01.01.05
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Sales: $176 million
Description: Key Personnel
Yoshikazu Ban, general manager, nonwoven fabrics division; Ryujiro Yoshino, general manager, spunbonded fabric sales; Akira Naganami, general manager, Bemliese/Coldon sales
Plants
Moriyama and Nobeoka, Japan
Processes
Spunbonded, meltblown
Major Markets
Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packings, white blood corpuscle removing filters
Recent news this year for Asahi Kasei, Osaka, Japan, includes its withdrawal from the spunlace market. Although the company was producing 500 tons of spunlaced nonwovens annually, production of its core product, Shaleria acrylic microfiber-based nonwovens, has been halted due to the inaccessibility of raw materials. Shaleria represented half of Asahi Kasei's total spunlaced output while other spunlaced products included nylon-based nonwovens for nickel-cadmium battery electrode separators. The company tried unsuccessfully to increase its spunlace output through other products but was ultimately forced to withdraw from this production sector altogether.
In other technology segments, Asahi Kasei can produce 13,000 tons of SMMS, 1200 tons of polypropylene spunbonded, 6000 tons of polyester spunbonded, 4000 tons of nylon spunbonded, 4500 tons of cupra spunbonded and 200 tons of meltblown materials.
In the spunbond area, the company reports steady business conditions and an expansion of 1000 tons per year to its spunbond line for Bemliese cupra spunbonded nonwovens. As of June 2005, the system is now capable of producing 4500 tons per year. According to the company, demand for Bemliese materials for industrial wipes has increased, particularly in Southeast Asia.
In the SMMS segment, diaper demand has reportedly increased further and the company's plant is in full operation. Asahi Kasei expects its production of polypropylene spunbonded nonwovens to increase 1000-2000 tons per year through equipment improvements. The company is also working on the development of a new polyester spunbond product. Meanwhile, in the nylon spunbond segment, a slight decrease in sales was noted in 2004.
In April 2005, Asahi Kasei launched its FNB project to develop polymers and new nonwovens processing technologies, which the company hopes will play a key role in the industry in the next decade. Going forward, Asahi Kasei plans to strengthen its competitive edge through the development of unique nonwoven processes and products.
Sales: $176 million
Description: Key Personnel
Yoshikazu Ban, general manager, nonwoven fabrics division; Ryujiro Yoshino, general manager, spunbonded fabric sales; Akira Naganami, general manager, Bemliese/Coldon sales
Plants
Moriyama and Nobeoka, Japan
Processes
Spunbonded, meltblown
Major Markets
Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packings, white blood corpuscle removing filters
Recent news this year for Asahi Kasei, Osaka, Japan, includes its withdrawal from the spunlace market. Although the company was producing 500 tons of spunlaced nonwovens annually, production of its core product, Shaleria acrylic microfiber-based nonwovens, has been halted due to the inaccessibility of raw materials. Shaleria represented half of Asahi Kasei's total spunlaced output while other spunlaced products included nylon-based nonwovens for nickel-cadmium battery electrode separators. The company tried unsuccessfully to increase its spunlace output through other products but was ultimately forced to withdraw from this production sector altogether.
In other technology segments, Asahi Kasei can produce 13,000 tons of SMMS, 1200 tons of polypropylene spunbonded, 6000 tons of polyester spunbonded, 4000 tons of nylon spunbonded, 4500 tons of cupra spunbonded and 200 tons of meltblown materials.
In the spunbond area, the company reports steady business conditions and an expansion of 1000 tons per year to its spunbond line for Bemliese cupra spunbonded nonwovens. As of June 2005, the system is now capable of producing 4500 tons per year. According to the company, demand for Bemliese materials for industrial wipes has increased, particularly in Southeast Asia.
In the SMMS segment, diaper demand has reportedly increased further and the company's plant is in full operation. Asahi Kasei expects its production of polypropylene spunbonded nonwovens to increase 1000-2000 tons per year through equipment improvements. The company is also working on the development of a new polyester spunbond product. Meanwhile, in the nylon spunbond segment, a slight decrease in sales was noted in 2004.
In April 2005, Asahi Kasei launched its FNB project to develop polymers and new nonwovens processing technologies, which the company hopes will play a key role in the industry in the next decade. Going forward, Asahi Kasei plans to strengthen its competitive edge through the development of unique nonwoven processes and products.