01.01.04
Location: Osaka, Japan
Sales: $167 MILLION
Description: Key Personnel
Yoshikazu Ban, general manager of nonwoven fabrics division; Ryujiro Yoshino, general manager, spunbonded fabric sales; Mistuharu Takahashi, general manager, Bemliese/Coldon sales.
Plants
Moriyam, Noveoka, Japan
Processes
Spunbonded, spunlaced, meltblown
Major Markets
Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packings, white blood corpuscle removing filters
Asahi Kasei, Osaka, Japan, can produce 13,000 tons of SMMS, 1200 tons of polypropylene spunbonded, 6000 tons of polyester spunbonded, 4000 tons of nylon spunbonded, 4000 tons of cupra spunbonded, 500 tons of spunlaced and 200 tons of meltblown materials. Additionally, the company has already unveiled plans to increase production of its cupra spunbonded nonwovens.
Sold under the Bemliese brand name, the main use of cupra-based nonwovens is as a wipe used in the production of electronic machinery. Demand for this type of wipe has risen steadily. In 2002, a converting facility to make the wipe was built in Malaysia to respond to increased demand and to strengthen sales in Southeast Asia. Other initiatives within this business include a partnership between Asahi Kasei and Milliken in 2003. Under this agreement, Milliken buys Bemliese in roll form, uses it to convert wipes and sells them in the U.S. and Europe.
These agreements have increased Asahi’s role in both Malaysia and the U.S. and have led to its decision to expand the Bemliese operation from one to two lines. The new line is scheduled to begin operation in spring 2005; production capacity will increase 20-30%.
Beyond Bemliese, Asahi’s production of SMMS and PP, PET and nylon spunbond nonwovens increased about 15% in 2003, rising from 26,000 to 30,000 tons. This rise was largely attributed to increased demand for SMMS in diaper coverstocks. This increase, combined with favorable conditions in polypropylene-based spunbonded nonwovens, flat sales in polyester- and nylon-based spunbonded nonwovens. Meanwhile, Asahi Kasei’s meltblown output has largely been fueling the white blood corpuscle remover market which has seen steady demand, despite its low production level of 200 tons per year."
Sales: $167 MILLION
Description: Key Personnel
Yoshikazu Ban, general manager of nonwoven fabrics division; Ryujiro Yoshino, general manager, spunbonded fabric sales; Mistuharu Takahashi, general manager, Bemliese/Coldon sales.
Plants
Moriyam, Noveoka, Japan
Processes
Spunbonded, spunlaced, meltblown
Major Markets
Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packings, white blood corpuscle removing filters
Asahi Kasei, Osaka, Japan, can produce 13,000 tons of SMMS, 1200 tons of polypropylene spunbonded, 6000 tons of polyester spunbonded, 4000 tons of nylon spunbonded, 4000 tons of cupra spunbonded, 500 tons of spunlaced and 200 tons of meltblown materials. Additionally, the company has already unveiled plans to increase production of its cupra spunbonded nonwovens.
Sold under the Bemliese brand name, the main use of cupra-based nonwovens is as a wipe used in the production of electronic machinery. Demand for this type of wipe has risen steadily. In 2002, a converting facility to make the wipe was built in Malaysia to respond to increased demand and to strengthen sales in Southeast Asia. Other initiatives within this business include a partnership between Asahi Kasei and Milliken in 2003. Under this agreement, Milliken buys Bemliese in roll form, uses it to convert wipes and sells them in the U.S. and Europe.
These agreements have increased Asahi’s role in both Malaysia and the U.S. and have led to its decision to expand the Bemliese operation from one to two lines. The new line is scheduled to begin operation in spring 2005; production capacity will increase 20-30%.
Beyond Bemliese, Asahi’s production of SMMS and PP, PET and nylon spunbond nonwovens increased about 15% in 2003, rising from 26,000 to 30,000 tons. This rise was largely attributed to increased demand for SMMS in diaper coverstocks. This increase, combined with favorable conditions in polypropylene-based spunbonded nonwovens, flat sales in polyester- and nylon-based spunbonded nonwovens. Meanwhile, Asahi Kasei’s meltblown output has largely been fueling the white blood corpuscle remover market which has seen steady demand, despite its low production level of 200 tons per year."