09.01.11
Osaka, Japan
www.kuraray.co.jp
2011 Nonwovens Sales: $112 million
Key personnel: Takashi Nakajima, president, Kuraray Kuraflex
Plants: Okayama and Saijo, Japan
Processes: Resin bonded, thermal bonded, spunlaced, meltblown, steam jet
Brands: Kuraflex, Microflex, Flextar
Major Markets: Coverstock, wipes, medical and household materials
Kuraray Kuraflex and Kuraray Saijio are the two companies included in Kuraray’s nonwovens businesses. Kuraray Kuraflex makes thermal bonded, spunlaced and resin bonded nonwovens with a total capacity of 10,400 tons per year.
Steam jet nonwovens (Flextar) capacity is 1,000 tons per year and Kuraray Saijio makes 1,800 tons of meltblown nonwovens per year. As for Kuraflex Ibaragi, which made spunlaced nonwovens, was dissolved in November 2010. Kuraflex Ibaragi, a joint corporation with Pigeon, made 3,500 tons of baby wipes per year but executives decided to stop this operation because of pricing issues caused by lower priced imported products.
Within the Kuraray business, product development has been ongoing in spunlace, steam jet and meltblown areas. Spunlaced nonwovens is the largest percentage of technologies but to date the company has not yet considered overseas expansion.
Currently, the company is only operating its meltblown operation at 50% and is looking into new market areas like face masks or filters to increase output. Within steam jet, inroads have been made into the medical market as well as in construction materials, but the company is not yet satisfied with sales levels in these segments.
www.kuraray.co.jp
2011 Nonwovens Sales: $112 million
Key personnel: Takashi Nakajima, president, Kuraray Kuraflex
Plants: Okayama and Saijo, Japan
Processes: Resin bonded, thermal bonded, spunlaced, meltblown, steam jet
Brands: Kuraflex, Microflex, Flextar
Major Markets: Coverstock, wipes, medical and household materials
Kuraray Kuraflex and Kuraray Saijio are the two companies included in Kuraray’s nonwovens businesses. Kuraray Kuraflex makes thermal bonded, spunlaced and resin bonded nonwovens with a total capacity of 10,400 tons per year.
Steam jet nonwovens (Flextar) capacity is 1,000 tons per year and Kuraray Saijio makes 1,800 tons of meltblown nonwovens per year. As for Kuraflex Ibaragi, which made spunlaced nonwovens, was dissolved in November 2010. Kuraflex Ibaragi, a joint corporation with Pigeon, made 3,500 tons of baby wipes per year but executives decided to stop this operation because of pricing issues caused by lower priced imported products.
Within the Kuraray business, product development has been ongoing in spunlace, steam jet and meltblown areas. Spunlaced nonwovens is the largest percentage of technologies but to date the company has not yet considered overseas expansion.
Currently, the company is only operating its meltblown operation at 50% and is looking into new market areas like face masks or filters to increase output. Within steam jet, inroads have been made into the medical market as well as in construction materials, but the company is not yet satisfied with sales levels in these segments.