From the Sector

At this year's CINTE Techtextil fair in Shanghai, DILO received the innovation award for its intensive needling technology “MicroPunch”. Recent developments in energy costs, particularly for electricity and gas, and given the increasing shortage of water resources, have led to a shift in thinking over the past few years. Together with economic efficiency, the evaluation of the environmental impact of production has become increasingly important.

For DILO, this meant focusing on needling technology for the fine and lightweight nonwoven sector over the last years. The individual elements of the intensive needling technology underwent a complete revision. It became clear that the high production rates could only be achieved using the two-dimensional kinematics of the needle beam of "HyperPunch" or "CycloPunch." The necessary high feed rates of around 50 mm per stroke, coupled with the highest stitching densities to achieve good abrasion resistance, led to a need of a significant increase of the number of needles and needle density—almost doubling from approximately 20,000 needles/meter/board to around 45,000 needles/meter/board. It also became obvious that ensuring a high efficiency rate in production also required the careful attention to a quick assembly of the needle boards with needle modules. A completely new approach was needed in the design and construction of the needle boards to enable rapid module exchange and achieve a very high mechanical precision.

Previously, needling technology was primarily used for a surface weight range starting at 100 g/m² up to several kilograms per m². The expansion into the range below 100 g/m², and potentially down to 30 g/m², now completes the applicability of needling technology. The intensive needling technology "MicroPunch" opens up an economical field for a wide variety of lightweight nonwoven fabrics that can be produced by a pure mechanical processes. The product characteristics achieved, such as abrasion resistance, are comparable to those of hydroentangeld nonwovens. Needled fabrics tend to have more volume and more stretch while offering similar tensile strength values. These special quality characteristics are particularly interesting for applications in hygiene, medicine, cosmetics, and for technical products.

With this new development, the energy required to produce lightweight nonwoven fabrics has been reduced up to approximately 75% compared to other bonding technologies of this segment.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwovens Industry, based in Cary, North Carolina, and EDANA, the Voice of Nonwovens, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, have announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) in Rome to explore a strategic alliance. This marks a significant step toward leveraging their combined expertise and resources to address global challenges and drive new opportunities in the nonwovens industry.

As the nonwovens industry evolves, both associations recognize the need for a unified approach to navigate complex international markets. The potential alliance aims to deliver several key benefits:

1. Enhance the scope and value to Members: The increased integration of resources will enable both organizations to deliver greater value to members, offering an expanded range of educational programs, enhanced networking opportunities, and access to a wider breadth of industry insights.
2. Joint Advocacy and Representation: The alliance will amplify both organizations' collective voice, enhancing their ability to advocate for members' interests at local, regional, and global levels, ensuring that their needs and concerns are effectively addressed.
3. Operational Synergies: The alliance will create efficiencies, strengthen the collective talent pool, and optimize the use of financial resources to better support member and industry initiatives.
4. Innovation and Growth: The alliance will drive joint initiatives and projects that foster innovation, enhance industry leadership, and support the long-term growth and sustainability of the nonwovens industry.

The organizations will conduct a thorough due diligence process over the coming months to evaluate the strategic benefits and operational efficiencies of a potential alliance. Both associations remain dedicated to advancing their members’ interests and exploring new growth avenues within the nonwovens industry.

“This Letter of Intent underscores our commitment in exploring how we can better serve the nonwovens community and tackle industry’s evolving challenges,” said Murat Dogru, General Manager of EDANA. “Our purpose is to ensure that our members are well-positioned to thrive in a dynamic global environment. Reflecting on the Treaty of Rome signed decades ago, we hope that the signing of this Letter of Intent in Rome will pave the way for even greater achievements.”

INDA President & CEO Tony Fragnito added, “This potential alliance represents an opportunity to combine our strengths while openly engaging on the global issues affecting the industry. Better coordination will enhance our ability to serve the industry and our members while retaining our regionally focused support and representation.”

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has announced the finalists for the 2024 RISE® Innovation Award. On October 1-2, technology scouts, product developers, and business development professionals will gather at the James B. Hunt, Jr. Library, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, to explore nonwoven research and advancements.

Finalists will present their innovations to RISE participants on Tuesday, October 1st. The Award winner will be revealed on Wednesday afternoon, October 2nd.

The 2024 Award Finalists:
Dual-Layer Filtration Media by Ahlstrom Italia S.p.A. – Ahlstrom’s new dual-layer filter media technology enhances engine air intake filtration performances, offering up to double the dust holding capacity and extending filter lifetime by over 50% compared to single-layer media. It also enables smaller, lighter filter designs, meeting current and future engine specifications, including fuel cells. Dual-layer filter media can be offered with flame-retardant functionality for various transportation and industrial applications, ensuring safety, improved performances and reduced environmental impact.

ENDURA™ rPP Spunbond & SMS by Berry Global – A pre-consumer recycled Spunbond and SMS product, recognized by SCS Recycled Content Certification. With Spunbond products containing up to 90% recycled content and SMS products containing up to 40% recycled content, customers/consumers are provided a product with greenhouse gas emissions benefits, validated with life cycle assessment tools assumptions based on the actual production.  ENDURA Spunbond products have the opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions per kilogram of production by 70%, versus previous generation of product.

PlantPanel X by Hempitecture Inc. – PlantPanel X is a rigid continuous insulation material used in exterior above-ground applications. With an R Value of R3.25 per inch, PlantPanel adds to thermal and acoustic comfort and performance. Engineered with a density to resist compression and deflection, PlantPanel is used in split-insulation wall and roof assemblies with either a rain screen cladding or roofing material, depending on the application. With 100% biobased and recycled content, PlantPanel is a sustainable, low carbon continuous insulation solution that’s easy to install and safe to handle.

2023 RISE Innovation Award winner:
TiHive won the 2023 RISE Innovation Award for their SAPMonit technology. TiHive’s innovation, SAPMonit, inspects millions of diapers weekly. SAPMonit delivers lightning-speed inline inspection of superabsorbents’ weight and distribution, optimizes resources, detects flaws, and accelerates R&D.

The Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division of the Swiss Oerlikon Group is expanding its customer services and spare parts business in the area of machines and systems for the production of carpet yarns (BCF) and industrial yarns (IDY). To this end, the company concluded an agreement with the Truetzschler Group, based in Moenchengladbach, Germany, in August. Technology experts and service staff from Oerlikon Neumag are now the new contacts for customer services and the spare parts business for Truetzschler's BCF and IDY technologies installed in the market. The Moenchengladbach-based textile machinery manufacturer is withdrawing from this business segment in order to concentrate on the spinning, card clothing and nonwovens businesses in future.

Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions offers complete solutions for the manmade fiber industry. They range from extrusion and polycondensation plants to texturized yarn, and are accompanied by automation and digital solutions. The supply of all process steps from a single source ensures a harmonized technology that guarantees high quality of the yarns produced.

Based in Neumuenster, Germany, Oerlikon Neumag, a branch of Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co. KG and a brand of the Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division, has been an established and broadly positioned international supplier with proven expertise in the field of BCF for decades. The division's sister company Oerlikon Barmag from Remscheid, Germany, contributes its expertise in the field of IDY systems.

Freudenberg Performance Materials (Freudenberg) will present packaging solutions with various sustainability benefits at Fachpack 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany, from September 24-26. The range of exhibited products includes Evolon® microfilament textiles for reusable technical packaging of sensitive industrial parts, bio-based nonwoven materials for desiccant bags, and Evolon® The Food Bag – a solution for food preservation.

Freudenberg’s innovative Evolon® technical packaging product line will emphasize the company’s commitment to sustainability. Evolon® offers enhanced surface protection for various kinds of sensitive industrial parts, including molded plastics and painted components. It is notable for its durability and high recycled PET content. The microfilament fabric serves as an eco-friendly alternative to single-use packaging, particularly in the transportation of sensitive industrial goods such as automotive parts. Evolon®'s protective qualities reduce damage during transport and lower the rejection rate.

Additionally, Evolon® ESD (electro-static discharge) materials address the need for specialized packaging of sensitive electronic components by providing customizable permanent electro-static discharge protection in additional to surface protection.

Evolon® The Food Bag
Freudenberg will also be exhibiting a packaging product for food preservation in the home. Evolon® The Food Bag extends the shelf life of vegetables, fruits and bread by providing great moisture and climate management. The innovative bag was a finalist in the 2020 Zu gut für die Tonne!  prize (“Too Good For The Bin”), part of the National Strategy for Food Waste Reduction launched by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).

Sustainable nonwoven materials for desiccant bags
A further highlight at Fachpack 2024 will be nonwoven materials for manufacturing desiccant bags. In addition to conventional fully synthetic materials, Freudenberg’s product range includes sustainable bio-based wetlaid nonwovens which are binder-free and industrially compostable.

From September 11 to 14, 2024, the Trützschler Group will present its latest innovations at CAITME in Tashkent, Uzbekistan - featuring machines and technologies in spinning, card clothing and nonwovens.

Trützschler Spinning
A highlight will be Trützschler’s next generation card, the TC 30i. In recent customer trials, the TC 30i has achieved up to 40 % higher productivity while reducing energy consumption by up to -18 %. In addition, the team will share insights about the Integrated Draw Frame IDF 3, which enables shortened processes that save resources, energy and production space. Visitors will also have the opportunity to discover the TCO 21XL, a 12-head comber. This comber makes it possible to increase productivity by 50 %, while requiring 25 % less space.

Visitors will also get the chance to learn about Trützschler’s new brand for textile recycling, TRUECYCLED. The company enables its customers to produce high quality tapes while turning waste into value.

Trützschler Card Clothing
Trützschler Card Clothing (TCC) will present a range of technologies from its card clothing portfolio, covering the full spectrum of applications in the spinning and nonwovens markets. A key feature will be the Flexible Bend Control (FBC), which ensures flat setting for all card models within a few seconds and guarantees optimum quality.

Trützschler Nonwovens
Trützschler Nonwovens will focus on solutions for the production of cotton nonwovens for wipes, pads and medical products from virgin fibers, comber noils or blends. In addition, the team will provide insights into T-SUPREMA needle-punching lines and show its solutions for the specific requirements of high-potential markets such as geotextiles, filter media, automotive textiles or other durable products.

The German Pavilion is confirmed to return from 19 – 21 September at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. For the first time since borders reopened, industry leaders gathering under the banner will bolster the fair’s innovation and sustainability with a comprehensive showcase, from raw materials to machinery, complemented by diversified fringe events across the fairground.

Located in a prime area of the International Hall, the German Pavilion is set to draw crowds with its reputable products and technology. Assembling under the pavilion this year will be some new and returning German exhibitors, having made their names in the sub-categories of automotive nonwovens, industrial-use monofilaments, weaving machinery, and many more. After confirming their participation, Hansa Industrie-Mixer, J.H. Ziegler Nonwovens and New Materials, Lindauer Dornier, Monosuisse, and Perlon will showcase their expertise together with other highlighted exhibitors, including:

• Autefa Solutions – A full-service provider for turnkey nonwoven lines and machines, the company offers machines for fibre opening and blending, carding, crosslapping, needle punching, spunlace, thermobonding, amongst others. At the fair, the company will showcase technology spanning 10 application areas.
• Emtec Electronic – The company develops specialised test devices for the nonwoven and textile industries. An innovation said to quantify handfeel, its TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer objectively measures the softness, smoothness and stiffness of textiles and nonwovens, as well as their recovery and elongation.
• Neuenhauser Group – The Neuenhauser Textile division provides fully-automated cleaning systems, transport automation solutions, winding technology, high-performance can coilers and weaving machine accessories. With decades of experience, the Group will debut at the fair with various innovative Agrotech, Buildtech, and Geotech solutions.
• Reifenhauser Enka Tecnica – A specialised provider of spinnerets and precision components to the man-made fibre industry. The company manufactures a broad spectrum of spinnerets and spin packs for all spinning processes, as well as premium jet strips for hydro-entangling with extra-long service life.
• Reifenhauser Reicofil – A well-known provider of spunbond, meltblown and composite lines for nonwoven applications in the hygiene, medical, filtration and industrial sectors. Offering a wide range of machinery at the show, the company is developing technical solutions for sophisticated and sustainable applications, with a strong focus on machine intelligence and energy efficiency.

New fringe events to further advocate innovation and sustainability
At this year’s fair, AiDLab^[1] will present its AI-based Textile Inspection System (AiTIS). A world first, AiTIS automatically and accurately detects material defects in nonwovens (especially for mask making), and various textiles, reflecting the collaborative efforts of AiDLab and a Hong Kong healthcare brand. At the event, Professor Calvin Wong, CEO & Centre Director of AiDLab, will introduce the system. This will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session with independent consultant Mr Eric Sham and moderated by AiDLab’s Mr Barry Tai, including insights on how advanced technology is reshaping the textile industry landscape.

Going beyond innovation, the fringe programme will also for the first time include Econogy Talks^[2] and sustainability tours to reflect Messe Frankfurt’s commitment to a sustainable future. Fairgoers can also visit the Innovation Showcase Area for outstanding industry achievements, with the focus this year on cutting-edge technology, green development and high-end applications. Product submission is now open. Contact us to submit your products, or register here for your visitor badge.

The fair’s product categories cover 12 application areas, which span a full range of potential uses in modern technical textiles and nonwovens. These categories also cover the entire industry, from upstream technology and raw materials providers to finished fabrics, chemicals and other solutions. This scope of product groups and application areas ensures that the fair is an effective business platform for the entire industry.

Cinte Techtextil China will be held from 19 – 21 September 2024.

^[1] The Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design, jointly established by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the UK’s Royal College of Art, under HKSAR government funding
^[2] ‘Texpertise Econogy’ – the umbrella for Messe Frankfurt’s sustainability activities at its more than 50 textile trade shows worldwide

Registration is open for RISE^® 2024 (Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics). Industry leaders will convene to discover cutting-edge nonwoven research and advancements, October 1-2, James B. Hunt, Jr. Library, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. The theme for this year’s event is “Sustainability Solutions: Manufacturing More with Less.”

The RISE program will focus on these key topics:

• Disruptive Innovation & Enabling Technology
• Advancements in Natural & Bio-Based Fibers
• Sustainability in Chemistry
• Energy Efficiencies in Machinery
• Advanced Recycling Techniques & Methods
• In the News: Legislation & Regulation

Prior to RISE, continuing the program begun last year, there will be complimentary webinars featuring technology advancements and innovations. More details and topics will be announced at a later date.

The program highlights for RISE include:

• RISE^® Innovation Award – three finalists will compete for the Award with the winner being announced Wednesday afternoon, October 2nd. Nominations may be submitted through July 29th via the INDA website: https://www.inda.org/awards/rise-innovation-award.html
• The Nonwovens Institute will host a tour of their $65 million-plus, 60,000 square-foot facilities featuring state-of-the-art equipment, pilot lines, and analytical laboratories on Tuesday, October 1st. An RSVP is required and space is limited.
• A Welcome Reception on Tuesday evening, October 1st, at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course.
• Graduate Student Poster session with their latest research during the Welcome Reception.
• New to RISE: Nonwoven Bonding Fundamentals course which will provide a detailed overview of the major fabric bonding processes used to make nonwovens. More details are available here: https://www.inda.org/training/advanced-training.php
• 18-hole Golf Tournament, Monday, September 30th, Lonnie Poole Golf Course, with a start time of 12 pm. Space is limited and registration is required.

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from Sioen Technical Felts to supply a complete needlepunch line for its production plant in Liège, Belgium. The new line will enable Sioen to produce heavy fabrics in a single step.

Sioen’s Liège plant specializes in the production of technical fabrics used mainly in industrial applications such as pipe lining (CIPP), acoustics, and filtration. The ANDRITZ equipment will allow the customer to produce fabrics of more than 3,500 gsm in a single step, using different types of fibers (recycled PET, OxPan, bicomponent,…) and finenesses. Normally two or three layers have to be needled off-line in a second step to achieve such a fabric weight.

The single-step process results in a higher quality end product by minimizing the risk of delamination, i.e. the separation of layers during use. It also increases productivity by reducing the need for fabric handling.

The ANDRITZ DF-4 needleloom, which can operate in double and single stroke modus, gives Sioen high flexibility to process fabrics with different mechanical charasteristics. Operators can easily switch modes via the remote-control touch screen. The line will be equipped with ANDRITZ’s latest fabric weight profiling technology, ProWin™, to ensure maximum weight evenness.

Start-up of the new needlepunch line is scheduled for Q1 2025.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has opened nominations for the Hygienix Innovation Award™. This Award recognizes a new product or technology in the absorbent hygiene, personal, pet, and wound care industries that expands the usage of nonwoven fabrics.

The Award will be presented at Hygienix™ 2024, Nov. 18-21 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. Nominations will be accepted through Mon., Sept. 16th.

Nominees will be selected from a broad range of new products or technologies that have been commercially available at most two years prior to Hygienix 2024. Eligible categories include, but are not limited to: raw materials, roll goods, converting, packaging, active ingredients, binders, additives, and end-use products.

Three finalists will present their innovations to industry leaders at Hygienix Tues., Nov. 19th. The winner will be announced Thurs., Nov. 21st.

Last year’s Hygienix Innovation Award was presented to Sequel for their Sequel Spiral™ Tampon. The Sequel Spiral™ Tampon features a proprietary spiral design that is engineered to be more fluid mechanically efficient, meaning it is designed to absorb more evenly and not leak before it’s full. In August 2023, the Sequel Spiral™ Tampon received clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a medical device.