Freudenberg Performance Materials, a leading global manufacturer of technical textiles, has started a new production line at its Weinheim location. The line will manufacture elastic interlinings, knows as knits, for the international fashion industry. Freudenberg Performance Materials acquired this business from Hänsel Textil GmbH in Iserlohn in August 2014 and began its relocation to Weinheim in 2015.

“The Hänsel brand continues to stand for quality ‘made in Germany’ under the umbrella of Freudenberg. With the knit products from Weinheim we can offer our Hänsel customers an even broader range of interlinings,” René Wollert, Chief Financial Officer, emphasizes. Until today, the business group, which is part of the Freudenberg technology group, manufactured nonwoven and woven interlinings.

The main customer grouping for elastic interlinings is the international fashion industry. Knitted interlinings are highly elastic and have a low volume, which makes garments more comfortable to wear. These special fabrics give women’s outerwear or men’s jackets the required stability.

Relocating the complex Hänsel equipment to the Weinheim facility was a major challenge. “We had to dismantle the machinery in Iserlohn and reassemble it in Weinheim in stages in order to ensure production continuity and uninterrupted deliveries to customers,” explained Volker Del Monego, the project manager at Freudenberg Performance Materials responsible for integrating Hänsel. The move involved 19 knitting machines.