Patent ID: 7530150

Claim:
A process for forming a molded, textured, spunlaced, nonwoven web from a fibrous substrate preform comprising the steps of: contacting the fibrous substrate preform with at least one jet of water prior to the fibrous substrate preform contacting a forming screen, wherein the at least one jet of water is directed on to the fibrous substrate preform approximately perpendicular to the fibrous substrate perform; placing the fibrous substrate preform in contact with the forming screen, the forming screen comprising an upper mesh member having a height, h c and an underlying mesh member in direct contact with the upper mesh member, while concurrently subjecting the fibrous substrate preform to a hydroentanglement process, the fibrous substrate preform having an average fiber length, f l and wherein f l is greater than h c , and wherein the fibrous substrate preform is selected from the group consisting of carded substrate preform and airlaid substrate preform.