From the Sector

For the sixth time now, Oerlikon Nonwoven will be showcasing market- and customer-oriented solutions for hygiene, medical, filtration and other technical applications at the globally-leading nonwovens trade fair INDEX in Geneva, Switzerland. Between March 31 and April 3, 2020, visitors to the trade fair can convince themselves of the Neumünsterbased systems constructor’s extensive product and process know-how.

Comprehensive spunbond portfolio – always the right solution
Oerlikon Nonwoven meanwhile has a very broad range of spunbond technology products and services. The process for manufacturing geotextiles from polyester or polypropylene has been optimized; it is characterized by high production capacities and yields, with simultaneously low energy consumption for producing benchmark nonwoven products.

For the manufacture of hygiene nonwovens, Oerlikon Nonwoven offers its new QSR (Quality Sized Right) systems. Here, the benefits of the Chinese machine construction partner’s nonwoven formation are integrated into the complete solution. The advantage for nonwovens producers: highly competitive solutions at attractive prices with comparably low investment.

Cost-efficiently manufacturing meltblown nonwovens
New, unique and highly sophisticated filter media can be easily and efficiently manufactured thanks to Oerlikon Nonwoven’s optimized meltblown technology. Whether as a stand-alone system with one or several positions, as ‘plug & produce’ installations for already existing systems or in conjunction with other technologies: the Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown process already enables the cost-efficient manufacture of meltblown nonwovens with the quality requirements of tomorrow. Ever more producers are choosing the meanwhile extensively tried-and-tested and consistently further-developed Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown solutions.

Airlaid technology for the nonwovens of tomorrow
Pulp or cellulose fibers as raw material for manufacturing nonwovens are currently virtually unrivaled with regards to sustainability and environmental compatibility. The Oerlikon Nonwoven airlaid process is the ideal solution for processing this raw material into high-end products for a wide range of applications. Today, there is huge demand for manufacturing solutions for high-quality, lightweight airlaid nonwovens with economically attractive production speeds and system throughputs. In this area, the patented Oerlikon Nonwoven formation process – which also permits the homogeneous mixing of the most diverse raw materials, while simultaneously guaranteeing superb evenness and homogeneous fiber laying – is setting standards even for nonwovens with low running meter weights. And the benefits of this technology are also increasingly gaining significance in sustainable recycling applications.

P&G patented PHANTOM technology from Teknoweb Materials
Also being showcased at the trade fair stand is the P&G patented PHANTOM technology from Teknoweb Materials, Oerlikon Nonwoven’s strategic partner for hygiene products and wipes. The PHANTOM technology is released to Teknoweb Materials by P&G in worldwide exclusive license. The PHANTOM technology is the superior dry laid alternative technology for manufacturing wet wipes from pulp and polymer fibers, for example. Compared to conventional, known processes, this technology offers superior performances with cost advantage in much more eco-friendly products. Dispensing with hydroentanglement renders subsequent drying of the material redundant. Targeted process management allows the optimal setting of the relevant product parameters such as softness, tenacity, dirt absorption and liquid absorption.

The Oerlikon Nonwoven experts will be presenting efficient solutions and comprehensive technology know-how for challenging filtration tasks to an international trade audience at the FiltXPO 2020 in Chicago, USA (Stand # 420), taking place between February 26 and 28.

Meltblown technology is one of the most efficient methods for producing very fine and highly-separating filter media made from manmade fibers. New, unique and highly-sophisticated filter media are easy to manufacture thanks to Oerlikon Nonwoven’s optimized meltblown technology. This process is characterized by its constant melt pressure distribution and consistent dwell time across the entire width of the spinning beam, Furthermore, the novel guidance and distribution of the process air outside the coathanger distributor offered by the Oerlikon Nonwoven technology prevents so-called hotspots, which overall ensures particularly homogeneous nonwoven properties and basis weights even in the case of delicate raw materials.

The Oerlikon Nonwoven charging unit stands out against other concepts currently available on the market. Users can freely choose from a large number of variation possibilities and set the optimum charging method depending on the filter application, allowing the Oerlikon Nonwoven charging unit to also be used for the manufacture of EPA- and HEPA-class filter media.

The new forming section ensures improved nonwoven formation evenness across the entire width, even in the case of high spinning speeds, special polymers and polymer combinations. In addition to this, the newly-designed system also ensures that nonwovens only require minimal edge trimming at the end of the production process. The newly-developed mixedfiber technology enables the combining of various filament cross-sections and polymers, in order to set ideal filtering and pleating performances, for example.

Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG will be providing information on its extensive range of coating and finishing technologies for the production of nonwovens and technical textiles at the forthcoming Techtextil India exhibition.

“India is already a very important market for Monforts and there are exciting prospects ahead for Indian manufacturers of technical textiles, who are well positioned to capitalise on growth opportunities,” says Monforts Head of Denim Hans Wroblowski, who will be at the Monforts stand in Hall 4, booth C52 at the show. “India has one of the largest working-age populations in the world and a complete textile value chain for both natural and synthetic fibres.”

In addition, he adds, India’s government, through its Ministry of Textiles, has been actively promoting the growth of technical textiles through various programmes based on investment promotion, subsidies, the creation of infrastructure and the stimulation of consumption.

As a result, India’s Ministry of Textiles is forecasting that the growth of technical textiles in the country will be over 18% annually in the next few years, from a value of US$16.6 billion in 2018 to US$28.7 billion in 2021.

Value addition

High value-added technical products such as wide-width digital printing substrates, carbon fabrics for high-performance composites, filter media, flame retardant barrier fabrics and heavy-duty membranes are now being coated on Monforts texCoat ranges and finished with the company’s industry-leading Montex stenters.

“Since we acquired the technology that our coating units are based on in 2015, we have made a lot of refinements,” says Hans. “All of these developments are reflected in higher coating accuracy and the resulting quality of the treated fabrics. At the same time, our latest multi-functional coating heads offer an unprecedented range of options, with a wide range of modules available.”

The texCoat user interface is now equipped with the unique Monforts visualisation system and the magnetic doctor blade has greater power reserves. Options include a carbon fibre-reinforced composite coating drum with a more scratch-resistant surface and maximum rigidity and remote control which simplifies exact adjustment for the operator.

Montex stenters in special executions are meanwhile ideal for the drying and finishing of both technical woven fabrics and nonwovens and characterised by high stretching devices in both length and width.

“The European-built Montex range of stenters has earned its leading position in the technical textiles market due to the overall robustness, reliability and economy of these machines,” Hans concludes. “Whatever the intended end-product – and we continue to discover potentially new areas in which technical textiles can be utilised all the time – we have the machine specification and know-how to turn ideas into reality. In India we also benefit from the strong sales and service support of A.T.E. Enterprises.”

Texchtextil India takes place alongside World of Composites at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai from November 20-22.

In addition to launching its new and expanded website, A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG has issued two new publications celebrating the achievements of its major customers.

The first edition of Monforts World of European Textiles profiles a range of companies at the forefront of manufacturing in Europe serving a wide range of end-use markets – from high-end silk and polyamide fabrics for the luxury brands to nonwovens and technical textiles for digital printing, protective clothing, wallcoverings and more.

The seventh edition of Monforts World of Denim meanwhile charts the latest developments from the global market leaders in denim production. Monforts enjoys a global lead in the supply of finishing technology for the denim industry and is currently extremely busy responding to the interest shown at ITMA 2019 in its new CYD yarn dyeing system for this market.

Both publications are now available to download from the new website at: https://www.monforts.de/en/latest-news-media/downloads/

Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, will be at ITMA to launch its latest innovations and system solutions aimed to help textile manufacturers with optimized productivity and/or value creation in their markets.

Archroma offers a wide portfolio of dyes and chemicals aiming to increase sustainability and innovation along the entire value chain, from fiber to finish.

Archroma is reputed for its continuous flow of ground-breaking innovations, such as the EarthColors®, a range of dyes made from non-edible natural waste from the agricultural and herbal industry, Inkpresso®, a digital printing system that enables ink mixing on site and on demand, Smartrepel® Hydro, a nature-friendlier protection that keeps cotton, polyester and polyamide textiles dry, the Color Atlas, a revolutionary color system comprising of a physical and online library of 4,320 new colors developed on cotton poplin.

More recently, Archroma introduced the purest indigo, Denisol® Pure Indigo, an aniline-free* synthetic pre-reduced liquid indigo launched in 2018, Appretan® NTR, a new nature-based binder for nonwovens, and Fadex® AS New, a new “super UV protector” for automotive & transportation textiles, both introduced in May 2019.

At ITMA, Archroma will present 24 solution systems and 5 innovations, and will hold “Innovation & Solutions Sessions” at its booth to present them.

The systems and innovations presented by Archroma have all been selected for their compliance with “The Archroma Way: safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”. The approach finds its origin in Archroma’s deep belief that it is possible to make the textile industry sustainable.

• Clean Technology. Smart Factory.

Remscheid – Oerlikon invites all visitors to this year's ITMA in Barcelona on a journey into the future of manmade fiber production. From 20 to 26 June 2019, the world market leader will show all its guests its vision of a sustainable and automated manmade fiber production in a virtual 4D showroom at its 1,000 m² stand in Hall 7, A101: "Clean Technology. Smart Factory." is the motto of the future. And this is only a stone's throw away from reality at the stand. Because today Oerlikon is presenting four world premieres for efficient machine and plant concepts in a new, innovative industrial design. Together with numerous other innovations, all this forms the new DNA of the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment.

The challenges for the manmade fiber industry are manifold and Oerlikon shows its customers solutions:

1. Choosing the right business model
Price pressure on fiber and yarn manufacturers is growing due to global market consolidation. Here it is important to position oneself correctly. Are you producing polyester, nylon or polypropylene for the niche market and skimming off good margins with innovative products and ingenious material properties, or are you looking for business success through economies of scale in the volume market such as the constantly growing apparel sector? Oerlikon has the right answers for both business models. And the most important thing: the market leader supplies all solutions from a single source. See for yourself at the world premieres of the machine and system concepts of WINGS FDY PA6, BCF S8 Tricolor and the revolutionary eAFK Evo texturing machine.

2. Finding alternatives for good personnel
Finding good operators in the manmade fiber industry is becoming increasingly difficult, even in emerging industrial nations such as China, India and Turkey. The solution is obvious. What, for example, the automotive industry achieved years ago with the 3rd Industrial Revolution is now also taking its course in the textile industry. And at the same time it is even shifting up a gear. In the next step, automation in combination with digitization will lead to new, sustainable production. Oerlikon will be showing how automation and digitization interact at ITMA. Self-learning machines and systems, artificial intelligence (AI), remote services and edge computing are just a few of the key words in the digital half of the new Oerlikon Manmade Fibers DNA.

3. Guarantee quality and traceability
The qualities of the fibers and yarns must meet the highest demands and their production must be traceable throughout the textile value chain. This no longer only plays an important role in the automotive industry, where safety is of paramount importance. Other branches of industry that use fibers, yarns and nonwovens also want to know where the raw materials they produce for consumer articles come from. Legal regulations are demanding this more and more frequently. Oerlikon offers optimal solutions with its DIN ISO certified manufacturing processes. More than half of the world's manmade fiber producers are convinced every day that the qualities produced on Oerlikon Barmag, Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Nonwoven equipment are right – and all visitors to ITMA can do the same on site.

4. Efficient and sustainable production
In the future, the materials produced from manmade fibers must become part of a further improved global recycling economy. The recycling of polyester – with over 80% market share the most frequently used manmade fiber in the world – has not only been on the agenda since today. Oerlikon already has solutions at hand: from PET bottles to fibers and filaments, to textiles and carpets. ITMA is the next step. With the VacuFil® Oerlikon in cooperation with the subsidiary company BBEngineering presents the world premiere No. 4 – a recycling solution within a running polyester production with a waste-free approach.

Vision becomes reality
The Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment thus demonstrates what the ITMA in Barcelona promises as the world's leading trade fair for textile machinery and plant construction: "Innovating the world of textiles – sourcing for a sustainable future". In Hall 7, A101, this is already reality.

• essenscia Innovation Award is Belgium’s most prestigious prize for industrial innovation
• UltraBond is a cost-effective solution for fully recyclable, latex-free, sustainable carpets
• Significant reductions in ecological footprint and cost for carpet manufacturers

Beaulieu Fibres International, Europe’s largest producer of polyolefin fibres, was nominated for the 2019 essenscia Innovation Award for its recently introduced UltraBond fibre.

The biannual award is the most prestigious prize for industrial innovation in Belgium. Created by essenscia, the Belgian Federation for Chemistry and Life Sciences industries, it aims to promote innovations in the Belgian industry and encourages companies to invest even more in innovative and sustainable products and applications. During the evaluation of the nominated innovation projects, the jury assesses their link with chemistry, life sciences and materials, their contribution to sustainable development, their intellectual property management strategy as well as their added value for the economy.

Formally introduced in early 2019, UltraBond is a patented polyolefin bonding staple fibre that eliminates the need for latex or other chemical binders to bond nonwovens. It enables carpet manufacturers to create 100% PP needlepunch carpets that meet the same performance requirements as traditional constructions, while also reducing end-of-life environmental impact.

UltraBond helps manufacturers make a significant contribution to the circular economy through the production of 100% recyclable carpets. In addition to making recycled PP available for the plastics production chain and reduced waste generation, their total lack of water use and reduced energy use result in significant environmental advantages and financial savings. There is also a reduction in the VOC level of the carpet. This all leads to a significant reduction in a needlepunch carpet’s ecological footprint to the tune of a 35% reduction in CO2 emissions during the full production process.

• Oerlikon presents its expanded nonwovens product portfolio at the IDEA 2019 in Miami

Neumünster – Oerlikon presents its complete nonwoven plant portfolio for the production of airlaid, meltblown, spunbonded and hybrid materials at this year’s IDEA in Miami from 25–28 March. The focus of its presentation will be on solutions for hygiene, medical and other disposable nonwovens. Visitors to this year’s IDEA can inform themselves on the wide range of products at Oerlikon’s exhibition stand (no. 1724).

Two strong partnerships for disposable nonwovens

While two years ago the Nonwoven business unit of the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment focused almost exclusively on solutions for technical applications, the company has now expanded its product portfolio to include solutions for disposable nonwovens by establishing strong partnerships.

Oerlikon & Teknoweb Materials – two strong partners for the nonwoven industry

As early as spring 2017, Oerlikon Manmade Fibers' Nonwoven business unit had entered into a strategic partnership with the Italian company Teknoweb Materials. Teknoweb Materials is an established technology supplier in the field of wipes and other disposable nonwovens. With its LEVRA technology, the company has its own patented, particularly efficient manufacturing process for wipes. It also has extensive process know-how on the making and further processing of these nonwoven materials. The Nonwoven business unit of Oerlikon’s Manmade Fibers segment completes this partnership with its well-established machine and plant solutions. Teknoweb Materials will also be represented at IDEA at the Oerlikon exhibition stand (no. 1724).

Cooperation with Shaoyang Textile Machinery

For spunmelt systems solutions for hygiene and medical applications, Oerlikon has been in cooperation with the Chinese machine and plant manufacturer Shaoyang Textile Machinery since Autumn of last year. The goal of these cooperation partners is to advance the international marketing of spunmelt plants outside of China. Oerlikon Manmade Fibers’ Nonwoven business unit contributes its plant engineering know-how and is responsible for product and process guarantees. Oerlikon also assumes the overall project responsibility as well as world-wide customer service outside of China. In return, Shaoyang, with its headquarters in the city of the same name in the Hunan province, supplies the plant technologies.The advantage for the customer: competitive solutions at an attractive price level with comparatively low investments.

• Latex-free: UltraBond allows 100% recyclable thermal bonded nonwovens
• Sustainability & cost-efficiency: significant reductions in CO2 emissions and energy and water consumption for manufacturers of needlepunched exhibition & contract flooring
• UltraBond debuts at Domotex 2019 Stand B56 Hall 11

Beaulieu Fibres International (BFI) unveils a unique opportunity for carpet manufacturers to create fully recyclable needlepunch carpets, and benefit from production and resource savings, without influencing performance.

Launched at Domotex 2019, new UltraBond is a patented polyolefin bonding staple fibre that eliminates the need for latex or other chemical binders to bind nonwovens. It opens up a new path for creating 100% polypropylene (PP) needlepunch carpets which meet the same performance requirements as traditional latex-bonded carpets while reducing the end-of-life environmental impact. Functional properties such as pilling resistance, resistance to wear and abrasion, and also UV resistance are guaranteed.

Using UltraBond manufacturers finally gain the potential to cost-efficiently produce 100% recyclable carpets. In addition to the general benefits of making recycled PP available for the plastics production chain and reduced waste generation, environmental advantages and financial savings arise from a total lack of water and less energy use. As a 100% dry process, thermal bonding uses no water and results in a total absence of waste water. There is also a reduction in the VOC level of the carpet. This all leads to a significant reduction in a needlepunch carpet’s ecological footprint.

The sustainability benefits are quantified through lifecycle analysis (LCA) of an exhibition carpet application – among the primary applications for needlepunch carpets. Evaluations show that the absence of water consumption directly translates into a large energy saving of 93% when using UltraBond compared to a latex bonding solution, and also a potential annual water saving of over 20 million litres for 100 million m2 of exhibition applications in the EU. Without the addition of any other bonding agent, CO2 emissions are reduced by 35% over the full production process.

Karena Cancilleri, Vice President Beaulieu Engineered Products, Beaulieu International Group, commented, “Recyclability and achieving a greener, more cost-effective production process without compromising on current performance levels are significant unsolved topics within today’s carpet industry. By eliminating the need for latex and chemical binders through UltraBond, we offer needlepunch manufacturers a breakthrough they have been looking for that boosts environmental and economic sustainability. We see textile flooring as just the beginning. Together with our customers, we look forward to exploring the potential of this unique thermal bonding fibre in other applications such as laminated nonwovens or as an alternative to dry powders.”

Discover more about UltraBond from the Beaulieu Fibres International team at Stand B56 Hall 11, Domotex 2019 in Hannover, Germany from January 11-14, 2019.

Tenowo, Inc. and Tenowo GmbH, Hoftex Group AG businesses and manufacturers of engineered nonwovens, announce a new addition to the company, Tenowo de Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V. As a first step it involves the establishment of a sales office and warehouse in the city of San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

San Luis Potosí, Mexico – The new entity is jointly owned by Tenowo Inc. in the USA and Tenowo GmbH in Germany. It was established in response to increased demand for Tenowo’s automotive products in the Mexican market and will house materials manufactured both in the United States and Germany.

“This location provides Tenowo, Inc. with a footprint in a fast-growing geographic part of our market and is hopefully the first step towards further expansion. San Luis Potosí is a thriving city in the heart of the Bajio region of Mexico and has access to four major ports. In addition, it is within a few hours of the major automotive manufacturing hubs in Mexico.” stated Chris Peart, President and CEO of Tenowo, Inc. “It is the ideal location for our needs,” he added.

Dr. Harald Stini, Global Managing Director for Tenowo commented, “Tenowo continues to have strong growth prospects worldwide and this is part of our efforts to capitalize on new opportunities. We hope that this venture will enable us to support our global customers with locations in Mexico and gain new regional customers.”