagging and heat sealing. Large packaging production lines can also be equipped with labeling, film-sealing, or capping devices. The processing capacity of each piece of equipment needs to be matched to avoid the bottleneck of downstream packaging due to excessively fast front-end production.