From the Sector

Zhoukou Xuwang Co., Ltd. has successfully started up two new ANDRITZ neXline spunlace lines at its facilities based in Henan province, China. Combining equipment from the aXcess and eXcelle ranges, both lines are dedicated to the production of spunlace fabrics of 30 to 120 gsm made out of viscose and polyester fibers. The ANDRITZ design will allow Zhoukou Xuwang to serve the premium product market, especially for premium hygiene and technical wipes, in China.

The ANDRITZ scope of supply for the two lines included:

• aXcess opening and blending systems
• high-performance eXcelle card and crosslapper
• robust aXcess CA25 carding machine
• efficient Jetlace Avantage hydroentanglement unit

This configuration will enable Zhoukou Xuwang to manufacture high-quality products while reducing raw materials consumption. These goals are further enabled by the installation of an ANDRITZ Asselin-Thibeau crosslapper PRO35-140, generating a uniform profile over the entire web width.

In spite of the difficult circumstances and supply chain disruptions related to the Covid crisis, both spunlace lines were installed smoothly and on time. They quickly went into commercial production, with a line speed of up to 100 m/min and high-performance MD/CD ratio.

Report Offers INDA Members Key Metrics to Assist in Strategic Planning and Investments

INDA, the Association of the Nonwovens Fabrics Industry, announces publication of the ninth edition of the annual North American Nonwovens Supply Report for its members.

Based on extensive research, producer surveys and interviews with industry leaders, the report provides an overall view of North American supply, including the key metrics of capacity, production and operating rates, in addition to regional trade, through the year 2021. The 75-page report contains 36 figures and 11 tables.

Findings from this year’s Supply Report include:

• North American capacity continues to increase with investments being made across all the processes and for a variety of end-uses. Production output exceeded that of new capacity, resulting in the industry’s nameplate capacity utilization increasing year-over-year, for the fourth consecutive year.
   
• In 2021, capacity of nonwovens in North America reached 5.540 million tonnes, an increase from the previous year of 1.8% (net growth of 98,300 tonnes) and an improvement over the previous year’s pandemic-impacted growth rate of 0.5%.
   
• The industry was able to quickly react to the demand for electrostatically charged fine-fiber meltblown used in the manufacture of respirators and pleated face masks. Twenty-two meltblown lines were added in 2020, resulting in 7.2% year-over-year growth rate for meltblown. In 2021, another 12 lines were added, resulting in 8.5% annual growth over 2020.
   
• North American imports, in tonnage, increased 1.6% in 2021 as exports decreased 6.0%. Imports were led by China accounting for 39% of the imports into North America followed by India (14%) and Germany (9%). Even with the significant shifts in North American trade dynamics, nonwovens tend to stay where they are produced, with the net trade balance (imports less exports, 422,100 tonnes) accounting for less than ten percent of the region’s capacity

The report—and the quarterly INDA Market Pulse and monthly Price Trends Summary—are provided to the nearly 400 INDA member companies and associates as part of their membership. The data gathered for this annual report serves as the foundation for the both the biannual Global Nonwoven Market Report published in September of 2021 and the biannual North American Nonwovens Industry Outlook, which will be updated and published this fall.

The Trevira CS brand will be presented at Heimtextil 2022. This year the trade fair will be held as a one-time Summer Special from 21 to 24 June in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The booth will feature more than 200 fascinating, versatile, flame retardant Trevira CS fabrics.

These will be displayed in the Long Stay Apartment installation. Changing lifestyles, living and working arrangements as well as the housing shortage in countless large cities mean the Long Stay Apartment segment of the hospitality sector has experienced exponential growth, becoming ever more important. For this reason, it is the focus of this year’s Trevira CS booth. The presentation of the “Long Stay Apartment by Trevira CS” is intended to familiarise visitors – particularly interior architects, designers and furnishers – with the trendsetting, innovative uses of Trevira CS fabrics in the contract sector.

For the design of the apartment installation, the traditional Trevira CS Fabric Competition 2022 was announced at the end of 2021 and invited all customers to submit their latest Trevira CS products according to certain specifications. The winning fabrics will be announced at the trade fair and specially exhibited at the Trevira CS booth.

Director Marketing & Business Development Anke Vollenbröker: “Our exhibition gives exciting new insights into the modern concept of the Long Stay Apartment, presenting the live application of our customers’ Trevira CS innovations. An apartment designed for Long Stayers is a special challenge since it has to provide more than a hotel room or even an ordinary rental apartment: It needs to be an attractive temporary home while also offering the services and advantages of a hotel. We have made the Long Stay Apartment particularly “textile” and included submissions from all participants of our Trevira CS Fabric Competition 2022.”

• Hypetex® to Showcase Coloured Carbon and Flax Fibre Solutions
• Hypetex, London, April 20 2022, Booth R52, Hall 6

Hypetex, the market leaders in colouring carbon and natural fibre materials, will demonstrate both the processing and sustainability benefits of its patented colourisation technology when it exhibits for the first time at JEC World 2022.

Exhibiting as part of the Composites UK stand (Booth R52), Hypetex will display its portfolio of uniquely coloured carbon fibre materials including 3K woven styles, ultra-lightweight spread tow fabrics, UD, and 3D materials. Hypetex will also present details of its latest eco-friendly coloured flax materials  which combine sustainably grown natural flax with sustainable colouring technologies. Hypetex patented colouring technology, available in an extensive palette of standard and bespoke colours and shades, can be applied to traditional woven fabric constructions, non-woven UDs, spread tow and bespoke fabric designs. The technology replaces a traditional coloured painted finish, providing an exceptional depth of colour to any composite part, improving thermal conductivity and reducing heat absorption ,whilst reducing the overall weight and processing time with no compromise to the mechanical performance of the composite structure.

By removing the need for painting, and the associated preparation steps, Hypetex technology provides manufacturers with a repeatable straight out of the mould coloured finish, that is not only easy to integrate into all composite processes, but also takes additional materials, consumables, and process time out of the component cost. As part of its continued commitment to leading the drive for more sustainable composite solutions, and its focus on improvements based on the ESG framework. Hypetex will also display its new range of coloured flax fibre textiles. The advanced colouring technology used protects the natural flax fibres throughout the high temperature processes required for composite production, avoiding burning or any discolouration issues common to natural fibres. In addition, Hypetex colouring solution is an ecofriendly sustainable alternative to traditional dyeing processes which are a significant cause of global water pollution.

The Hypetex team will be on hand throughout the show to provide additional details on Hypetex materials and their integration into the manufacturing process. Visitors to the Hypetex stand will be able see Hypetex carbon and flax products in raw fabric, and how its unique colour palette translates into the most distinctive finished moulded components. Hypetex partners SHD Composites, Textreme, Sigmatex and Angeloni will also have materials and components on display at JEC World 2022, including sporting equipment such as racquets, sticks, and skateboards, which highlight the massive range of processing options and potential applications for this novel technology. One such application, the adidas Kromaskin field hockey stick, with a unique Hypetex coloured Textreme spread tow carbon finish, will also be part of the JEC Innovation Planets feature.

• Participants Embrace Renewed Face-to-Face Business with Global Leaders in Nonwovens & Engineered Materials at IDEA® 2022 and FiltXPO™

Approximately 5,000 participants embraced the opportunity to again engage in face-to-face business meetings with global leaders in nonwovens and engineered materials at IDEA® 2022 in Miami Beach, Fla., co-located with the second FiltXPO™,  North American’s only exhibition and conference dedicated exclusively to filtration and separation.

Industry participants at IDEA® 2022,  the 21 st edition of the world’s preeminent event for nonwovens and engineered fabric professionals, expressed their business confidence through the floor exhibits and the return to face-to-face business interaction. Scott Beir, Executive Officer, CFM Global, called IDEA® 2022 “an exceptional show.”

Bob Usher, Technical Director, US Fibers, added that his company made valuable business connections. According to Rolk Kammermann, Head of Sales and Marketing, Innovative Swiss Made Nonwovens, “the size and scope of IDEA and FiltXPO have been excellent for us as both exhibitors and as visitors.”

Organized by INDA, IDEA® also featured five essential nonwovens training classes; market presentations from China, Asia, Europe, North America and South America; industry recognitions with the IDEA® Achievement Awards and the IDEA® Lifetime Achievement Awards; and a welcome reception celebration.

Also, organized by INDA, FiltXPO™ featured five panels of global leaders in filtration and separation for the first-ever “Summit for Global Change,” discussing societal challenges such as indoor air quality, environmental sustainability, pandemic readiness, clean water, and filtration standards.  The event also featured a 1.5-day filter media training course, and sessions highlighting filter media market trends and filtration industry statistics.  

Exhibitors and attendees noted the welcome return to meeting face-to-face among industry senior leaders participating in the three-day event.

A highlight of IDEA® was the announcement of the IDEA® Achievement Awards by INDA, in partnership with Nonwovens Industry magazine. Moderated by Rousse and Karen McIntyre, Editor, Nonwovens Industry the awards recognize the leading introductions in equipment, raw materials, short-life, long-life and nonwovens products, and sustainability, since the previous IDEA® Exposition in 2019.

In addition, INDA presented the IDEA® 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award to Val Hollingsworth, board chair and CEO of Hollingsworth & Vose, and Nonwovens Industry presented the IDEA® Entrepreneur Achievement Award to Doug Brown, president of Biax-Fiberfilm/5K Fibres at the event.

IDEA® 2022 Achievement Awards winners:

• IDEA®  Equipment Achievement Award – Elastic Thread Anchoring (ETA) Sonotrode – Herrmann Ultrasonics, Inc.
• IDEA®  Raw Material Achievement Award – ODOGard – Rem Brands, Inc.
• IDEA® Short-Life Product Achievement Award – LifeSavers Wipes – LifeSavers LLC
• IDEA® Long-Life Product Achievement Award – Nanofiber Cabin Air Filter – MANN + HUMMEL GmbH
• IDEA®  Sustainability Advancement Award – Fiber-based Screw Caps – Glatfelter Corp. and Blue Ocean Closures
• IDEA®  Nonwoven Product Achievement Award – HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo – Sustainable Nonwoven Substrates – Suominen Corporation
• IDEA®, the Preeminent Event for the Nonwovens & Engineered Fabrics Industry, will next be held on its new 24-month schedule on April 23-25, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.

Names of the IDEA® Achievement Award honorees pictured:

Row 1, Left to right:
IDEA® Long-Life Product Achievement Award winner, Jon Nichols, MANN + HUMMEL, GmbH and Dave Rousse – Nanofiber Cabin Air Filter – MANN + HUMMEL, GmbH
IDEA®  Nonwoven Product Achievement Award winners, Pramod Shanbhag, Suominen Corporation, Karen McIntyre, Nonwovens Industry Magazine, and Avinav Nandgaonkar, HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo – Sustainable Nonwoven Substrates – Suominen Corporation
Row 2, left to right:
IDEA® Short-Life Product Achievement Award winner, Georgia Crawford, LifeSavers Wipes – LifeSavers LLC, and Karen McIntyre, Nonwovens Industry Magazine
IDEA® 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Val Hollingsworth, Hollingsworth & Vose, and Dave Rousse, President, INDA
IDEA®  Equipment Achievement Award winners, Uwe Peregi, Dave Rousse, and Thomas Herrmann – Elastic Thread Anchoring (ETA) Sonotrode – Herrmann Ultrasonics Inc.
Row 3, left to right:
IDEA®  Raw Material Achievement Award winner, David Schneider, ODOGard – Rem Brands, Inc. and Dave Rousse, INDA
IDEA®  Sustainability Advancement Award winner, Chris Astley, and Karen McIntyre Fiber-based Screw Caps – Glatfelter Corp. and Blue Ocean Closures
IDEA® Entrepreneur Achievement Award winner, Doug Brown, Biax-Fiberfilm / 5K Fibres

Avgol® America Inc., a North American leader in the manufacture of high-performance nonwoven fabric solutions, and YanJan USA LLC, the professional material supplier for disposable hygiene products, have announced a new partnership to deliver exclusive product offerings to the North American market.

Under the terms of the new partnership, Avgol will be offering apertured spunbond products made exclusively by YanJan USA using its specific know-how and capabilities. YanJan USA will obtain the base spunbond materials exclusively from Avgol, with the partners developing and manufacturing products tailored to each company’s skill set and to meet customer needs.

“This partnership enables both YanJan and Avgol to diversify our overall product ranges and to push effectively into new market opportunities,” said Jian Weng, President and General Manager of YanJan USA LLC.

“This is in an exciting partnership for our companies,” said Ronnie Batchler, VP Americas Region at Avgol. “The spunbond ‘precursor’ material will be specifically designed to meet customer specifications and deliver optimum perfomance. Aperturing of the spunbond will then give the nonwoven material additional unique attributes, such as improved physical performance and aesthetic appeal.

• Expert Speakers Delivering Key Region Market Updates

Industry leaders will gain a compelling region-by-region view of the nonwovens industry from experts presenting the latest nonwovens trends in their areas of the world at IDEA®22, March 29-31 in Miami Beach.

Speakers with the latest knowledge will deliver important nonwoven market updates, demand forecasts and research findings on the industry in China, Asia, South America, North America and Europe.

The conference will explore how each region has responded to the pandemic challenges and supply chain issues with new innovations and solutions, providing IDEA®  attendees with vital insights for decision-making.

Program highlights include:

• Overview and Green Innovation Development of China’s Nonwovens Industry,  by Guimei Li, Vice President, China Nonwovens and Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA) on March 29
• South America – Land of Opportunity or Land of Turbulence? The Recent History and Trends That Are Shaping the South American Nonwovens Market, presented by Mariana Mynarski, Corporate Marketing Manager, Fitesa on March 29
• Asian Nonwovens Production and Market Update by Chan-Hyou Park, Chairman, Asia Nonwoven Fabrics Association (ANFA) on March 30
• Understanding the State of the North American Nonwovens Industry and a Market Gone Mad presented by Brad Kalil, INDA Director of Market Intelligence and Economic Insights on March 31
• An Overview of Key Issues Facing Nonwovens on Top of European Market Trends presented by Pierre Wiertz, General Manager, EDANA on March 31

IDEA® Award Presentations
Another conference highlight will be the presentation of the IDEA® 2022 Achievement Awards in partnership with Nonwovens Industry magazine, based on the results of online voting in six categories as well as the announcement of the first Sustainability Advancement Award on March 30.

IDEA® – the World’s Preeminent Event for the Nonwovens & Engineered Fabrics Industry – will feature several hundred exhibitors from a myriad of industry sectors and is expected to once again draw an audience of several thousand senior-level buyers and attendees from over 60 countries to the Miami Beach Convention Center. A welcome reception will be held to officially kick off the event on March 28.

IDEA®22 Essentials of Nonwovens Training Courses
Product developers, marketing managers, technical sales, support and other professionals can expand their industry-focused knowledge by attending the IDEA®22 Essentials of Nonwovens Training Courses.

This vital training program will provide an immersive dive into the latest nonwoven technologies, industry segments and more with courses on absorbent hygiene cores, making nonwovens, industrial wipes and consumer wipes.

A must-attend educational session on patent searching on March 31 will cover the latest major changes in patent searches on the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website that has been updated to enhance user experience. 

• INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, today announced six new board members and its 2022 slate of officers to guide the success of the nonwovens industry and its members.

Elected by the INDA membership to three-year terms that began on March 1, the new board members bring a high level of diverse expertise and insight to the management of the association as it moves forward with its vibrant growth.

“I am delighted to welcome such a strong group of new board members who bring deep industry knowledge and insights to provide strategic stewardship for our association,” said Dave Rousse, INDA President. “We look forward to working with them to advance INDA’s new value proposition to enhance our industry’s leadership position and deliver greater value to our members.”

The new board members are from global leaders Lenzing Group, Bast Fibre Technologies, Reifenhauser Reicofil, Rockline Industries, Hollingsworth & Vose Company and Principle Business Enterprises.  

INDA also announced Bryan Haynes, Ph.D., R&E Technical Director Kimberly-Clark, has been named Chairman of the Board. Barbara Lawless, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Medical Products, Precision Fabrics Group, Inc. has been elected Vice Chair of Finance, and Richard Altice, President and CEO of NatureWorks, has been appointed to INDA’s Executive Committee.

The new board members are:

• Jürgen Eizinger, Senior Commercial Director, Nonwovens Business EU/AM/MEA, Lenzing Group

Eizinger has nearly 20 years of fiber industry experience. He has been with the Lenzing Group since 2001 and most recently was Vice President of the Global Nonwoven Business. He has worked at multiple locations around the world and held various commercial, engineering and technical customer services roles.

• Jim Posa, President and General Manager, Bast Fibre Technologies, Inc.

Posa has 30-plus years of nonwovens experience and has successfully led businesses from startups to some of the largest companies in the nonwovens market. He has developed and implemented strategic business, development, operational and acquisition growth plans. His teams have worked with businesses focused on most of the major end use markets such as hygiene, wipes, filtration, medical and industrial. As a senior executive, Posa has led global businesses at Fiberweb, BP/Amoco, CEO of a Nisseki/Amoco joint venture (ANCI), Lydall, and Nitto America. A long-time INDA supporter, he has previously served on committees and as a Board member.

• Markus Mueller – Sales Director and Board Member, Reifenhauser Reicofil

Mueller brings to the INDA Board 35 years of experience with Reifenhauser in the nonwovens and film industries. His experience has included roles as PLC Engineer, Commissioning Engineer, Project Manager and Sales Manager. Mueller has extensive knowledge of the global hygiene and medical nonwovens markets. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Cologne.

• Matt Koele, Director of Global Materials Development, Rockline Industries

Koele is based at Rockline’s headquarters in Sheboygan, WI.  Before joining Rockline in 2012, he has held several business and Research and Development (R&D) leadership positions at SC Johnson and Kimberly-Clark Corporation. An inventor with over 10 patents, Koele is a magna cum laude graduate of Michigan Technological University in Chemical Engineering.

• Mike Clark, President, Filtration Solutions, Hollingsworth & Vose Company

Clark joined H&V in 2003 and has held numerous leadership positions in the U.S. and Germany. He previously served as the President of the High Efficiency and Specialty Filtration Division from 2009 to 2020.  Before joining H&V, Clark was a strategy consultant for eight years working with Fortune 100 manufacturing companies. He holds a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

• Andrew Stocking, Ph.D., President and CEO, Principle Business Enterprises, Inc. (PBE)

Stocking joined PBE in 2017 after a career in engineering, technology, nonprofits and government. He was named President and COO in 2018, then President and CEO in 2020, becoming the third-generation leader of the family-owned organization. He previously held roles in the private sector and within federal government offices, including the Department of Energy and Congressional Budget Office. He earned a BS in Chemical Engineering and an MS in Civil Engineering from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in Resource Economics from the University of Maryland.

The 21-member board is comprised of elected Board Officers. One-third of the entire Board is elected each year for a three-year term by a majority vote of INDA’s general membership. INDA’s Executive Committee, empowered to act on behalf of the Board between meetings, consists of the Board Officers plus four appointees.

• The adidas TERREX HS1 is the first product created in partnership with textile material company, Spinnova
• Part of the hoodie’s fabric is made from wood-based fibres
• The adidas TERREX HS1 is a step on adidas’ journey to create nine out of 10 articles with a more sustainable technology, materials, design or manufacturing method by 2025

Eight months after adidas announced its partnership with Finnish textile material company Spinnova, the brand has unveiled its first product made in part with Spinnova fibres.

Composed of a minimum of 25% wood-based fibres and 75% organic cotton, the adidas TERREX HS1 is a mid-layer for hikers that sees adidas exploring a more sustainable textile solution.

adidas is committed to helping end plastic waste via a three-loop strategy that consists of using recycled materials, materials that can be remade into entirely new products, and, in the case of Made with Nature, products created in part with natural ingredients, such as the adidas TERREX HS1. Its outdoor brand, adidas TERREX , is leading the innovation of technical materials with the aim of helping drive better product solutions for adventurers in nature while ensuring there is no compromise on style or performance .

By 2025, nine out of 10 adidas articles will carry a more sustainable technology, material, design, or method of manufacturing and adidas’ partnership with Spinnova is a major part of this journey.

Flocus ™, the trademark for kapok fibers, offers a range of kapok textile materials such as fibers, yarns, textiles and nonwovens. The company presents the most performing and zero carbon footprint solutions based on Flocus™ kapok available for the leather goods industry, a sector that is making an important transition to sustainability in terms of processing and raw materials.

As for nonwoven, some of their most used products in the world of leatherware are:

• Maliwatt - 50% Kapok, 50% PLA (based on corn), a 100% biodegradable non-woven which can be used in the shoe sole. Maliwatt can be thermopressed/heat press and turned into a paper/cardboard type and lightweight structure. It is the perfect material for sneakers, casual and active shoes thanks to its quick dry, antibacterial, hydrophobic, hypoallergenic, Insulation properties. Other frequent applications are in the field of automotive, construction and car panels, sound absorption and acoustics panels and geo textiles.
• HDE /Hydroentanglement - 50% Kapok, 50% Organic cotton. It is a 100% natural and biodegradable material that can be used in the shoe production as a sole, intersole or as a padding for shoes and bags. Thanks to its termoregulating, lightweight, hypoallergenic, thermoconductivity, insulation, soft touch, hydrophobic, anti-moth anti mite properties, it is used for a large range of applications. It is popular in the apparel world as a cruelty free filling for winter jackets, replacing duck down, and in the home industry ad a stuffing for mattresses, duvets, furniture, sleeping bags.

The offer for the leather goods industry includes also Flocus™ kapok-based fabrics in different blends and weights: linings, coatings, fabric inserts, accessories, components rich in performance and style. For example, kapok and organic cotton with GOTS certification, kapok with Tencel and recycled polyester (Repreve), kapok with linen, organic cotton and a small percentage of Spandex.

These materials were presented at the September 2021 edition of Lineapelle in the exhibition "A New point of materials", dedicated to eco-responsible innovations in terms of technologies, applications, materials and machines.