Flock University 1st Edition - Flock Basics

Welcome to the first edition in the our Flock University series. We hope to educate you on the

process and the wonderful attributes of flocking. Please let us know your feedback and

future topics you would like to see in this series. You can reach us through our website,

Facebook, Linkedin, or Twitter at the links below.

What is Flock?

Flock is technically tiny, short fibers (usually shorter than .125″ in length).

What is Flock made of?

That’s where it gets interesting. Flock can be synthetic or natural materials of various deniers (a unit of fineness for fibers). Basically, any fiber can be cut into Flock. It could be cotton, rayon, acrylic, polyester, nylon, aramids and just about any type of fiber.

Check out Claremont Flock LLC (our sister company) to learn more specifics about flock at www.claremontflock.com.

How does Flock get cut?

They are cut to either precision lengths or random lengths. Since synthetic fibers can be made continuously, they are cut to precise lengths. The fibers are bundled by the millions and then cut with a guillotine-type device, in the exact length needed. By contrast, natural fibers are staple fibers and are cut randomly in rotary-type machines.

What are the Properties of Flock?

Depending on what the desired end use is, fibers can be cut and finished in different ways to have specific properties. In the case of Flocking, the fibers are finished so as to sift well, and charge in an electrostatic field. This allows us to attach the fibers to various surfaces in a perpendicular direction, giving the finished product that characteristic, velvet-like feel. The fibers can also be dyed to any color needed, and dispersed into various products, like coatings or textured papers, or can be pasted onto surfaces.

What are some end uses of Flock?

This is where the sky is the limit. Flocked fibers are used for flocking fabrics, films and surfaces, but those products are then used in countless ways and the number is growing daily. Some applications include polishing pads, apparel fabrics, upholstery fabrics, automotive material, etc. are just some of the uses. Technical uses of flock fibers include reinforcement, battery separators, automotive window seals and interior objects, paper, security fibers, nonwovens, medical, filtration, etc. In fact, this last category shows great promise for development, since flocked fabrics cram an enormous amount of surface area into a small space. Our R&D department is hard at work in developing even more uses for Flock. Stay tuned to our blog, as well as our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles for more news!