03.03.23
INDEX 23 will provide a range of solutions to the ongoing challenges faced by the nonwovens industry. Visitors from around the globe will gather from April 18-21, 2023, at Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland, for the triennial exhibition.
With the current energy crisis and supply chain issues still to be resolved, INDEX 23—with 550 exhibitors who have booked so far—will clarify industry issues covering the entire nonwovens’ supply chain. At every edition, the nonwoven community comes together under the same roof during four intense days to tackle their concerns and find solutions.
Exhibitors are eager to display their innovations to find new leads, consolidate customer relations and forge new partnerships for the years ahead.
“INDEX is an international event where the complete nonwovens and related products value chain from around the globe converges. Edition after edition, exhibitors and visitors enjoy the opportunity to grow their businesses and find innovative solutions,” says Magali Fakhry Dufresne, director of INDEX.
“This edition couldn’t be timelier, as INDEX will be a great opportunity to find answers for challenges such as energy efficiency, and to understand how nonwovens can contribute to the solutions,” adds Pieter Meijer, chairman of INDEX.
With the current challenges plus the drive to find more and more sustainable and circularity-oriented answers, the industry is getting increasingly competitive. It is thus important to stay on top of pressing industry matters.
“As sustainability and circularity are increasingly orienting the way forward around the industry, we are seeing young talents seeking to develop new products. This new generation is also keen on meeting the industry’s key players, who will be present again at this indispensable event displaying an essential number of innovations,” says Murat Dogru, general manager of EDANA.
To be informed of the latest challenges and solutions, and with its vast exhibitor portfolio, INDEX23 will host several seminars and tutorials. These sessions constitute a unique opportunity for visitors to deepen their understanding of the industry and the macroenvironment.
Visitors can network with high-level speakers for the four days of the show. Amongst key influencers and innovators covering important topics, this edition will welcome the World Trade Organization (WTO) participation. Seminars and tutorials will comprise:
What’s more, to mark innovation in the industry, INDEX will host the INDEX Innovation Awards. For this edition, accolades will be given and displayed for six categories related to nonwovens and connected industries.
Attendance at INDEX is a cost-effective way of generating and solidifying leads, expanding a current business, and finding new projects and contacts. Maximizing on time, exhibitors and visitors can meet partners and new contacts in one place—while discovering the latest innovations, all over a matter of days. With the INDEX App they can also plan and organize their visits to make the most of the unique opportunities offered by the on-site activities.
Autefa Solutions will showcase its latest technical developments in the field of nonwoven production technology. The focus is not only on classic mechanical engineering with its ambitions for higher-faster-further, but also on the protection of resources and on excellent, individual customer support within the scope of the “Assessment for Thermal Systems.”
Water—the source of life—is the basis of the spunlace process that Autefa has been actively developing for years. The company’s wide product range offers cutting-edge technology for web forming as well as hydroentanglement and finally, drying of the produced nonwovens.
Web forming by Autefa Injection Card and Crosslapper CL 4006 SL, with its globally proven and widely used technology, has provided a great advantage for Autefa customers to maintain or expand their leading position, especially in the highly competitive spunlace market. This is guaranteed by increased productivity through higher speeds and improved line efficiency.
Autefa Solutions Injection Card enables web forming at very high production capacities. The Injection Card uses a combination of mechanical and aerodynamic principles for a gentle fiber treatment. This reduces the mechanical stress applied to the fiber and provides maximum capacity with low fiber damage. Accordingly, the Crosslapper Topliner CL4006 SL, with WebMax web profile control and Closed Loop system, provides the best homogeneity at high laying speeds.
Autefa also focuses on energy and resource conservation in the spunlace process. With the unique combination of V-Jet Futura for hydroentanglement and the SQ-V Square Drum Dryer for drying, energy consumption in the spunlace process can be reduced up to 30%. The specially developed V-Jet Injector with reduced distance from the nozzle outlet to the web, also enables customers to modernize existing production lines and thereby contribute to energy and resource conservation.
www.autefa.com
Campen Machinery will showcase the latest innovations in airlaid machinery, as well as the latest developments within sustainable processes and products made with airlaid technology. One of the highlights of the INDEX presentation is Campen’s biodegradable airlaid trays, which are made from 100% natural and compostable fibers, which can be made 100% waterproof. This revolutionary product is a sustainable alternative to traditional cardboard and plastic packaging and it can help build a circular economy in the packaging industry.
Campen Machinery will also present its beater former. This patented technology can process waste fibers and produce airlaid material for various products, including wipes, hygiene products, cotton pads and packaging for food and non-food items. Airlaid lines using the Campen beater former are compact and efficient, using significantly less energy than similar systems, resulting in lower operating costs—as well as creating high quality airlaid material.
At the exhibition, Campen will also present its state-of-the-art airlaid test center in Denmark. This facility is open to international companies who wish to rent the space for product testing, fiber combinations, and product development. The Campen pilot line can handle any fiber-based material and offers a wide range of applications, making it an excellent resource for companies seeking to develop new, sustainable products.
www.campen.dl
Comerio Ercole, a well-known Italian company founded in 1885 and manufacturer of industrial machines and plants for its department dedicated to the design and manufacture of high-performance calenders for the nonwovens industry, in cooperation with STP Impianti, an Italian company founded in 1985 and a manufacturer of complete spunmelt plants, presents a recent technological combination aimed at the continuous production of spun PET and/or bico PET products.
The STP Impianti spunmelt spinning plant BicoPET is equipped with the innovative and patented 3-roll Duetto calender, preceded by the innovative high-speed thermosetting unit Thermofix, both new Comerio Ercole technologies for energy saving optimization.
The new configuration of the BicoPET plant and in particular the 3-roll Duetto calender will be presented during the INDEX23 exhibition in Geneva.
Riccardo Comerio, CEO of Comerio Ercole, is proud of this new recent and innovative realization in the nonwovens field for industrial use. Roberto Marcora, nonwovens area manager, underlines how the results obtained are the success of extensive experimentation carried out in the company laboratories and awaits all interested parties at INDEX23 to present the successful Comerio Ercole production and engineering platform and the new 3-roll Duetto calender.
The main target of BicoPET plants involves the production of thermobonded PET spunmelt and flat bonded bico PET spunmelt.
www.comerioercole.it
At INDEX, DiloGroup plans to present the latest developments in needling technology in anticipation of the machinery exhibition ITMA and to draw the visitors’ attention to the latest demands of environmental sustainability in nonwoven production. The research work of DiloGroup traditionally focuses on production lines for the webforming and needling of staple fiber material. After years of gradual advancements in the intense needling technology, it has succeeded in achieving the industrial scale of “MicroPunch” intense needling technology.
Good abrasion resistance of this intensely needled material allows the production of apparel, artificial leather, battery separators and filter media as well as medical and hygiene nonwovens.
The production of comfort tissues with a weight range of 30 to approx. 60 g/m2 made from fine fiber blends using polyester and viscose has been a domain of the water-entangling technology so far. This product being a typical disposable is in the crossfire regarding sustainability and recyclability. Therefore biodegradable or decomposable fiber material is the target for more environmental sustainability.
In addition, for the evaluation of a web consolidation process, low carbon emission and low energy consumption are important criteria.
The classical needling technology and its qualification for the production of lightweight nonwovens at low cost/kg has been technologically and economically proved in the meantime after many years of research work. It has become possible by an intense concentration of needles in the board and very fine barbs on these specialty needles which allow an economic mounting and quick exchange due to a new module design.
Compared to water-entangling lines, the “MicroPunch” needling line provides a drastic reduction in energy consumption (electricity and gas).
www.dilo.de
Kansan, a leading wet wipe machinery manufacturer, has been providing crucial manufacturing solutions in every aspect of wet wipe production from the flat pack and cross-fold converting machines to flow wrappers, lid applicator robots, case packers and palletizers for 30 years. These state-of-the-art production systems are highly versatile and designed to process the most delicate nonwovens with ease for manufacturing various types of dry and wet wipes, baby wipes, wet toilet papers, wet tissue, general cleaning wipes, disinfectant wipes and many more. Kansan’s wet wipe converting machines can also work with the new generation flushable and biodegradable raw materials with high efficiency and productivity. At INDEX, the company will display a fully operational wet wipe production line together with a case packer and a cobot palletizer.
The Kansan group has been diligently working on the design and production of a wetlaid line under name of Kansan Materials to answer the increasing demand for sustainable raw materials for quite some time. The idea is to provide a sophisticated yet simple, eco-friendly, cost-effective, sustainable and flexible manufacturing solution for dispersible and biodegradable nonwovens to be used primarily in hygiene and filtration, healthcare, automotive, construction, insulation and defense industries in further applications.
This line is now ready in the company’s Izmir AOSB facility in Turkey. Several tests have already have been carried out. The speed, throughput, quality and evenness of the web have been far beyond the minimum requirements. The line could process pulp and lyocell fibers between 20 to 80 grams and at up to 180 meters/minute with a stable wet formation in several trial runs.
Kansan Materials’ wetlaid production line consists of a headbox unit, a hydroentanglement unit, a dewatering system, a thru-air dryer, and a slitter winder, designed, engineered and manufactured by Kansan Materials. The system has 3.6 meters of working width at the winder with a design speed of 220 meters/minute. Each machine of the Kansan Materials wetlaid line can also be easily integrated into other nonwoven production processes such as spunlace, CP, SPC and SP.
www.kansanmak.com
Poligof SpA, a European company founded in 1980, is a specialist in backsheet films and laminates for absorbent hygiene products. Poligof currently operates five production plants in Italy, Russia, India and Mexico. With a total extrusion capacity of 3 billion sqm, it offers: non-breathable films, breathable films, breathable textile backsheet, printing up to eight colors, synchro and random and single-wrap materials for adult and hygiene products.
Through service, reliability and flexibility, Poligof has been constantly growing from a family company to a multinational company, serving the main manufacturers of absorbent hygienic products in the world.
Quality, process control, priority for human health, green attitude and social responsibility are proven by company certifications including:
www.poligof.com
At this year‘s INDEX, Sandler will showcase high-performance quality nonwovens that pave the way for environmentally friendly product solutions – optimized from raw material selection to recycling.
For the hygiene industry, nonwovens for fluid transport (ADL) as well as backsheets set standards, made from 100% raw materials from renewable sources. In wipes applications, nonwovens made up to 100% from natural fibers offer new alternatives for single-use products in cleaning and personal care. In this segment, Sandler also utilizes its expertise of different production technologies: Latest developments for wipes show the way towards climate neutrality through the use of more energy efficient manufacturing processes. With the established Sandler standard of quality, these substrates combine a soft touch and optimized cleaning owing to an enlarged surface. Owing to the special production process an increased choice of alternative raw materials can be used – including 100% based on renewable sources. In addition, the use of this specific process allows for an up to 70% reduction of CO2 compared to established production processes for wipes substrates.
Together with customers and partners along the supply chain Sandler continues to expand its initiatives for sustainable product solutions, Sandler is also testing ways of recycling and reusing trims or faulty material in the production of its technical nonwovens. Thus keeping resources in a closed cycle, Sandler is implementing the concept of circular economy and reducing the carbon footprint of its products.
Sandler also offers a sustainable solution for the automotive industry: Fast Forward Fabric – the symbiosis of maximum performance and resource conservation.
These textile materials are the base material for a variety of self-supporting molded parts in interior and exterior applications. Made from 100% polyester with up to 80% post-consumer recycled fibers these nonwovens reduce the use of virgin resources while being fully recyclable themselves at the end of their service life. In this way, Fast Forward Fabric creates closed material cycles and fulfills the most demanding sustainability requirements. The nonwovens support the implementation of specific design concepts in all types of vehicles. Processing results in highly stable molded parts, realizing even complex component geometries. At the same time, the materials feature a significantly lower weight compared to standard materials, high temperature stability and resistance to all common engine compartment fluids. Their open-pore structure combines noise dampening and thermal management. Specific material configurations enable optimized vehicle acoustics – inside the passenger compartment as well as towards the surroundings. Through targeted processing, specific surface structures can be generated, making the nonwovens a design component in the vehicle as well.
www.sandler.de
Shemesh Automation, global manufacturer of high-end packaging solutions, will be promoting its most comprehensive range of wet wipes packaging lines to date at INDEX. Whether it’s round wipes packed in canisters, buckets or flexible jumbo and refill bags, Shemesh’s range boasts innovation-packed solutions for the complete packaging process.
Headlining the list of Shemesh’s latest innovations will be its brand-new ‘BuckIt TKS25’ a complete A-Z packaging line for round wipes in buckets. The ‘BuckIt TKS25’ line offers completely automated feeding for both buckets and bucket lids with separate continuous denesting machines that each feature a servo-driven interchangeable vertical carousel cartridge for continuous denesting – reducing downtime.
In another first for the nonwoven wipes market, the line also includes Shemesh’s innovative SAS-J Vertical Wipes Buckets Stuffer. Building on the global success of Shemesh’s SAS Canister Stuffer series, the SAS-J utilizes the same tried and tested technology to accurately stuff round nonwoven rolls into buckets before the wetting phase. The vertical stuffing methodology engineered by Shemesh allows for a smaller machine footprint while increasing speed and accuracy.
Packing up to 25 buckets per minute, the ‘BuckIt TKS25’ also includes the FGW-J buckets liquid filling and dosing machine. The FGW-J utilizes Shemesh-designed, height-adjustable wide nozzles for completely homogenous wetting of nonwoven rolls.
‘BuckIt TKS25’ is complemented by a bucket lid fastener and the Carolus Bucket Labelling machine - the first to be developed specifically for buckets. It includes a proprietary precision orientation system which ensures that the label is placed in exactly the same position on each and every bucket. It’s ideal for multiple applications, not just nonwovens.
The line is completed by a host of end-of-line options including the Relentless-J case packer and Apollon Palletizer.
Underlining Shemesh’s commitment to sustainability its flagship TKS series, complete high speed packaging lines for wet wipes in canisters, is now compatible with Jabil’s Eco-friendly FusePack product.
Offering complete turnkey packaging from canister unscrambling to wipes loading, liquid filling, sealing, capping, labeling, case-packing and palletizing at speeds of up to 200ppm, the Shemesh TKS lines offer wipes makers a unique, proven one-stop-shop advantage, with all elements of the packaging process engineered by one experienced manufacturer.
FusePack’s stackable, lightweight yet strong packages that reduce carbon footprint and plastic content, are a perfect match for the economical, utilities-saving Shemesh TKS lines.
INDEX visitors will also get a taste of the ground-breaking Citadel range for the complete packaging of wipes in flexible packs. The 25ppm R model Monoblock bagger leads the way for round refill and consumer wipes, while CITADEL-J automatically stuffs jumbo-sized nonwoven rolls into premade bags. It then accurately fills them with liquid (typically three to four liters) while providing constant support beneath the heavy bag, seals the bags and then ejects the finished product at speeds of up to 15 packs per minute. During the show, Shemesh will unveil its newest Citadel-J model called Citadel-A, which will be able to pack both Jumbo wipes of typically 600ct wipes and above, as well as consumer/refill wipes of typically up to 300ct wipes—all with the very same machine.
Shai Shemesh, president of Shemesh Automation, says: “One of the most significant competitive advantages we offer our customers is the ability to obtain machinery that covers the entire packaging process, made by one experienced manufacturer. With the years of innovation we have poured into our brand new turnkey buckets line, canister lines and first-to-market CITADEL series, manufacturers from all subsets of the wet wipes sector now have a really compelling case for choosing Shemesh. We are really looking forward to demonstrating this to visitors at INDEX.”
www.sawetwipes.com
Suzano, the world’s largest hardwood pulp producer, will showcase its highly sustainable and innovative eucalyptus-based fluff pulp, Eucafluff, at this year’s INDEX. Suzano will be presenting significant advancements in Eucafluff’s product application and performance.
Eucafluff is made from sustainably managed eucalyptus farms in São Paulo and is the result of nearly 15 years of R&D. Its absorbent panels, made with 100% Eucafluff, provides a more flexible, more discreet product for consumers. Eucafluff outperforms its competitors in terms of rewetting, net retention and comfort performance due to the morphology of Suzano’s eucalyptus hardwood, which is smaller, thinner and highly compressible. The result of this performance provides significant affordability with an 18% reduction of packaging material and 13% reduction in storage and volume. Furthermore, Eucafluff provides a far more sustainable solution with a smaller carbon footprint and a lower impact on land use, using far less wood to produce the same amount of fluff.
Eucafluff has grown dramatically in recent years, increasing its application and sales across a range of fluff segments. Suzano’s Eucafluff will continue to pursue an ambitious growth strategy, particularly as it accelerates an ongoing roll-out to the baby diaper segment while also targeting the rapidly expanding adult diaper market.
www.suzano.com.br
At INDEX 2023, Tentoma Packaging Solutions, a specialist in the packaging of rolls within the nonwoven industry, will showcase its innovative RoRo StretchPack solution for waterproof sealed packaging of nonwoven rolls in just one operation. Last year Tentoma introduced its XL Power machines suitable for sealed packaging of up to 19 m wide nonwoven rolls.
The RoRo StretchPack technology is suitable for packaging nonwoven rolls. The rolls are packed horizontally into a tubular stretch film, so the final packaging has only a strong short welding at each end. It means no long welding along the roll side prone to break afterwards. It provides a 100% waterproof roll packaging which protects against penetration of dirt and moisture during storage and transportation. It is a beneficial solution for rolls within the hygiene nonwoven industry.
Also, the geotextile industry is benefitting from RoRo StretchPack as it is a way to automate all processes when packaging large and heavy nonwoven rolls. RoRo StretchPack not only improves the packaging quality of rolls, but customers will also benefit from a fully automated packaging line with high repeatability. It gives a high packaging capacity and ensures high uptime. It fits into a highly efficient production line inline or a stand-alone solution. An automated core plug insert is also an option.
Utilizing a tubular stretch film, customers will get tight packaging and avoid excessive use of film. From customer cases, Tentoma has seen film reductions by up to 60% compared to conventional package solutions. This is due to the tight single-layer packaging. The film reduction is also because RoRo StretchPack stretches the film for full utilization, opposite to heat shrink packaging where customers are using excessive film for packaging, which customers afterward need to heat up to reduce. So, RoRo StretchPack gives the possibility to remove any heat shrink from a packaging line, thereby reducing energy consumption significantly.
www.tentoma.com
Trima is a designer and builder of world class winding machinery and a partner in productivity. Trima, established in 1991, with a staff of around 60, has been a part of the Dietze und Schell Group since 2007. Trima designs, manufactures, supports and services a broad range of fully automatic equipment for web material R2R (Roll to Roll) processing, specifically glass-based mats, tissues, nonwoven materials, woven technical textiles, multiaxial and multi-layer materials. The company has extensive experience and material processing expertise that ranges from the most sensitive fabrics including nanomaterial to very rigid and high-density webs at both high and low speed scopes.
www.trima.com
Vaporjet Group is home to two leading companies in the nonwovens industry with decades of experience. Vaporjet Ltd., based in Israel, a leading global manufacturer of spunlace nonwovens with four state-of-the-art, high-speed parallel hydroentangled spunlace lines. Novita S.A. based in Poland, manufactures white and color nonwoven in cross-lapped spunlace technology, needlepunched nonwovens. In January 2019, the company added parallel spunlace nonwovens.
Together the companies offer a variety of nonwovens solutions for baby, household, personal care, feminine hygiene, industrial applications, healthcare cleaning medical, automotive, filtration, food contact and more.
www.vaporjet.co.il
With the current energy crisis and supply chain issues still to be resolved, INDEX 23—with 550 exhibitors who have booked so far—will clarify industry issues covering the entire nonwovens’ supply chain. At every edition, the nonwoven community comes together under the same roof during four intense days to tackle their concerns and find solutions.
Exhibitors are eager to display their innovations to find new leads, consolidate customer relations and forge new partnerships for the years ahead.
“INDEX is an international event where the complete nonwovens and related products value chain from around the globe converges. Edition after edition, exhibitors and visitors enjoy the opportunity to grow their businesses and find innovative solutions,” says Magali Fakhry Dufresne, director of INDEX.
“This edition couldn’t be timelier, as INDEX will be a great opportunity to find answers for challenges such as energy efficiency, and to understand how nonwovens can contribute to the solutions,” adds Pieter Meijer, chairman of INDEX.
With the current challenges plus the drive to find more and more sustainable and circularity-oriented answers, the industry is getting increasingly competitive. It is thus important to stay on top of pressing industry matters.
“As sustainability and circularity are increasingly orienting the way forward around the industry, we are seeing young talents seeking to develop new products. This new generation is also keen on meeting the industry’s key players, who will be present again at this indispensable event displaying an essential number of innovations,” says Murat Dogru, general manager of EDANA.
To be informed of the latest challenges and solutions, and with its vast exhibitor portfolio, INDEX23 will host several seminars and tutorials. These sessions constitute a unique opportunity for visitors to deepen their understanding of the industry and the macroenvironment.
Visitors can network with high-level speakers for the four days of the show. Amongst key influencers and innovators covering important topics, this edition will welcome the World Trade Organization (WTO) participation. Seminars and tutorials will comprise:
- A look into the future of sustainable nonwovens
- Sustainable use of geosynthetics in mega projects in civil and environmental engineering
- Nonwovens as essential for the mobility transition
- Why nonwovens are indispensable in healthcare
- Energy efficiency in the current context for navigating the crisis
What’s more, to mark innovation in the industry, INDEX will host the INDEX Innovation Awards. For this edition, accolades will be given and displayed for six categories related to nonwovens and connected industries.
Attendance at INDEX is a cost-effective way of generating and solidifying leads, expanding a current business, and finding new projects and contacts. Maximizing on time, exhibitors and visitors can meet partners and new contacts in one place—while discovering the latest innovations, all over a matter of days. With the INDEX App they can also plan and organize their visits to make the most of the unique opportunities offered by the on-site activities.
Autefa Solutions
Booth 1614Autefa Solutions will showcase its latest technical developments in the field of nonwoven production technology. The focus is not only on classic mechanical engineering with its ambitions for higher-faster-further, but also on the protection of resources and on excellent, individual customer support within the scope of the “Assessment for Thermal Systems.”
Water—the source of life—is the basis of the spunlace process that Autefa has been actively developing for years. The company’s wide product range offers cutting-edge technology for web forming as well as hydroentanglement and finally, drying of the produced nonwovens.
Web forming by Autefa Injection Card and Crosslapper CL 4006 SL, with its globally proven and widely used technology, has provided a great advantage for Autefa customers to maintain or expand their leading position, especially in the highly competitive spunlace market. This is guaranteed by increased productivity through higher speeds and improved line efficiency.
Autefa Solutions Injection Card enables web forming at very high production capacities. The Injection Card uses a combination of mechanical and aerodynamic principles for a gentle fiber treatment. This reduces the mechanical stress applied to the fiber and provides maximum capacity with low fiber damage. Accordingly, the Crosslapper Topliner CL4006 SL, with WebMax web profile control and Closed Loop system, provides the best homogeneity at high laying speeds.
Autefa also focuses on energy and resource conservation in the spunlace process. With the unique combination of V-Jet Futura for hydroentanglement and the SQ-V Square Drum Dryer for drying, energy consumption in the spunlace process can be reduced up to 30%. The specially developed V-Jet Injector with reduced distance from the nozzle outlet to the web, also enables customers to modernize existing production lines and thereby contribute to energy and resource conservation.
www.autefa.com
Campen Machinery
Booth 4325Campen Machinery will showcase the latest innovations in airlaid machinery, as well as the latest developments within sustainable processes and products made with airlaid technology. One of the highlights of the INDEX presentation is Campen’s biodegradable airlaid trays, which are made from 100% natural and compostable fibers, which can be made 100% waterproof. This revolutionary product is a sustainable alternative to traditional cardboard and plastic packaging and it can help build a circular economy in the packaging industry.
Campen Machinery will also present its beater former. This patented technology can process waste fibers and produce airlaid material for various products, including wipes, hygiene products, cotton pads and packaging for food and non-food items. Airlaid lines using the Campen beater former are compact and efficient, using significantly less energy than similar systems, resulting in lower operating costs—as well as creating high quality airlaid material.
At the exhibition, Campen will also present its state-of-the-art airlaid test center in Denmark. This facility is open to international companies who wish to rent the space for product testing, fiber combinations, and product development. The Campen pilot line can handle any fiber-based material and offers a wide range of applications, making it an excellent resource for companies seeking to develop new, sustainable products.
www.campen.dl
Comerio Ercole
Booth 1122Comerio Ercole, a well-known Italian company founded in 1885 and manufacturer of industrial machines and plants for its department dedicated to the design and manufacture of high-performance calenders for the nonwovens industry, in cooperation with STP Impianti, an Italian company founded in 1985 and a manufacturer of complete spunmelt plants, presents a recent technological combination aimed at the continuous production of spun PET and/or bico PET products.
The STP Impianti spunmelt spinning plant BicoPET is equipped with the innovative and patented 3-roll Duetto calender, preceded by the innovative high-speed thermosetting unit Thermofix, both new Comerio Ercole technologies for energy saving optimization.
The new configuration of the BicoPET plant and in particular the 3-roll Duetto calender will be presented during the INDEX23 exhibition in Geneva.
Riccardo Comerio, CEO of Comerio Ercole, is proud of this new recent and innovative realization in the nonwovens field for industrial use. Roberto Marcora, nonwovens area manager, underlines how the results obtained are the success of extensive experimentation carried out in the company laboratories and awaits all interested parties at INDEX23 to present the successful Comerio Ercole production and engineering platform and the new 3-roll Duetto calender.
The main target of BicoPET plants involves the production of thermobonded PET spunmelt and flat bonded bico PET spunmelt.
www.comerioercole.it
Dilo
Booth 2010At INDEX, DiloGroup plans to present the latest developments in needling technology in anticipation of the machinery exhibition ITMA and to draw the visitors’ attention to the latest demands of environmental sustainability in nonwoven production. The research work of DiloGroup traditionally focuses on production lines for the webforming and needling of staple fiber material. After years of gradual advancements in the intense needling technology, it has succeeded in achieving the industrial scale of “MicroPunch” intense needling technology.
Good abrasion resistance of this intensely needled material allows the production of apparel, artificial leather, battery separators and filter media as well as medical and hygiene nonwovens.
The production of comfort tissues with a weight range of 30 to approx. 60 g/m2 made from fine fiber blends using polyester and viscose has been a domain of the water-entangling technology so far. This product being a typical disposable is in the crossfire regarding sustainability and recyclability. Therefore biodegradable or decomposable fiber material is the target for more environmental sustainability.
In addition, for the evaluation of a web consolidation process, low carbon emission and low energy consumption are important criteria.
The classical needling technology and its qualification for the production of lightweight nonwovens at low cost/kg has been technologically and economically proved in the meantime after many years of research work. It has become possible by an intense concentration of needles in the board and very fine barbs on these specialty needles which allow an economic mounting and quick exchange due to a new module design.
Compared to water-entangling lines, the “MicroPunch” needling line provides a drastic reduction in energy consumption (electricity and gas).
www.dilo.de
Kansan
Booth 1170Kansan, a leading wet wipe machinery manufacturer, has been providing crucial manufacturing solutions in every aspect of wet wipe production from the flat pack and cross-fold converting machines to flow wrappers, lid applicator robots, case packers and palletizers for 30 years. These state-of-the-art production systems are highly versatile and designed to process the most delicate nonwovens with ease for manufacturing various types of dry and wet wipes, baby wipes, wet toilet papers, wet tissue, general cleaning wipes, disinfectant wipes and many more. Kansan’s wet wipe converting machines can also work with the new generation flushable and biodegradable raw materials with high efficiency and productivity. At INDEX, the company will display a fully operational wet wipe production line together with a case packer and a cobot palletizer.
The Kansan group has been diligently working on the design and production of a wetlaid line under name of Kansan Materials to answer the increasing demand for sustainable raw materials for quite some time. The idea is to provide a sophisticated yet simple, eco-friendly, cost-effective, sustainable and flexible manufacturing solution for dispersible and biodegradable nonwovens to be used primarily in hygiene and filtration, healthcare, automotive, construction, insulation and defense industries in further applications.
This line is now ready in the company’s Izmir AOSB facility in Turkey. Several tests have already have been carried out. The speed, throughput, quality and evenness of the web have been far beyond the minimum requirements. The line could process pulp and lyocell fibers between 20 to 80 grams and at up to 180 meters/minute with a stable wet formation in several trial runs.
Kansan Materials’ wetlaid production line consists of a headbox unit, a hydroentanglement unit, a dewatering system, a thru-air dryer, and a slitter winder, designed, engineered and manufactured by Kansan Materials. The system has 3.6 meters of working width at the winder with a design speed of 220 meters/minute. Each machine of the Kansan Materials wetlaid line can also be easily integrated into other nonwoven production processes such as spunlace, CP, SPC and SP.
www.kansanmak.com
Poligof
Booth 2150Poligof SpA, a European company founded in 1980, is a specialist in backsheet films and laminates for absorbent hygiene products. Poligof currently operates five production plants in Italy, Russia, India and Mexico. With a total extrusion capacity of 3 billion sqm, it offers: non-breathable films, breathable films, breathable textile backsheet, printing up to eight colors, synchro and random and single-wrap materials for adult and hygiene products.
Through service, reliability and flexibility, Poligof has been constantly growing from a family company to a multinational company, serving the main manufacturers of absorbent hygienic products in the world.
Quality, process control, priority for human health, green attitude and social responsibility are proven by company certifications including:
- ISO 9001 – ISO 14001
- Asthma Allergy Denmark and Nordic – OekoTex Standard 100 – Nordic Swan Ecolabel – EU Ecolabel
- ISCC Plus
- PoliECO, from recycled materials
- PoliGREEN, from Renewable Sources, Identity preserved
- PoliBLUE, from Renewable Sources, Mass-balance approach (ISCC Plus)
- PoliBIO, Compostable (EN 13432)
- The Green Attitude is also expressed by:
- The exclusive use of water-based inks
- The installation in 2023 of solar panels in the main plant (Mira-Venice)
- The use of LED lights for all the production areas
- The tri-cogeneration project, being implemented in 2023
www.poligof.com
Sandler
Booth 1530At this year‘s INDEX, Sandler will showcase high-performance quality nonwovens that pave the way for environmentally friendly product solutions – optimized from raw material selection to recycling.
For the hygiene industry, nonwovens for fluid transport (ADL) as well as backsheets set standards, made from 100% raw materials from renewable sources. In wipes applications, nonwovens made up to 100% from natural fibers offer new alternatives for single-use products in cleaning and personal care. In this segment, Sandler also utilizes its expertise of different production technologies: Latest developments for wipes show the way towards climate neutrality through the use of more energy efficient manufacturing processes. With the established Sandler standard of quality, these substrates combine a soft touch and optimized cleaning owing to an enlarged surface. Owing to the special production process an increased choice of alternative raw materials can be used – including 100% based on renewable sources. In addition, the use of this specific process allows for an up to 70% reduction of CO2 compared to established production processes for wipes substrates.
Together with customers and partners along the supply chain Sandler continues to expand its initiatives for sustainable product solutions, Sandler is also testing ways of recycling and reusing trims or faulty material in the production of its technical nonwovens. Thus keeping resources in a closed cycle, Sandler is implementing the concept of circular economy and reducing the carbon footprint of its products.
Sandler also offers a sustainable solution for the automotive industry: Fast Forward Fabric – the symbiosis of maximum performance and resource conservation.
These textile materials are the base material for a variety of self-supporting molded parts in interior and exterior applications. Made from 100% polyester with up to 80% post-consumer recycled fibers these nonwovens reduce the use of virgin resources while being fully recyclable themselves at the end of their service life. In this way, Fast Forward Fabric creates closed material cycles and fulfills the most demanding sustainability requirements. The nonwovens support the implementation of specific design concepts in all types of vehicles. Processing results in highly stable molded parts, realizing even complex component geometries. At the same time, the materials feature a significantly lower weight compared to standard materials, high temperature stability and resistance to all common engine compartment fluids. Their open-pore structure combines noise dampening and thermal management. Specific material configurations enable optimized vehicle acoustics – inside the passenger compartment as well as towards the surroundings. Through targeted processing, specific surface structures can be generated, making the nonwovens a design component in the vehicle as well.
www.sandler.de
Shemesh Automation
Booth 2373Shemesh Automation, global manufacturer of high-end packaging solutions, will be promoting its most comprehensive range of wet wipes packaging lines to date at INDEX. Whether it’s round wipes packed in canisters, buckets or flexible jumbo and refill bags, Shemesh’s range boasts innovation-packed solutions for the complete packaging process.
Headlining the list of Shemesh’s latest innovations will be its brand-new ‘BuckIt TKS25’ a complete A-Z packaging line for round wipes in buckets. The ‘BuckIt TKS25’ line offers completely automated feeding for both buckets and bucket lids with separate continuous denesting machines that each feature a servo-driven interchangeable vertical carousel cartridge for continuous denesting – reducing downtime.
In another first for the nonwoven wipes market, the line also includes Shemesh’s innovative SAS-J Vertical Wipes Buckets Stuffer. Building on the global success of Shemesh’s SAS Canister Stuffer series, the SAS-J utilizes the same tried and tested technology to accurately stuff round nonwoven rolls into buckets before the wetting phase. The vertical stuffing methodology engineered by Shemesh allows for a smaller machine footprint while increasing speed and accuracy.
Packing up to 25 buckets per minute, the ‘BuckIt TKS25’ also includes the FGW-J buckets liquid filling and dosing machine. The FGW-J utilizes Shemesh-designed, height-adjustable wide nozzles for completely homogenous wetting of nonwoven rolls.
‘BuckIt TKS25’ is complemented by a bucket lid fastener and the Carolus Bucket Labelling machine - the first to be developed specifically for buckets. It includes a proprietary precision orientation system which ensures that the label is placed in exactly the same position on each and every bucket. It’s ideal for multiple applications, not just nonwovens.
The line is completed by a host of end-of-line options including the Relentless-J case packer and Apollon Palletizer.
Underlining Shemesh’s commitment to sustainability its flagship TKS series, complete high speed packaging lines for wet wipes in canisters, is now compatible with Jabil’s Eco-friendly FusePack product.
Offering complete turnkey packaging from canister unscrambling to wipes loading, liquid filling, sealing, capping, labeling, case-packing and palletizing at speeds of up to 200ppm, the Shemesh TKS lines offer wipes makers a unique, proven one-stop-shop advantage, with all elements of the packaging process engineered by one experienced manufacturer.
FusePack’s stackable, lightweight yet strong packages that reduce carbon footprint and plastic content, are a perfect match for the economical, utilities-saving Shemesh TKS lines.
INDEX visitors will also get a taste of the ground-breaking Citadel range for the complete packaging of wipes in flexible packs. The 25ppm R model Monoblock bagger leads the way for round refill and consumer wipes, while CITADEL-J automatically stuffs jumbo-sized nonwoven rolls into premade bags. It then accurately fills them with liquid (typically three to four liters) while providing constant support beneath the heavy bag, seals the bags and then ejects the finished product at speeds of up to 15 packs per minute. During the show, Shemesh will unveil its newest Citadel-J model called Citadel-A, which will be able to pack both Jumbo wipes of typically 600ct wipes and above, as well as consumer/refill wipes of typically up to 300ct wipes—all with the very same machine.
Shai Shemesh, president of Shemesh Automation, says: “One of the most significant competitive advantages we offer our customers is the ability to obtain machinery that covers the entire packaging process, made by one experienced manufacturer. With the years of innovation we have poured into our brand new turnkey buckets line, canister lines and first-to-market CITADEL series, manufacturers from all subsets of the wet wipes sector now have a really compelling case for choosing Shemesh. We are really looking forward to demonstrating this to visitors at INDEX.”
www.sawetwipes.com
Suzano
Booth 2441Suzano, the world’s largest hardwood pulp producer, will showcase its highly sustainable and innovative eucalyptus-based fluff pulp, Eucafluff, at this year’s INDEX. Suzano will be presenting significant advancements in Eucafluff’s product application and performance.
Eucafluff is made from sustainably managed eucalyptus farms in São Paulo and is the result of nearly 15 years of R&D. Its absorbent panels, made with 100% Eucafluff, provides a more flexible, more discreet product for consumers. Eucafluff outperforms its competitors in terms of rewetting, net retention and comfort performance due to the morphology of Suzano’s eucalyptus hardwood, which is smaller, thinner and highly compressible. The result of this performance provides significant affordability with an 18% reduction of packaging material and 13% reduction in storage and volume. Furthermore, Eucafluff provides a far more sustainable solution with a smaller carbon footprint and a lower impact on land use, using far less wood to produce the same amount of fluff.
Eucafluff has grown dramatically in recent years, increasing its application and sales across a range of fluff segments. Suzano’s Eucafluff will continue to pursue an ambitious growth strategy, particularly as it accelerates an ongoing roll-out to the baby diaper segment while also targeting the rapidly expanding adult diaper market.
www.suzano.com.br
Tentoma Packaging Systems
Booth 1153At INDEX 2023, Tentoma Packaging Solutions, a specialist in the packaging of rolls within the nonwoven industry, will showcase its innovative RoRo StretchPack solution for waterproof sealed packaging of nonwoven rolls in just one operation. Last year Tentoma introduced its XL Power machines suitable for sealed packaging of up to 19 m wide nonwoven rolls.
The RoRo StretchPack technology is suitable for packaging nonwoven rolls. The rolls are packed horizontally into a tubular stretch film, so the final packaging has only a strong short welding at each end. It means no long welding along the roll side prone to break afterwards. It provides a 100% waterproof roll packaging which protects against penetration of dirt and moisture during storage and transportation. It is a beneficial solution for rolls within the hygiene nonwoven industry.
Also, the geotextile industry is benefitting from RoRo StretchPack as it is a way to automate all processes when packaging large and heavy nonwoven rolls. RoRo StretchPack not only improves the packaging quality of rolls, but customers will also benefit from a fully automated packaging line with high repeatability. It gives a high packaging capacity and ensures high uptime. It fits into a highly efficient production line inline or a stand-alone solution. An automated core plug insert is also an option.
Utilizing a tubular stretch film, customers will get tight packaging and avoid excessive use of film. From customer cases, Tentoma has seen film reductions by up to 60% compared to conventional package solutions. This is due to the tight single-layer packaging. The film reduction is also because RoRo StretchPack stretches the film for full utilization, opposite to heat shrink packaging where customers are using excessive film for packaging, which customers afterward need to heat up to reduce. So, RoRo StretchPack gives the possibility to remove any heat shrink from a packaging line, thereby reducing energy consumption significantly.
www.tentoma.com
Trima
Booth 4421Trima is a designer and builder of world class winding machinery and a partner in productivity. Trima, established in 1991, with a staff of around 60, has been a part of the Dietze und Schell Group since 2007. Trima designs, manufactures, supports and services a broad range of fully automatic equipment for web material R2R (Roll to Roll) processing, specifically glass-based mats, tissues, nonwoven materials, woven technical textiles, multiaxial and multi-layer materials. The company has extensive experience and material processing expertise that ranges from the most sensitive fabrics including nanomaterial to very rigid and high-density webs at both high and low speed scopes.
www.trima.com
Vaporjet
Booth 1238Vaporjet Group is home to two leading companies in the nonwovens industry with decades of experience. Vaporjet Ltd., based in Israel, a leading global manufacturer of spunlace nonwovens with four state-of-the-art, high-speed parallel hydroentangled spunlace lines. Novita S.A. based in Poland, manufactures white and color nonwoven in cross-lapped spunlace technology, needlepunched nonwovens. In January 2019, the company added parallel spunlace nonwovens.
Together the companies offer a variety of nonwovens solutions for baby, household, personal care, feminine hygiene, industrial applications, healthcare cleaning medical, automotive, filtration, food contact and more.
www.vaporjet.co.il