Choosing the right filaments is an essential step in making effective brushes. They come in an array of materials and looks.
There are four categories of filaments:
1. - Metal wires: steel (high-resistance, brass coated, stainless steel, tempered), brass and bronze.
2. - Synthetic fibres: polyamide or nylon (types of quality: 6, 6/6, 6/10, 6/12), polypropylene, polyester and abrasive nylon.
3. - Natural fibres: both animal (horse and goat hair, pigs' bristles, goose feathers, ostrich feathers) and vegetable (tampico) have antistatic properties.
4.- Speciality fibres: Wytex®, Pekalon, glass fibre, FRH, carbon fibre, etc. resist temperatures up to 200°C, chemicals and mechanical constraints (bending, traction). They release no toxic gases when burned.
1. WIRES
Different kinds of wires suitable for brooms and brushes production, round or flat, for twisted in wire brushes, for stapling and crimping purpose.
1) STAPLING WIRE
Plain, copper coated and galvanized, in spools (as per enclosed chart), round and flat.
2) STAINLESS STEEL WIRE
Hard wire for crimping and soft wire for stapling and for twisted in wire brushes, available in different grades (AISI 304, 304L, 316 etc.) in spools (as per enclosed chart).
3) BRASS WIRE
Crimped in coils or cut to lengths, on spools for crimping (as per enclosed chart), round and flat for stapling purpose.
4) NICKEL SILVER WIRE
Round for stapling and flat wire suitable for toothbrushes production.
5) OTHERS WIRES
Bessemer wire, phosphorous bronze, special alloys.
6) FLAT WIRE
Self-straightening flat steel wire, suitable especially for street brushes production.
7) BRUSH PINS
Calibrated nickel plated brush pins for paint brushes production.
2. SYNTHETIC MONOFILAMENTS
Synthetic filaments suitable for different applications: cosmetic, dental hygiene, domestic hygiene, household and industry.
1) POLYPROPILENE AND POLYETHYLENE
Due to their intrinsic properties, Polypropylene fibres can be used in any product requiring good hardwearing and a low density value, such as in the industrial brushing and road sweeping sectors, but also in the household brush sector, thanks to their excellent behaviour at high temperatures.
Polyethylene is the polymeric material with the simplest chemical structure. Its lightness, softness and low bend resistance make PE interesting in applications where there is no need for “consistency”, stiffness or resistance to stress. PE fibres are mainly used in soft brushes for special industrial applications such as the large brushes in carwashes or roller brushes for fruit/vegetable treatment and so on.
2) SOLID AND HOLLOW POLYESTER
Polyester monofilaments are mainly used to produce brooms and brushes when it is necessary to give prevalence to particular specifications such as good resistance to high temperatures, flaggability and softness in thinner diameters. Thanks to its resistance to wear and abrasion, Polyester is also used for the production of industrial brushes and paintbrushes as an alternative to other materials such as Nylon or natural fibres. Two main qualities of Polyester are used in the brush industry:
• PET (polyethylene terephtalate)
• PBT (polybuthylene terephtalate) mainly used for tooth and hygienic brushes as PBT matches the HACCP (analysis critical control points) guide lines edited by FDA in USA
3) NYLON
Nylon 6 is used in many cleaning products and industrial applications. Its specifications and the ease with which Nylon is processed make it competitive in the production of many kind of brushes.
Nylon 66 filaments have higher specifications, especially as regards resistance to wear and abrasion, and bend recovery. Nylon is used to produce industrial brushes, paintbrushes, brushes for personal hygiene, etc.
Filaments in Nylon 610/612 feature the highest specifications, especially thanks to their excellent bend recovery and abrasion resistance. They also feature limited water absorption, which affects their elastic properties. For this reason, they are used in toothbrushes, paintbrushes, make-up brushes and various industrial applications.
4) PVC
PVC monofilaments (polyvinyl chloride) can be used to manufacture brooms and brushes used for cleaning.
5) ABRASIVE FILAMENTS
Extruded monofilaments in Nylon and other polymers loaded with Silicon Carbide (SiC), Aluminium Oxide (AO) Ceramics (KK) and Diamond (DIA). A wide range of grit sizes are available starting from grit 1000 to 36.
Filaments can be supplied also cut to requested lengths.
Mainly used for: deburring, cleaning, polishing finishing for steel or stone, aluminium, porcelain, wood, hard metal etc., floor care and textile processing.
6) SPECIAL MONOFILAMENTS FOR TOOTHBRUSHES
Monofilaments tapered and not for toothbrushes production, coextruded tapered filament; one side tapered and one side rounded filament.
Different kind of filaments in line with the continuous evolution of the market.
7) SPECIAL FILAMENTS FOR PAINT AND COSMETIC BRUSHES
Chemically tapered filaments, especially suitable for the production of paint, cosmetic and artist brushes.
3. NATURAL FIBRES
Vegetable and animal fibres suitable for many different applications.
1) TAMPICO
Tampico is a natural vegetable fibre derived from the Agave Lechuguilla plant (Ixtle), growing in the dry highlands of northern Mexico.
This natural fibre has exceptional characteristics such as very good elasticity and resistance to chemicals.
Liquids absorption and retention is another characteristic of this fibre, which can absorb water more than 65% of its weight releasing it while working.
Tampico can be prepared in a wide range of stiffness and colours (the original colour is a natural white), and can also be mixed with other fibres like Palmyra and/or Bassine.
A well-known mixture for scrubbing brushes is the so called ‘Union’ composed by natural colour Tampico and Palmyra fibre.
2) BROOM ROOT
This vegetable fibre mainly grows in Mexico, especially in the areas not far from the town of Toluca (Estado de Mexico).
The fibre is the root of the Zacaton plant (a kind of grass), the colour is a natural yellow that during one of the processing stages is sulphured to get a lighter colour than the original one.
It is a very resistant and elastic fibre, natural crimped and excellent in applications such as scrubbing brushes, in some industrial applications and horse grooming brushes.
3) COCONUT FIBRES
Coconut fibre for brushes production mainly comes from Sri Lanka.
Coconut fibre is drawn from coconut husk after removing short fibres and dust by a traditional process.
The coconut fibres are oiled and/or waxed generally during combing processes.
Coconut fibres are normally supplied in hanks that can be cut from 10cm to 23cm according to the end user’s requirements.
4) PALMYRA FIBRE & BASSINE
Palmyra fibre is a natural fibre that derives from treatment of the leaves of the Palmyra Palm and is produced in southern and eastern India.
The best qualities come from the Tuticorin area in the southern part of India.
The fiber is sorted in different grades based on stiffness as follows:
• Medium stiff
• Prime stiff
• Extra prime stiff.
The natural colour of Palmyra fibre is a dark brown, that can be dyed, and when is black dyed it's usually called Bassine.
The leaves of the same Palm tree from which derives the Palmyra fibre, are the same raw material to get the natural fibre Palmyra Stalks.
Palmyra Stalks is extracted from the strong ribs of the leaf and are sorted by dimensions, such as:
• Extra fine
• Fine
• Regular.
The natural colour of Palmyra stalks is pale green, and can be dyed in several colours (like Piassava imitation) and mixed with Palmyra fibre to obtain a real and unique customized product.
5) HAIR, BRISTLES AND MIXTURES
Horse tail hair, double drawn, natural white, black and mixed (grey).
High quality Chinese bristles, up to 90% tops, also mixed with synthetic tapered filaments.
Mixtures of PVC (and/or other synthetic filaments) with horse tail hair, ox hair and/or vegetable fibres.
Several colours, lengths and percentages.
We're also able to redress pure horse tail hair to requested lengths.
Mainly used in the household and industrial sector.
Mixtures of synthetic filaments with other synthetic filaments and/or with natural bristles.
Mainly used in the paint brushes production.