Process and machine for the production of a non-woven fabric

A process for producing a mechanically consolidated fabric sheet with attached yarns involves inserting barbed needles (53) for the yarn-free consolidation of areas the sheet and simultaneously inserting compound needles (51, 52) for forming stitches to attach the yarns (3, 84) at spaced locations. The stitches may be formed from stitching yarns (22) or from fibres of the shoot and the attached yarns may include both warps (3) and wefts (84). The yarn-free regions are generally greater than the regions with attached yarns and the former may have a pile on one or both faces.