From the Sector

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and Nonwovens Industry Magazine announced the opening of nominations for the prestigious IDEA® Achievement Awards. IDEA® is the preeminent event for the nonwovens and engineered fabrics conference and exposition and will be held at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida USA, March 28-31, 2022.

The IDEA® Achievement Awards recognize leading companies and new innovations (since IDEA® in 2019) in the global engineered fabrics industry in six categories. Companies may now nominate their products, or their customers’ products, in the following categories:

• Sustainability Advancement (advances one or more elements of sustainability or circularity since 2019)
• Equipment (best new equipment introduction since 2019)
• Raw Materials (best new raw materials introduction since 2019)
• Short-Life (best new disposable product introduction since 2019)
• Long-Life (best new durable product introduction since 2019)
• Nonwoven Product (best new nonwoven product introduction since 2019)

Avgol, a subsidiary of global petrochemical producer Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL),  appointed Mr. Tommi Bjornman as its new CEO, replacing Mr. Shachar Rachim who takes up a broader role as CEO leading the Hygiene vertical of IVL’s Fibers business.

Mr. Bjornman’s new position with Avgol took effect on 1 June, 2021. The Hygiene business is one of 16 integrated verticals under Indorama Ventures, and comprises brands including Avgol, Auriga, FiberVisions, ES FiberVisions, Trevira and Wellman. The Hygiene vertical provides fibers and filaments used in hygiene, medical, personal protective equipment (PPE) and industrial disposable applications as well as durable textile applications used for automotive interiors, furnishings, wall and window coverings and related goods. Mr. Bjornman continues to report to Mr. Rachim who retains his role as an Avgol Board member.

• The Techtextil and Texprocess trade fairs have a positive view of the future and invite the sector to take part at Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre from 21 to 24 June 2022.
• Exhibitors who register well in advance benefit from an early-booking discount.

The dates for the next editions of Techtextil and Texprocess have been set and the leading international trade fairs for technical textiles and nonwovens and for the processing of textile and flexible materials are set to attract exhibitors and trade visitors from all over the world to Frankfurt am Main from 21 to 24 June 2022. Thus, the fairs are shifting the biennial cycle of events from odd to even years, which fits in perfectly with the sector’s international event calendar. Companies that book exhibition space at one of the two trade fairs no later than 31 August 2021 benefit from an early booking discount. “We see the future in a positive light and are confident that we will finally be able to give the sector the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas and information in June 2022. The desire for personal encounters, direct communication and new impressions is growing from day to day”, says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles and Textile Technologies.

Elgar Straub, Managing Director, VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, emphasises that, “Texprocess and Techtextil are the world’s foremost trade fairs for our innovative sector by a large margin. Both events offer customers an unrivalled overview of state-of-the-art innovations and technological developments – and beyond. Particularly when it comes to the latest trends for sustainability and digitalisation, Texprocess and Techtextil in Frankfurt represent the most important, future-oriented market. This makes it all the more important for both the exhibitor and visitor sides of the sector that we have the opportunity to obtain an overview of the latest market developments, to exchange ideas and information and to initiate new business. We are very relieved about this and hope that, next year, we will once again have the chance to generate new momentum for our sector in the international market.”

For the first time, Techtextil and Texprocess will occupy the western sector of Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre with a total of four exhibition halls and, with a hybrid format, offer the best of both the physical and immaterial worlds: personal communication, virtual networking opportunities and maximum digital coverage. With a comprehensive hygiene and safety concept, Messe Frankfurt will ensure that all visitors and exhibitors can take part safely and with a good feeling.

International technology Group ANDRITZ has received an order from Pratrivero s.p.a. to supply a new eXcelle batt forming line for their production facilities in Valdilana, Italy. The line will be dedicated to the production of Maliwatt products, used in furnishing, automotive, naval, medical, geotextiles, advertising, clothing, and packaging applications. Installation and start-up are scheduled for the third quarter of 2021.

The ANDRITZ batt forming line includes an eXcelle card and eXcelle crosslapper, a ProDyn™ web profiling correction system as well as a scanning gauge with a closed loop. The ProDyn system combines actions from the card doffers with dynamic speed variation at the crosslapper. This will result in substantial fiber savings and reduction in CV%, providing improved weight evenness in the final product. The ProDyn closed loop will ensure the best possible self-regulation for the equipment and thus enable Pratrivero to produce one of the best product qualities on the market. Pratrivero will be the world’s first company to use the ProDyn technology in the Maliwatt stitchbonding process.

Stitchbond is a nonwoven process made by mechanically interlocking fiber webs with continuous filaments, thus imitating textiles. Stitchbonded products are used in many applications due to their lower production costs compared to woven textiles. Among all the different nonwoven processes in which it operates, ANDRITZ is also a market-leading supplier of batt forming equipment for the stitchbonding processes producing Maliwatt, Malivlies and quilting.

Pratrivero is an important player in the production of nonwoven fabrics using stitchbonding technology.