Patent ID: 8728373

Claim:
A method of forming an industrial fabric taken from the group consisting of forming fabrics, press fabrics, dryer fabrics and process belts used in papermaking, impression or embossing fabrics, through-air-dryer (TAD) fabrics, and fabrics used in the production of nonwovens, the method comprising the step of: incorporating a plurality of fibers or yarns in a pattern in the form of stripes with sequenced thermochromic polymers having different graduated temperature transitions arranged in a cross machine direction (CD) of the fabric, the plurality of fibers or yarns comprising thermochromic polymer materials and having a plurality of thermochromic transition temperatures, wherein the thermochromic polymer materials comprise polythiophene, wherein the plurality of fibers or yarns incorporate polythiophene as a component thereof or coating thereon, and the stripes are created in the CD by using the plurality of fibers or yarns incorporating polythiophene in a weave of the industrial fabric, and the fabric is used as a process control aid.