An overview of technologies for imparting stretch properties to basic nonwoven fabrics compares current techniques for creating popular stretch fabrics with TANDEC's patented web forming system and describes the behavior, elasticity, aesthetic properties, stretch consolidation, and lamination properties of these nonwoven fabrics. In the TANDEC process, a web enters a heating zone at one speed and exits at a higher speed. As the web is heated, the machine direction drawing force applied by the winding machine collapses the web in the cross direction. Under machine direction tension, all filament elements are aligned in the machine direction, causing cross direction filaments to buckle in the cross direction and resulting in the collapse of the web width. Because alterations to web width, length structure, softness, and basis weight occur as plastic deformation during heating, they are permanent. The pilot line processes webs with a maximum width of 64 inches. Spun bonded polypropylene webs with weights of up to 25 grams per square meter can be processed at up to 350 feet per minute. A commercial stretch consolidated web pilot line is available for trials by potential licensees. 1 ref.